Archbishop of Onitsha, His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke has celebrated his 70th birthday with inmates at the Nigerian Correctional Service Medium Security Custodial Center Onitsha, Anambra state.
In a homily, the celebrant, noted that gratitude to God is the greatest sacrifice to offer.
ANN reports that the Archbishop has made many philanthropic gestures at the center, including rehabilitating a borehole that supplies water to all the cells, renovating the prison cells, and establishing a skill acquisition program where inmates can learn various skills.
The month-long birthday celebration of the Archbishop of Onitsha will also include visits to several hospitals in Onitsha, where he will pay the bills of patients who are unable to pay.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo while speaking pledged support for the prison ministry. He also laid the foundation stone for the secondary school that will be built in the center and commissioned the skills acquisition center built and donated by the Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke.
Soludo said he was impressed by the Archbishop’s commitment to helping inmates at the correctional center, stating that the work was a reminder that everyone deserves a second chance.
Soludo promised to pay the Nabteb exam fees for 30 inmates who are preparing to write the exams. He also promised to install solar panels and inverters to supply electricity to the center, which has a population of 1,125 inmates.
The Governor advised the inmates to take advantage of the skills acquisition program at the center so that they can be productive members of society when they are released.
“I am here today to celebrate the Archbishop of Onitsha for his commitment to helping those who are often forgotten,” Soludo said.
“I urge you to take the skills acquisition program seriously,” Soludo said. “When you are released from prison, you can use these skills to build a better life for yourself and your family.”
The Archbishop was awarded the Grand Patron of Inmates in Custody in Nigeria by the Controller General of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, represented by his Deputy, SN Nwakuche.
