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By Madu Obi
The Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, yesterday celebrated his 70th birthday with the inmates of Onitsha Correctional Center, expressing gratitude to God for the opportunity.
Archbishop Okeke, who regularly celebrates Christmas and Easter with the inmates, had executed a number of projects in the center.
For instance, he had rehabilitated a borehole that supplies water to all the cells, renovated the prison cells, and established a skill acquisition center where inmates learn various skills.
The month-long birthday celebration of the Archbishop will also include visits to several hospitals in Onitsha, where he will pay the bills of indigent patients.
At Friday's ceremony, the Archbishop was awarded the Grand Patron of Inmates in Custody in Nigeria by the Controller General of Nigeria Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, who was represented by his Deputy, S.N Nwakuche.
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, who was delighted by the efforts of the Archbishop, pledged support for the prison ministry of the Archbishop.
Governor Soludo 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.
The governor said he was impressed by the Archbishop's commitment to helping humanity generally and the inmates at the correctional center in particular.
According to him, the Archbishop's work was a reminder that everyone deserves a second chance.
Soludo promised to pay the NABTEB examination fees for 30 inmates who are preparing to write the exams and 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 programme at the center so that they could be productive members of society when they are released.
"I urge you to take the skills acquisition programme seriously. When you are released from prison, you can use these skills to build a better life for yourself and your family," he advised them.
Among those who attended the ceremony were the former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Mr. Peter Obi.
Others are, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Somtochukwu Udeze, Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof Solo Chukwulobelu, Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Tony Nwoye, Senator Chris Ngige, National Chairman of APGA, Barr. Sly Ezeokenwa and Papal Nuncio to Czech Republic, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo.
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