By Chuks Eke—
The Archbishop of Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese and Metropolitan of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke, has charged inmates of the Onitsha Medium Custodial Centre to consider themselves fortunate to be alive while serving their prison terms.
He said that in the twinkling of an eye, the circumstances that brought them to the Custodial Centre could have equally led to their death or serious bodily harm, rather than being alive in sound health to serve out their jail terms.
Archbishop Okeke spoke during his homily at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Chaplaincy, Onitsha Custodial Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Service, where he celebrated a Pontifical High Mass to mark his 73rd birthday with the inmates. He told them they should always be thankful to God in any condition they find themselves.
He also urged all Christians to focus on their blessings through thanksgiving, instead of dwelling on the troubles associated with daily life, adding that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
In his homily, tagged “Necessity of Giving Thanks,” Archbishop Okeke—who is also the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS)—noted that God gives everyone free air and abundant life, for which no one pays. He added that many receive God’s blessings in various ways but refuse to give thanks, choosing instead to compare their blessings with what others have achieved.
According to him, “When you find yourself in prison and think you are being punished, you are not right. What brought you inside the prison could have taken your life. Most times, we consider what God did not give us, but do not consider what He has already done for us.”
“Thanksgiving is a virtue that makes a person great before God. Your thanksgiving does not add anything to God; rather, the more you give thanks, the more you are blessed by Him. It is our greatest weapon of prayer because it helps us to receive more from God.”
The prelate also emphasized the importance of sharing what we have with others, noting that one of the best ways to give thanks to God for His blessings is to share them with those in need.
The Archbishop showered the inmates with gifts, including live cows, bags of rice, toiletries, clothing materials, and detergents. He also expressed happiness that the number of inmates in the correctional centre is reducing, which he viewed as an indication of a declining crime rate in society.
He urged the faithful to pray that the Federal Government’s vision of transforming the Nigerian Prisons Service into the Nigerian Correctional Service is fully realised.
Also speaking during the Mass, the Chaplain of St. Maximilian Kolbe Chaplaincy, Rev. Fr. Batho Okpalaugo, congratulated the Archbishop on his 73rd birthday and wished him many more fruitful years ahead.
The Catholic cleric noted that for the past 20 years, the Archbishop has made it an annual ritual to celebrate his birthday with the inmates, showering them with gifts and words of encouragement.
He also thanked the Archbishop for transforming the Custodial Centre into a place of hope by establishing primary and secondary schools, an Open University study centre, and a skills acquisition centre, enabling inmates to earn academic certificates and vocational skills while in custody.
In their respective goodwill messages, the Controller of Prisons in Anambra State, Mrs. Ezinne Onuoha, and the Officer in Charge of the Onitsha Custodial Centre, Mr. Emmanuel Dede, thanked the Archbishop for his transformative impact on the facility, describing him as a champion of societal change, and prayed that God grants him many more years.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Hon. Patrick Agha-Mba, and his Transport counterpart, Hon. Edward Ibuzor, also eulogized Archbishop Okeke for his humility and devotion to the gospel. Both commissioners urged the inmates to seize the opportunities provided by the Archbishop’s initiatives to improve their lives.
Agha-Mba and Ibuzor assured that their ministries would partner with the Archbishop and the Correctional Centre in the ongoing journey of youth transformation.
