Stop the carnage!

Increasing violence, mass abductions, and an armed attack against a UN base. Facts that show how an unstable and volatile situation Nigeria is currently in. 317 school girls were kidnapped in the last days of February from their boarding school by a group of armed men. Pope Francis appealed for the girls’ release, while the Nigerian government entered into negotiations with the kidnappers, and as a result the girls were set free on the 2nd of March. A few days later, the ISWAP Jihadist group that can be linked to the Islamic State, in demonstration of their strength attacked a UN military base in the town of Dikwa, Northeastern region of Nigeria.

Let’s work for a better future!

Valerian Okeke urges for reconciliation and stability. “Be Your Brother’s Keeper” as Archbishop Okeke delivered his Easter Message, emphasizing that Christ accepted the Cross, suffered and sacrificed himself to save the mankind. The IEC guest speaker celebrated his Easter Mass at the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity in Onitsha and called on the citizens of Nigeria, as well as all the men and women of goodwill to be their brother’s and sister’s protectors.

“If you believe that there is only one God, who created all human beings, then stop the killings, since everyone is your brother and sister. The blood of our brothers shed by herdsmen, bandits, Boko Haram and kidnappers is crying out to God for vengeance. Should we want a glorious future, we have to work for it even today. If we want a better country, let us be our brothers’ keeper!” – said the Nigerian Church leader.

Rotten guards of the strong walls

The Archbishop demanded the government to revise the security structures of the country. “As the saying goes: if you build strong, good walls around your house or palace, but fail to build the character of your guards – letting the guards be murderers and thieves- no matter what beautiful your walls are, you are still going to live together with the enemy in your palace.” – as the country’s malfunctioning security structure was metaphorically characterized by Okeke.

“In the spirit of Easter, following Christ’s example, who sacrificed himself for us, for the mankind, let us also make the necessary sacrifices so as to be the protectors of our brothers and sisters. When we become our brothers’ protectors, we are going to partake in Christ’s victory, who triumphed over the suffering and death, and rose from the dead.”

Easter in the prison

Archbishop Okeke paid a visit to the Onitsha prison asking the inmates to strive that they would leave the prison walls as a better person than the way they entered. He prayed for the staff of the Correctional Service Authorities and other state security agents, who have recently lost some of their colleagues due to armed attacks.

As in the previous years, Archbishop Okeke presented again various items to the prison, including amongst others, non-perishable food items, cakes, detergents, toiletries and even a cow.

Father Bartholomew Okpalaugo, Chaplain of the Maximilian Kolbe Prison Chaplaincy, Onitsha and Emmanuel Nwakeze, Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Anambra State expressed their gratitude for the Archbishop’s continued care and support for the welfare of the detainees ensured over the years.

They also expressed their optimism that the skill acquisition centre in a value of multi-million naira that has been built with the support of the Archdiocese would soon start its full operations.

Source and photo: youtube, sunnewsonline, businnesday