Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has felicitated with Most Reverend Valerian Okeke, the Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese and Metropolitan of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
The governor, who was present during the seventieth birthday mass celebration of the Archbishop disclosed that his administration is determined to keep providing qualitatalive but free basic education in all public schools in the state.
The mass took place at the Nigerian Correctional Service, Medium Security Custodial Centre, Onitsha, on Friday, where a skill acquisition centre built by the Archbishop for inmates was also unveiled.
The Governor said that his mission is to reposition public schools in Anambra as models, which he described as the duty of the government.
While pointing out that the goal of the repositioning is to ensure that the children of the poor and the rich are given equal opportunity to succeed in life, he prevailed on the Archbishop to continue to lead the way and keep up his good work in education and health.
Governor Soludo called on the inmates to turn a new leaf and asked those who indulge in criminality, in any part of the state, to desist.
The Controller General, Nigeria Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, represented by his deputy in-charge of Inmates, Training and Productivity, Sylvester Nwakuche, said that the skill acquisition center gives impetus to the reformation and reintegration of inmates, pointing out that the establishment of the skill acquisition center is in line with the mandate of the correctional Service.
He urged the inmates to take advantage of the acquisition centre, assuring of putting it to good use.
Earlier in a homily, the Archbishop pointed out that ways to express gratitude include actions of thanksgiving to God, alms giving, other works of mercy, kindness, forgiveness, among others, drawing analogy with David and Saul in the bible.
While identifying gratitude as an obligation, the Prelate revealed that they have started schools in the centre with the recognition and approval of the Anambra State government, as well as running skills acquisition programs.
He pointed out that the aim is to harness talents and skills, so that by the time many of the inmates serve out their terms, they must have increased in knowledge or skill, and asked those who committed one crime or the other for which they were remanded, to turn a new leaf after serving.
Also, the Deputy Controller of Corrections, Medium Security Custodial Centre, Onitsha, Mr. Anugwa Michael Benson, while extolling Archbishop Okeke for his yearly felicitations, prayed God to bless and give him fruitful years ahead as he shepherds his flock.
“With the official commissioning of the skill acquisition centre, I believe strongly that the Nigeria Correctional Service Onitsha, has achieved a milestone in it Reformation, Reabilitation and Reintegration system,” Mr. Benson noted.
The celebration was also attended by wife of the Governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Somtochukwu Udeze, Senators Victor Umeh, Tony Nwoye, Dr. Chris Ngige, Papal Nuncio to Czech Republic, Most Rev. Thaddeus Okoli, Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Anambra State, Bishop Moses Ezedebego, Catholic priests, among others.
Donation of food, soft drinks, toiletries, mattresses, and personal effects, as well as cutting of cake, foundation stone laying ceremony for PFN secondary school, and presentation of award to the Archbishop as the grand patron of inmates in Nigeria, climaxed the event.
. TheWitness
