By Alphonsus Nweze
The multi-billion naira Onitsha Correctional Centre Skill Acquisition for the inmates being built by the Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, Most Rev. Dr. Valerian Okeke, will take off in October this year.
Archbishop Okeke himself announced this On Easter day during a mass with the inmates of the Onitsha Correctional Centre.
He said the Comptroller General of Corrections has approved their application to allow them fence the centre, expressing hope that by then everything would have been completed and the training of the inmates would start in earnest.
Earlier in his homily titled ” Nothing is impossible,” the Archbishop said the fact that many did not believe that nothing is impossible to God does not matter.
He said: “In any condition don’t give up. Always remember that nothing is impossible before God. With God there is no accident. When something appears in your life follow it with faith and prayer. If you have faith in your life, you will see the glory of God”
Continuing, “The power of God will carry your problem like flood. Nothing happens as an accident in the presence of God. When we celebrate Easter, we celebrate the victory of God.”
The Controller of Corrections in Anambra State, Mr. Patrick Chukwuemeka, in his speech after the mass said the Archbishop has been a father to everybody in the Correctional Centre in all ramifications.
He said the only way to reciprocate his numerous gestures is to apply his advices, saying that they would not have succeeded much without his partnership.
Turning to the inmates, the Controller told them to turn around from all those things they did that brought them to the Correctional Centre in the first place.
The Chaplain of Maximilian Kolbe Chaplaincy in charge of the Correctional Centre, Rev. Father Bartholomew Okpalaugo, announced that very soon a centre for school certificate examination would be created in the Correctional Centre since many of the inmates have availed themselves of the opportunity to improve their education and are registering for school certificate exams for higher education.
He said some inmates have registered for National Open University programmes.
Lauding the Archbishop for sustaining the prison apostolate he started in the last 21 years, Rev Father Okpalaugo revealed that through the apostolate the Archbishop has provided water for the Correctional Centre, renovated the cells for the inmates to make it habitable, healthcare delivery and construction of skill acquisition centre which when it takes off in October this year will have seven departments.
Also, some items were presented to the inmates for their Easter celebration; 10 bags of cooked rice prepared with one slaughtered cow, one life cow, toiletries, and soft drinks among others.
