By Michael Ovat -Awka
The Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, has marked his 73rd birthday, celebrating with inmates of the Onitsha Correctional Centre, Anambra State.
The event took place at the Correctional Centre premises on Tuesday, October 20th, 2026.
The Archbishop, whose birthday event was highly graced by Anambra top government functionaries and politicians including the State Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice, Tochukwu Nweke, Special Adviser to governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo on Youth Reformation, Dr Nelson Obinna Omenugha, APGA National Chairman, Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa, Hon Ikenna Iyingbo, Hon Amaka Obi, State Commissioner for Transport, Hon Edward Ibuzo and others, advised the inmates not to see their present condition as a punishment but as rehabilitation
Speaking further while delivering a homily during the Holy Mass at the Centre, the Archbishop enjoined the inmates to put their faith in God, and always pray and hope for a better future.
He told them not to think that being in prison is the worst thing that could happen to anybody, according to him, their period in prison could serve as a retreat to build their spiritual life and to, maybe safe them from death or other permanent worse life condition.
The Archbishop urged Nigerians to develop the spirit of thanksgiving, noting that given is a virtues that make human beings great in life.
“The highest prayer is to give thanks to God Almighty. It’s more blessed to give than to received.
Okeke, while lamenting lack of electrical fans across the 24 cells that constitute the Onitsha Correctional centre, appealed to governor Soludo to build new centre in the state that will be better than others in Nigeria.
In their separate interview, the 2027 candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC for Idemili North and South Federal Constituency, Hon Eric Nnamdi Anyamene and the State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon Patrick Ahmba, commended the Archbishop for his continue support for the Onitsha inmates.
The celebration also featured distribution of food and relief materials to the prison inmates by the Archbishop.
