…Lauds Agha Family for Building Access Road Administers Sacrament of Confirmation on 60
By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu, Deborah Chinyelum and Blessing Nebo
The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor, on Sunday, 17th August, 2025, at St. Stephen’s Parish, Nise, in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, called on Christians to be steadfast and ensure that they hold tenaciously to the characteristics that portray them as true and practical children of God.
Bishop Ezeokafor who made the call while carrying out his pastoral function, noted that God could not be mocked or disrespected, saying that it was his humble wish to always speak on topical issues, especially as they affected the Church and her followers. He called on them to reverence God whom he said had the powers to kill both the spirit and the soul.
‘Be afraid of God and not human beings. God can make and mar. Do not place your hope on any individual. Place your trust in God and Him alone. I want to use this medium to admonish parents to be watchful and take good care of their children. Today’s parents should monitor their wards. Our parents were not educated but they spent enough time supervising our activities.
‘They were always there to ask the necessary questions. Once we were back from school, our parents would call us and ask us to bring our bags for searching and inspection. Woe betide you if they saw any incriminating material or anything that was not from them. Our mothers knew all that was bought by her husband. Once she saw any other thing, you were in hot soup. These are things we are lacking in today’s parenting. No proper inspection and supervision. Parents are busy chasing earthly things without recourse to the children’s upbringing,’ he said.
Bishop Ezeokafor, who was accompanied on the visit by the Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Charles Ndubisi; the Diocesan Bursar, Rev. Father Nicodemus Izuchukwu; and the he Bishop’s MC, Rev. Fr. Patrick Umezi; maintained that the problems of today were traceable to broken homes and busy parents who hardly made out time for their children, stating that he was happy that the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, had demystified the promoters of ”okeite” and proved that they had been deceiving the gullible all along, especially the ill-informed and poorly trained youths.
‘Governor Soludo has shown that the propagators of okeite have no powers and that they are not what they claim to be. Do you think they have any power? If they do, they would have used them on the Governor, but you can see that the Governor is even looking younger and healthier by the day. Do not be deceived. There is nothing in idolatry and fetishism. It was designed to deceive the unsuspecting members of the public.
The Catholic Prelate explained that the reason why tuition fee at Peter University Achina/Onneh was a bit high was as a result of the lack of government’s patronage, such as grants and subventions. The Cleric singled out Agha family who built a road leading to the Parish for special praise, praying God to continue blessing and safeguarding them.
Speaking, the Parish Priest of St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, Nise, Reverend Father Clement Ufoaro, thanked the Bishop for what he described as his fatherly blessings and care, emphasizing that they would leverage his visit to do more exploits.
The Parish Priest stated they were overwhelmed with the road construction, announcing that the Agha family had solved their road problems, noting that they had suffered severe hardship as a result of poor condition of the road leading in and outside the Parish.
In an interview, the Deputy Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly and the member representing Awka South II State Constituency, Hon. Chukwuma Okoye, charged the youths to shun ego driven acts, as well as the mad rush for materialism, especially the okeite syndrome, describing the youths as beacons of hope. He appreciated the Bishop for his words of exhortation.
In their separate speeches, the Chief Planner of the event, Mr. Cosmos Anyadike; Planning Committee Secretary, Dr. Onyeka Ekeugwu; and Planner Sir. Emma Aguh, Chairman C. M. O. of St. Stephen’s Parish, Nise, commended Bishop Ezeokafor for visiting their parish, describing him as a compassionate father and shepherd.
The pastoral visit witnessed the administration of the Sacrament of Confirmation on 60 candidates; group photographs; cultural displays; and addresses by the Parish Pastoral Council Secretary, Dr. Joseph Amata; vote of thanks by the Vice Chairman Parish Pastoral Council, Mazi Emman Okechukwu Nwuba, which formed the highpoints of the occa¬sion.