By Isaac Ojo
47 Catholic Archbishops and Bishops, including President Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, Most Rev. Augustine Akabueze; his predecessor Most Rev. Alaba Job, Emeritus Archbishop of Abuja, His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyakan; Archbishop Valerian Okeke of Ecclesiastical Archdiocese of Onitsha, and Archbishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto, yesterday, attended the inauguration of the new Catholic Bishop of Nnewi, Most Rev. Jonas Okoye.
Meanwhile, the new Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese Most Rev. Jonas Okoye, yesterday said that the main focus of his leadership in the Diocese of Nnewi is going to be on the development, upliftment and assistance to families.
He said this during his inauguration at the Cathedral Church of Assumption Nnewi Anambra State.
The eleted Bishop Okoye, also said that under his leadership Nnewi will have a University of Technology, just as Business School where the youths can be trained for all skills, and in that area, they are going to partner with Innoson Motors in the youths mechanical skill acquisition programmes.
Satisfied with the performance of his predecessor Bishop Emeritus, Most Rev. Hilary Okeke, Bishop Okoye promised that he will work with the priests in the Diocese to ensure that he enjoys his retirement.
My vision and mission as the new Bishop of Nnewi Diocese is to be in practical help to families, we need to help, build, develop and assist families, we need to help them. We are considering building a University of Technology, and Nnewi Business School for skill acquisition for the youths.
Let us do community service to the people, we need to help and another in this Diocese, people are suffering and they need help and we must offer them help as a Diocese, and am happy that the people of Nnewi are the ligh and vitality of this Diocese, together with others we will do great things.
In his homely the President of CBCN, Archbishop Akabueze, on behalf of the conference urged the newly inaugurated Bishop of Nnewi Diocese to tap from the resources and potentials in Nnewi, to improve on the achievements of his predecessor.
“What had been established by Bishop Okeke in the last twenty years are enormous. You need to build and improve on what is on the ground, and we as CBCN will always be there to assist you.”
Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano called on the people of Nnewi Diocese to support the new Bishop like they supported his predecessor in order to succeed because his success will be the success of every Catholic faithful in the state and Nnewi Diocese in particular.
Some of the dignitaries that attended the inauguration were Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Vice Presidential Candidate in the 2019 presidential election and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, Anambra State Governor-elect, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator Uche Ekwunife, Senator Victor Umeh, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Chief Cletus Ibeto, founder of Cutix Plc, Chief Ajulu Uzodike and many other politicians and captains of industry.