Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has said that the Catholic Church still leads the way in the moral rearmament of the society for the good of all despite the rising moral decadence in our society that even threatens the work of God.
He spoke on Wednesday at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Orlu on the occasion of the ordination of Monsignor Thomas Ifeanyichukwu Obiatuegwu as the Auxiliary Bishop of Orlu Catholic Diocese.
Governor Uzodimma who congratulated the Auxiliary Bishop on his new status in God’s vineyard, however challenged him and all the Bishops to rise to the challenge of evangelism in the Diocese given the phenomenal growth of Catholic faithful in the area.
The Governor said at the rate Catholic faithful are growing in Orlu Diocese from a recent 8,000 to about 1.2 million now, there is no doubt the Diocese needs to double her evangelical zeal to include the planting of more parishes.
Though Governor Uzodimma commended the leadership of the Catholic Church for leading the way in taming the ills in our society, he regretted, however, that “as the Church grows so also criminality grows.”
He noted that although the Catholic Bishops deploy maturity in their utterances when they speak truth to power, the Governor maintained that the Church may not have done enough to impact enduring moral lessons on the faithful or in the alternative, “this generation suffers from hardness of the heart.”
He promised that his government will continue to partner with the Church as the most influential agent of socialisation and to alleviate the sufferings of the people, especially in this period of journey of economic recovery.
Governor Uzodimma had earlier expressed gladness to be part of the ordination, saying “it is a privilege to have witnessed the ordination of three different Bishops in Orlu Diocese – the late Bishop Gregory Ochiagha, Bishop Augustine Ukwuoma and today, the Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Obiatuegwu.”
He congratulated the new Bishop and reminded him that his elevation comes with additional responsibilities.
In his speech, the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Lucius Ugorji who is also the Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, welcomed the new Bishop to the fold of Catholic Bishops and expressed confidence that he will be faithful to the body in general and the Bishop of Orlu in particular.
He thanked the Pope for the appointment of Msgr. Obiatuegwu and commended Bishop Augustine Ukwuoma for sustaining the growth and development instituted by the pioneer Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Orlu, late Bishop Gregory Ochiagha.
The Archbishop thanked the Irish Missionaries who brought Christianity to Nigeria for their sacrifices and urged Orlu Diocese faithful to always anchor their faith on God and hold firm to the work of God and shun all fake gods.
Archbishop Ugorji thanked Governor Uzodimma for beefing up security in the State which made it possible for people to come from all walks of life to attend the ceremony.
Regardless, he strongly bemoaned the sit-at-home order in the South East, emphasising that it has grossly paralysed businesses and the economy of the zone.
As a way out of the situation, he requested the Federal Government to seriously address the issue of mandatory sit-at-home order by non-state actors, fueled by what he called the continued incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Archbishop Ugorji therefore appealed to President Bola Tinubu to use his good offices to salvage the situation. “Releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will open the economic path way of the South East,” he enthused.
Earlier during his Homily, the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Prof. Godfrey Onah said it is an irony that Orlu faithful who are predominantly Christians and Catholics should be associated with killings and all manners of inhuman behaviour leading to people fleeing the area when there is no established war going on in Nigeria.
He challenged them to be part of the solution to the perceived insecurity and moral reengineering that will restore Orlu to its past glory of a peaceful place.
Bishop Onah invited the Auxiliary Bishop to brace up to the responsibility of leading the faithful to God.
In his appreciation to those who honoured his ordination, Bishop Obiatuegwu expressed gratitude to all and thanked Pope Francis in particular for approving his nomination.
He promised to apply himself creditably to the work of God and solicited the support of all – Bishops, the Clergy and Laity, everyone through prayers, insisting that as a beginner he is “always ready to learn.”
Bishop Obiatuegwu lauded the Bishop Ukwuoma whom he described as “a Bishop after God’s heart and a gift of God to Man.”
To the Governor of Imo State, Bishop Obiatuegwu expressed his gratitude to Governor Uzodimma for what he called “the fabulous support of the Governor to the success of the ordination.”
Also, he singled out former boss of Seplat Oil and Gas, Dr. ABC Orjiakor for gratitude describing him as a “brother from another mother.”
“Here I am, willing and ready to serve,” he told his audience.
In his message, the Principal Consecrator, Bishop Ukwuoma thanked all who came to honour the invitation, especially Pope Francis whom he said approved his request for a Bishop “to assist him to manage the Diocese that is growing and expanding every day.”
In the same vein, Bishop Ukwuoma thanked Governor Uzodimma for his “continued support and prompt response anyday, anytime the Diocese approaches him for assistance.”
The ordination was attended by 40 Bishops, other representatives of Bishops in Nigeria and beyond, politicians, traditional rulers among others.
