“Restore Your Dignity”, Bishop’s Wife Urges Judiciary; “Support My Husband’s Re-election”, Uzodimma’s  Wife

By George Best Okoroh

Nigeria’s Judiciary has been advised to rise up to the challenges facing it especially the restoration of its dignity and image.

The wife of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Egbu, Mrs. Chioma Okorafor gave  the advice in her address at the 28th Diocesan Women Conference held at the Christ Anglican Church, Awaka, Owerri North LGA, Imo State.

Referring to the 2023 General Elections, Mrs. Okorafor said the elections described by  local and international observers as the worst in the annals of Nigeria’s elections has “put the Judiciary on a tall assignment”.

She stated that while posterity will judge all those who went ahead to announce the results of the elections, despite national and international outcry, the Judiciary has the responsibility to prove its worth as the hope of the common man.

“A lot has been said on the election. We leave it to posterity to judge. The Judiciary is expected to restore its dignity and image which seem to be having some iota of doubts”, the Bishop’s wife said.

Mrs. Okorafor condemned the manner tribalism, ethnicity and religion have negatively robbed off into politics in Nigeria, adding that there is nothing to make one a proud Nigerian, except perhaps “in the area of    sports, if only it will last. Our politics is tribalistic sectional, ethno-religious. We do not give considerat canion to a person that will take Nigeria to her promised land. Emphasis is on tribe, ethnic background and most unfortunately religion”,  she said.

.Mrs. Okorafor observed that Nigeria will celebrate its 63rd Independence Anniversary on October 1, 2023, with many of her citizens suffering under all manner of evils, hunger, pains and discomfort.

She bemoaned the hardships being suffered by the masses as a result of the fuel subsidy withdrawal and the present insecurity in the country, noting that many people have lost their lives, homes and property.

The Bishop’s  stated that the nation can successfully fight insecurity in the country, if there is seriousness on the nation’s leadership. “If the nation decide’s to fight insecurity, it will achieve it. We call for more seriousness”, she said.

The wife of the Bishop who is also the President of the Mothers’ Union, Women and Girls’ Guild pointed out that the hardship inflicted on Nigerians by the hike in the price of fuel is unbearable.

She noted that the conference theme “Coming To God In Our Pain–The Gate Way To Our Solace” indicated that at different times in the Scriptures individuals, peoples and nations have passed through hardships and difficult  times. She charged Nigerians to emulate Hannah, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, Israel in Egypt, David, Job, Peter, Paul and Silas who through prayers to God found a gateway to their solace.

Mrs Okorafor opined that prayers embedded with brokenness, praise and worship, sacrifice and offering with deep understanding of the Scriptures can effectively be applied in challenging any situation confronting any individual, peoples and nations.

Meanwhile the wife of the governor of Imo State  Barr Mrs Chioma Uzodimma ably represented by the wife of the immediate past Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly,. Mrs   Ijeoma Nduka, called on Anglican Women to lend their support to her husband, Senator Hope Uzodimma in the fast approaching November 11 Gubernatorial election saying that their support will spur the Governor more in his developmental strides in the state if re-elected.

The Governor’s wife made the appeal while delivering her keynote address at the 2023 Egbu Diocesan Women’s Conference Thanksgiving service on Sunday held at Christ Anglican Church Awaka. She said that if not for anything, the women should look upon the reconstructed road leading from Egbu down to Umuahia which for a very long time have been in a very bad condition until the governor listened to the yearnings of the people and decided to work on the road.

She assured the women based on the theme of the conference ” Coming to God in our pain- the gateway to our solace” 1 Samuel 1 saying that they should always remember the story of Hannah anytime they are in trouble, addng that God must surely answer when called with a clean heart.