The Archbishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke, has vowed to ensure the ultra-modern skills acquisition centre built at the Onitsha Federal Correctional Centre, Anambra State, becomes functional.

Okeke, during a visit to the centre on Thursday, said the centre must start teaching the inmates the required skills to enable them to become better individuals.

The cleric said, “The skills acquisition centre must become functioning so as to enable the inmates get better rehabilitation. I want to assure you that this centre will transform the inmates to become better individuals. The Son of God, whom we are celebrating was transformed and all we needed was to accept him with gratitude so that everything we have would be changed.”

He further admonished that God always assured his people that nothing was impossible before Him and through His Son, Jesus Christ, all our needs would be granted.

“For those who believe in Jesus Christ and accept him, he gives the right to become children of God. Accept Jesus Christ with gratitude. If you accept him with all your heart, everything about you will be renewed.”

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In his appreciation remarks, the Chaplain of the Correctional Centre, Rev. Fr. Batholomew Okpalanwugo, poured encomiums on the cleric for his love for the inmates, revealing that, “all his prayers for the inmates were working.”

He disclosed that the inmates have been approved to be writing the West African School Certificate Examination and other equivalent board for the ordinary level examinations in the correctional centre.

The cleric extolled priests, religious and numerous church leaders who visited the inmates, especially Hon. Edward Ibuzo, who he said, donated a live cow to the inmates, even as the Deputy Comptroller, Onitsha Correctional Centre, Val Nwosu, described the frequent visits by the Archbishop to the inmates as hope and motivation to the prison management.

Some items donated by the Archbishop during the visit included, biscuits, a Christmas Cake, toiletries, laundry items, toothpaste, one slaughtered cow, 10 bags of rice, among others.