…Consoles the military, Nigerians over Okuama killings
Hon (Chief) Modestus Umenzekwe, Patron, Catholic Women’s Organization (CWO) Awka and Ekwulobia dioceses; Fmr Vice Chairman, St. Joseph’s Parish Council, Pioneer Chairman, Parish Development Committee of the same church and a staunch member of Catholic Men’s Organization (CMO), in his Easter Message, has called on Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper, eschew violence and killings; he also consoled the military and Nigerians over Okuama killings in Delta State. Excerpt:
How do you think Nigerians can apply the teachings of Easter in their daily lives and as a nation?
Easter period, or call it Easter or lenting season, is a period Christians all over the world, remember the sufferings of our lord, Jesus Christ, who willingly accepted death on the Cross to liberate mankind. It is a special period when we seek in a special way the face of God by appealing to him through penance to make sure our various sins are obliterated so that our reunion with God almighty would be perfect.
It is also a period of forgiveness because he who goes to equity must go with clean hands; it is also a period of alms giving, because as you help the needy, the needy will pray for you, as you give out, God equally remembers you. You see that word, ‘God bless you’, every human being should find a genuine way of attracting that word from a fellow human being, not when you kill to make money, or do odd things, you expect that, no, it must be very genuine. So when you give out to the needy especially to the downtrodden, they would tell you God bless you. It is just like in the Catholic Church, the dismissal blessings after mass is very significant, the same thing when somebody dies, in Catholic Church and burial mass is being celebrated, the most important part of that burial mass is, they call it liberation prayer for the dead, it comes almost at the end of the mass when the dead is prayed for especially for his total sin while on earth to be blotted out by God almighty. So Easter period is the most significant period in the Christendom and nobody should joke with it.
Narrowing it down to Nigeria as you asked, my advice or message to Nigerians both Christians and Moslems alike, good a thing, the Moslems are equally doing penance this period, let us be our brother’s keeper, let us eschew all these killings, let us seek the face of God, let us reunite as one country under one God. And above all, let us support and pray for our leaders, more especially, the President of this country and his team who are facing serious challenges trying to reposition the country.
This is not a period to be attacking them, saying all sorts of things, this is a special period to pray for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his team and indeed all the leaders, for God to give them the special wisdom, understanding and what it takes to reposition this country for the good of all Nigerians. Going further we should use this period to pray for all the diseased members of our families because in the grave there is no power, it is the living that can talk to God to repose the soul of the dead and more especially the 17 slain military heroes at Okuama Community in Delta State. I want to thank the President, for being physically present at the National Cemetery, Abuja, I watched it on television, it was heartbreaking, and I want to thank the military authority for acting within the rule of their engagement despite the fact that they were badly wounded, the will of God must prevail.
You can see Nigerians are commending the President for the posthumous honour and for the palliatives, so to say, he has read out to be given to the families: housing and all that. What touched me most is that they are giving scholarship even to the ones in the womb; that shows that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a seasoned, trained and trusted leader. So I console the military and the entire Nigerians, and I pray for the repose of the souls of those gallant soldiers.
Your Easter message to Anambra State, your state, especially your Governor, Professor Charles Soludo
Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is my Governor and I respect him so much. I want to wish him well. I wish him to do more, he has just celebrated two years in office, but then in wishing him well, I want to passionately appeal to him, as a serious stakeholder in Nigeria in nation-building and in my town, Achina Community, to please, no matter the situation, no matter what it takes, to come to our aid. He has started the road, but to complete it, now that the rain is already at our door step.
By the road I mean Achina-Onneh-Agbudu-Ogboji-Orumba Road. There is a place we call Ugwunganga at Achina; that hill has in the past taken about three lives.
If the road is not done before rainy season sets in, I am telling you my community will be cut off. It will go back to the time I used to say that I can’t get to my house unless I use caterpillar as my private vehicle. So while wishing him well, while wishing him success, while thanking him for all he has done, I want to appeal to him to please remember my community, Achina in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. He has started the job, let him finish it before the rainy season, if he does that, God will continue to bless him. Remember my word ‘God bless you’ try to attract it to yourself by doing something good.
Your Easter message to Nigerians
Yes, I think I have touched it at the beginning of this interview. My Easter message, first of all, let us glorify God for giving us a country like Nigeria, let us not run it down for whatever reason, maybe in the course of our political struggle, one way or the other; we go outside there and keep running the country down, wherever you are, you are talking bad about the country and you are a Nigerian. Then how do you intend to participate in rebuilding it if it is damaged? Let us channel our criticisms to the particular individuals or organizations that committed those problems, don’t generalize, don’t condemn the country. God gave us that position, the giant of Africa; it cannot be taken away from us. I am yet to see a country that is stronger than Nigeria in Africa, but you see us comparing Nigeria with other small countries in Africa, it doesn’t follow.
So my message to Nigerians is that, please, let’s project the image of the country as Nigerians because we have no other country than Nigeria, then engage our leaders constructively, then calm down and support good government policies.
Any good leader does not run down his family. Even when others are running the family down, he will try to protect the family while using those criticisms to work. But in this country somebody will be in America, London and will be saying Nigeria is useless, Nigeria is this, Nigeria is that, and Nigeria is his country or her country, I don’t understand that kind of politics. People start giving lectures here and there, running the country down, I don’t think it is healthy, but then let our leaders listen to the voice of the people, let our leaders at various levels, the presidency, the town unions, down to the kindred, listen to the voice of the people and make changes where necessary.
I believe one day, and it won’t be long, we will be out of the wood, the watchword there is prayer and patience; everything will fall in line.
