The Archbishop of Onitsha and Metropolitan of the Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, marked his 73rd birthday by celebrating with inmates at the National Correctional Centre in Onitsha, Anambra State.

He described the annual visit as a way of showing love to the inmates and expressing gratitude to God.

In his homily titled “Necessity of Giving Thanks,” Okeke told the inmates and other dignitaries present that thanksgiving is a virtue that makes a person great before God. He urged the faithful to cultivate the habit of giving thanks, saying it is one of the most powerful forms of prayer.

The archbishop encouraged the inmates to put their faith in God, remain hopeful and see their time in the centre as a spiritual retreat. He presented them with food and relief items, including live cows, bags of rice, toiletries, clothing, detergents and other materials.

Okeke noted that the number of inmates at the centre was reducing, which he saw as a sign of a drop in the crime rate. He also expressed hope that the Federal Government’s vision of transforming the former Nigerian Prison Service into a true correctional service would be fully realised.

The Chaplain of the centre, Reverend Father Batho Okpalaugo, praised the archbishop for making the birthday celebration with inmates an annual tradition for the past 20 years. He also thanked Okeke for supporting the establishment of schools, an Open University and a skills acquisition centre within the custodial facility.