The wife of the
governor of Anambra State, Chief Mrs. EbelechukwuObiano has boosted the
education and upkeep of indigent members of the Holy Childhood Association (HCA)
of theNnewi Diocese of Catholic Church with financial support of N500, 000.00.
Mrs. Obiano made the grant during the Annual Feast at Our Lady of Holy Rosary
Pilgrimage CentreOkija on January 31, 2015.HCA is an initiative of Nnewi Diocese
which seeks the moral upbringing of pupils in the Primary Schools.
Speaking at the centre, Mrs. Obiano told the pupils that she honored their invitation in spite of her busy schedule because anything that concerns Holy Mother Mary and the children gladdens her heart hence she came to identify with the noble objective of the HCA and the Pilgrimage centre. According to Mrs. Obiano, “I am passionate about the training of children because you are the leaders of tomorrow. The setting up of this centre is in recognition of the importance of prayers and a fitting tribute to our Mother Mary. I urge you to pray regularly and get your parents to join you every morning before school for the peace and progress of our state and the nation.”
The wife of the
governor told the children that the marvelous work the Bishop and their Rector
are doing in training them and caring for the aged is similar to the work of
her pet project, the Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ), a
non-governmental, nonpartisan organization with a vision to be the beacon of
sustainable empowerment for women and the less privileged and the aged in the
society.
“Our mandate at
CAFÉ is to care for the less privileged and reduce women-child vulnerability
while maintaining the dignity of persons with disabilities in Anambra state.
CAFÉ also galvanizes resources for the uplifting of orphans, children in need
and the physically challenged. CAFÉ attends to both skilled and non-skilled
persons as well as indigent rural women in all communities of Anambra state.”
The wife of the
governor disclosed that she has a programme which trains midwives to manage
child delivery in remote communities. The midwives, she explained are equipped
with motorcycle with in-built baby cot and mobile phone for communication to
manage the emergencies and later transfer mother and child to the nearest
health centers next day. To further assist the centre, Mrs. Obiano announced
the donation of a van she procured for another programme to help them solve
their immediate need of transporting the aged, and urged the Rector to keep up
the good work.
In his remarks,
Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Hilary Okeke told the wife of the
governor that the Pilgrimage Centre which caters for the spiritual retreat of
the Diocese was conceived in 1986 to encourage the spiritual growth and faith
of Christians in the area. He explained that the Centre is located on 600plots
of land purchased through the help of donors and the faithful. The Bishop
praised the efforts of Governor Willie Obiano and urged the wife to convey the appreciation
of the Diocese, and also commended the Obiano family to the care and protection
of God as they work for the good of Anambra State.
Earlier, Rector of
the Centre, Rev. Fr. Innocent Ofiaeli told the governor’s wife that they are
happy to welcome her as “the First Lady of Anambra, visiting the Centre
dedicated to the First Lady of heaven and Mother of our Lord.” He thanked her
making the feast memorable and enjoyable with the gift of packed food, drinks
and beverages for the pupils.
In a welcome
address on behalf of the HCA members, Miss EzeNchedo, thanked the wife of the
governor for making time from her busy programmes to visit on their Feast day.
“Your presence here today will serve as a motivating factor to the children in
our continuous prayer for the good of our stateand the nation at large.” She stated.
In the same vein, the Vicar General Nnewi Diocese, Rev. Fr. Patrick Ezeabata
also told Mrs. Obiano, “we expected your visit as a morale
booster to the children, but you have gone further to prove to us that you are
indeed mother of all.”