VALERIAN Okeke, a most reverend father and metropolitan archbishop of Onitsha, has given hope to inmates of Onitsha prisons by setting Skill Acquisition Centre for them.

Okeke handed over the centre to authorities of the prisons on his 65th birthday celebration on Oct. 20 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Chaplaincy at Onitsha Prisons.

The birthday celebration, which had become an annual feature with the inmates took a new turn because, the presentation of the centre.

In a sermon at the occasion, Okeke said: “these prisoners are like brothers and sisters to me.

“They should be provided with benefiting skills to prepare them for a better life as well as to enable them to face future challenges of life.

“It is obvious that there are some inmates, who may not have committed any crime but found themselves here,” he noted.

Prudentius Aroh, a reverend father and archdiocesan chancellor, explained that the Archbishop built the centre with the support of friends.

He said that Okeke had contributed immensely to the development and welfare of the prisoners by providing facilities such as water boreholes, free Medicare and dormitories.

Football match and cultural dances by the inmates added glamour to the occasion.

Nnamdi Okparugo,  a reverend father and chaplain of the Onitsha Federal Prisons, expressed his gratitude to the celebrator for the gesture.

According to him Archbishop Okeke has for years been extending his fatherly love and care to the prisoners that the inmates always looked forward to with great expectations.

– Oct. 23, 2018 @ 15:15 GMT