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Xmas: Remember the needy, destitutes in your midst, Archbishop Okeke tells affluent persons

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. distributes over 1,200 bags of rice

By CHUKS EKE

The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha Ecclessiastical Province, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Valerian Okeke has charged affluent citizens to always remember the poor living around their communities, particularly during Christmas and Easter celebrations.

Archbishop Okeke who made the call while distributing over 1,200 bags of 25 kg bags of stone-free rice to the indigents  at the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity Onitsha, noted that Christmas and Easter gifts usually carry enormous blessings because Jesus Christ Himself was directly involved in the two celebrations (His birth and death).

Flanked by a retinue of Catholic priests and religious faithfuls, Archbishop Okeke noted that the year 2020 has been very challenging to everybody irrespective of one’s societal status or material riches, adding that the poorest members of the society bear the brunt the most and should be assisted by people in authority or those who are well to do in society.

“This year is very challenging to everybody including my humble self, extraordinarily challenging for the indigent ones among us. That is why it is more necessary to assist the poor. People in authority should assist the less privileged during this Christmas season with at least something to eat.

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“I thank God who provided these bags of rice being distributed today to support the less privileged members of the church and those from outside the church. I thank our partners from Hungary, African International Humanitarian Foundation headed by Dr, Reka Fodor who always contributes largely to the funding of these food items”.

“May God bless these helpers and raise more helpers for other indigents ones who are not here.  This rice will multiply. Let more Christmas gifts, good things, good health, and grace of God be with you this Christmas season”, said the Archbishop.

Moreover, the Vice-chancellor Onitsha Archdiocese and Coordinator of the distribution exercise, Rev. Fr. Basil Ekwunife said that the food distribution exercise was done quarterly especially during the Covid 19 lockdown as a palliative to ameliorate the hunger caused by the deadly pandemic.

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“Today we distributed over 1,200 bags of 25kg stone-free rice. The beneficiaries were carefully selected from the poorest members of the church across the 190 parishes we have within Onitsha Archdiocese. Even before this Christmas our Archbishop has distributed food items not less than four times this beginning from the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown”.

“Although 1,200 persons were accredited to carry a bag of rice each today, other people living around here and those who are non-Catholics who heard about the free distribution of rice and came must go home with a bag because our Archbishop is a Shepherd to everybody”, said Fr. Ekwunife.

Some of the beneficiaries Mr. James Okafor and Ngozi Aniegboka were full of gratitude to God thanking the Archbishop and their parish priest, Rev. Fr. John Nwezeogo of the Holy Trinity parish Igbariam Farm settlement for intimating them about the exercise.

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