Owerri Provincial
Priests Observe Day Of Prayer And Fasting:
Nigerian Militants Continue to Attack Pipelines:
Nigerian Butcher Jailed For Defiling Four-year-old Girl:
Port Harcourt Diocesan Media Centre Commissioned:
Okigwe DioceseEnds Summit:
TEN YEARS PLAN FOR CIWA CHAPLAINCY
Owerri Provincial Priests Observe Day Of Prayer And Fasting:
A one day of prayer and fasting by priests of all the dioceses in Owerri Ecclesiastical
province has ended at the Mater Dei Cathedral Umuahia on Thursday 18th of February
2010. The spiritual exercise which was observed as part of the activities marking
the year of priests featured, rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, spiritual talk
and conference, penitential service and holy mass saw all the bishops of the
province and thousands of priests from Owerri, Umuahia, Orlu, Okigwe, Ahiara
and Aba diocese in attendance, .
In his opening remarks, the bishop of Umuahia diocese, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji
welcomed all the bishops and priests present and called all present to observe
the day with utmost attention. He later introduced the speaker/moderator of
the day Rev. Fr. Dr. Anthony Njoku of the Seat of Wisdom Seminary Owerri. Fr.
Njoku reflected on the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation drawing
from the document Pastores Dabo Vobis of John Paul II. According to the moderator,
the theme rightly fits into the year of the priest since the ministry and spiritual
life of the priest centers on the Eucharist. He A one day of prayer and fasting
by priests of all the dioceses in Owerri Ecclesiastical province has ended at
the Mater Dei Cathedral Umuahia on Thursday 18th of February 2010. The spiritual
exercise which was observed as part of the activities marking the year of priests
featured, rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, spiritual talk and conference, penitential
service and holy mass saw all the bishops of the province and thousands of priests
from Owerri, Umuahia, Orlu, Okigwe, Ahiara and Aba diocese in attendance.
In his opening remarks, the bishop of Umuahia diocese, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji
welcomed all the bishops and priests present and called all present to observe
the day with utmost attention. He later introduced the speaker/moderator of
the day Rev. Fr. Dr. Anthony Njoku of the Seat of Wisdom Seminary Owerri. Fr.
Njoku reflected on the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation drawing
from the document Pastores Dabo Vobis of John Paul II. According to the moderator,
the theme rightly fits into the year of the priest since the ministry and spiritual
life of the priest centers on the Eucharist. He described the priest as the
living and transparent image of Christ whose priesthood constitutes the one
source and essential model of the priesthood.
Fr. Njoku identified consecration, mission, meditation, pastoral sacrifice and
service as features of the priesthood and called on priests to imbibe them in
order to sustain the call to the catholic priesthood. He further maintained
that the Eucharist is the source and origin of these features of the priesthood
of the new and eternal covenant and their sacramental expression and realization
in the life of Christ now in the life of the priest. There was penitential service
and confessions followed by the holy mass presided over by Archbishop A. J.
V. Obinna and other bishops of the province present.
Nigerian
Militants Continue to Attack Pipelines:
The Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), a coalition of ex-militants and community
leaders, has claimed that it attacked two key pieces of oil infrastructure and
a gas pipeline in the unstable Niger Delta on the first full day in office for
Nigeria's new acting president. The attack by the Joint Revolutionary Council
of the Niger Delta was not successful. But it indicates not everyone in Nigeria
is happy with the way the new president, who hails from the Niger Delta region,
was given power. The JRC said it attacked the Tura manifold owned by Royal Dutch
Shell in Abonnema, near the coast. The manifold connects several pipelines to
the Bonny Export Terminal. Fighters fought and overpowered the military guards
on duty before going ahead to explode the Tura manifold. But the attack failed
due to a community surveillance group assigned to protect the Shell pipeline.
The attack comes after Shell said saboteurs ruptured one its pipelines in Bayelsa
State while trying to steal crude oil. The main militant group in the region,
the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), said in January
it was ending a ceasefire and threatened renewed attacks on Africa's biggest
oil and gas industry amid delays to an amnesty programme caused partly by the
absence of ill President Umaru Yar'Adua. Indications suggest that oil bunkering
has actually increased since the amnesty programme in 2009, as militant factions
are able to focus their full attention on the industry! Estimates continue to
suggest that upwards of 200,000 barrels of oil a day are stolen from the region.
This issue is central to the future stability and prosperity of Nigeria and
it is not being dealt with. Times are challenging in Nigeria and oil and gas
companies such as Shell are impacted by security, funding and other issues that
have severely cut onshore production and increased direct costs. Security is
a major risk faced by multinationals.
The unstability of Nigeria has led to rumours suggesting the Shell Petroleum
Development Company is leaving the region. However, the company clarified that
the recent divestment from three oil blocks in North Western Niger Delta does
not imply it is gradually exiting its operations in Nigeria, and it is committed
to continuing its operations in the country.
Nigerian
Butcher Jailed For Defiling Four-year-old Girl:
A 35-year-old Nigerian butcher, who defiled a four-year-old girl in his room,
was on Wednesday sentenced to seven years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.
Adamu Gariba aka Charly pleaded not guilty to defilement, but at the end of
the trial the court presided over by Mrs. Georgina Mensah Datsa found him guilty.
Police Inspector Anthony Afetsi, told the court that victim's mother was the
complainant. Prosecution said the victim lived with her parents in the same
house with the convict at Kwashieman. Insp Afetsi said on January 2, this year,
at about 7:30 am the complainant heard the victim crying in Gariba's room and
when she questioned her, the girl said Gariba defiled her Prosecution said the
complainant reported the matter to Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit
(DOVVSU) at Odorkor where a form was issued to the victim for medical examination.
Port
Harcourt Diocesan Media Centre Commissioned:
On Thursday February 11th 2010, the Port Harcourt Catholic Diocesan Media Centre
was formally commissioned by the Local Ordinary, His Excellency Most Rev. Dr.
Camillus Achbong Etokudoh assisted by Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese Bishop
A.O. Makozi. Speaking during the ceremony, Bishop Etokudoh said that Bishop
Makozi's vision on the project it commendable, he said he pursued his vision
with passion, and extol his love for communication in the area of physical,
structural and manpower development. He made it clear that the services of the
electronic media of the social communication department will further cement
the existing roles in entertainment, educating and informing the populace in
the diocese. It is an avenue to project the image of the diocese and the universal
church to the world. He said, the prelate promised to provide printing machines
for the printing press, through the help of the Christ faithful in the Diocese
and beyond. In his reaction, the Director for Social Communications Rev. Fr.
Dr. Christian N. Anyanwu, express his departments unalloyed gratitude to Bishop
Etokudoh for his unflinching support and encouragement in the completion of
the studio.
On Bishop Makozi Fr. Anyanwu saluted him for his foresight through his initiative
in acquiring the equipment whot billions of naira for the Diocese. It is a lasting
legacy in the history of the Diocese for the Diocese to have an state of the
arts media equipment which can digitally stand the taste of time he concluded.
The ceremony was attended by the chancellor Very Rev. Msgr. Emma Maru, Chancery
Staff, members of the catholic link management Board and some representative
of Diocesan organizations.
Okigwe
DioceseEnds Summit:
-Backs CBCN on Healing Ministry
-Liturgical Abbreviations axed
-Priests to directly run mission Hospitals, and more....
The First Summit of Okigwe Diocesan Prebyterium was held between the 4th and
6th of January 2010 at the new Cathedral of Immaculate Conception Okigwe. Priests
of the Diocese in the Diaspora returned en masse to join their counterparts
at home to deliberate on past and present realities of the Diocese and the way
forward. Crucial resolutions were adopted on issues relating to personnel development
of the Diocese. According to a communiqué released at the end of the
summit, a pastoral centre and a home for retired priests are to be built as
a matter of urgency, while priests would be trained in hospital management to
take direct charge of hospitals owned by the Diocese, ownership of mission schools.
It continued, still resides in the Diocese while conditions for private ownership
were stipulated. It declared its resolve to curb examination malpractices which
was viewed as a cankerworm of public schools. While viable economic ventures
are to be embarked upon by the Diocese.
In response to emerging democratic culture in Nigeria and the growing tendencies
towards anti- clericalism, priests are to restrict their relationship with politicians
to serving as their spiritual directors and not political strategists. On Liturgical
rites the release stated inter alia, ''The Church's Liturgical rites are to
be strictly respected and all forms of liturgical aberrations and unorthodoxy
should be expunged quam primun” and opted for total implementation of
the CBCN guidelines on healing ministries. On personnel development, communion
is to be enhanced between the Diocese and her priests in the Diaspora and sundry
areas of pastoral engagement. On-going formation of priests to receive a boost
and seminary reforms are to be introduced by the Theological Commission.
Priests welfare as top priority in Diocesan pastoral plan for the next five
years, consisting of a Diocesan Health Insurance Scheme, repackaged welfare
for retired priests and a mission fund to support priests working in difficult
areas. The Local Ordinary of the Diocese received the nod to set up a consultative
commission to sanitize the issue of priests and oversea sojourn, and to appoint
Episcopal Vicars or Deans for their priests in various zones of the world. The
Bishop should also embark on periodic visits to his priests in the Diaspora.
The Diocese shall enter into well defined contract with the host Dioceses of
priests while the Bishop retains the authority to invite home priests whose
areas of specialization are vital to the pastoral growth of the Diocese:
Other far reaching decisions were taken at the summit.
TEN
YEARS PLAN FOR CIWA CHAPLAINCY
The Chaplain of Our Lady Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Institute of West
Africa (CIWA) Port Harcourt Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph T. Ogunduyilemi has said that
the chaplaincy has set up a five member committee to prepare a blue print for
the development of the chaplaincy in the next ten years. The chaplain made this
known in Port Harcourt recently while speaking to a catholic media outfit. He
said the idea for the project is to have a strategic plan that will spell out
the out look of the chaplaincy in terms of achievements in the next ten years.
The plan is also to encourage the worshiping community to participate actively
in the golden jubilee celebration of Port Harcourt Diocese scheduled to take
place next year, including the nation’s Golden Jubilee preparations, through
actively praying for the leaders of our country and its citizens to God so that
the fortunes of our country Nigeria, will favour its people. On the Lenten season,
the clergy man said that the chaplaincy would adhere to the theme of reflection
and mediation adopted by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) which
emphasis on reconciliation, Justice and Peace.
On politics the Monsignor hailed the people of Anambra State for the peaceful
and successful conduct of their governorship election. He expressed the same
to Governor Peter Obi on his victory and to the losers, he urged them to accept
it in the spirit of sportsmanship and join hands in building the State.