By Nna Anulumadu
The Manager St John’s Technical and Science college Alor Rev Fr Dr Francis Unegbu on Tuesday described the Chief Shepherd of Onitsha His Grace Most Rev Valerian Okeke as awesome, inspirational and outstanding leader.
The manager made the description while hailing the Archbishop on his 22nd Episcopal anniversary.
His words: “You cannot meet the Archbishop and wouldn’t want to meet him the second time. He is always inspirational because whenever he talks, he talks wisdom and he will inspire you. He is an outstanding leader. He is a type of leader that carries everybody along. He doesn’t discriminate. He doesn’t keep people behind or in the dark. He tires to carry everybody along. In short, leadership is in his DNA. Within the past 22 years, almost all sectors in the Archdiocese have been touched by his transparent leadership style.
He has created more than hundred and twenty parishes in the Archdiocese within the past 22 years. His idea is that nobody should enter a public transport or his private vehicle to go to church . He believes in proximity of church to the people so that faithful can trek to the church in less than 10 minutes.
He inspires us and has a very functional vehicle among the priests to take the sacrament to the people. Pastorally, he has programmes that had already touched the people of Archdiocese in an outstanding manner.
In health sector, he mate three hospitals functional 22 years ago, but today, the Archdiocese has more than seven hospitals functioning. We have the St Charles Borromeo Specialist Hospital, Holy Rosary Specialist Hospital waterside Onitsha, Our Lady of Fatima Hopital Awka Etiti, Immaculate Heart Hospital Aguleri now under Aguleri diocese and others. St Charles Borromeo Specialist Hospital Onitsha have pact with Europeans doctors who visit the hospital three times every year, carrying out free surgeries, attending to patients free of charge.
He has also trained personnel. Today we have two priests who are medical doctors trained by the Archbishop. We have other priests trained as pharmacists, educationists which I am among. There are some priests who will soon leave the country to do Nursing. In essence, he has done a lot in that sector.
In the area of communication, you can comfortably say that Trinitas newspaper is the best print medium around when you talk about newspapers that belong to the mission. Also, Sapientia radio he established is setting the pace because no radio in South East has performed better than Sapientia radio. And to cap it all, two years ago, Sapientia television took off. In the communication area, he has done so well.
In human development, he had done marvellously well. When I was studying in Rome, there was no Diocese that has trained priests in Nigeria more than the Archbishop. In fact he has trained close to hundred priests, and seminarians in the past 22 years if not more than that who have majored in different disciplines and I am also a beneficiary of that gesture.
I studied at Salessian University Rome, up till doctorate degree level through the sponsorship of the Archbishop. He has done exceedingly well. . Other priests are still studying in Philippines. There are so many of us who are studying in Nigeria universities and some in African universities. He believes so much in human development. Every year, he trains us in corporate retreat, how to engage from spiritual and religious angle to the corporate world. This day you needs skills to engage the corporate world and he understands that well.
His giant strides in education speaks for itself. Hardly will you pass two or three mission schools in the Archdiocese without noticing the imprint of the Archbishop. Those he trained in home and abroad are now back, managing our schools such as St John’s College Alor, CKC Onitsha, All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha, Mater Amabilis secondary Umuoji, QRC Onitsha, Regina Pacis Onitsha and others. The managers of these schools studied education and other related courses out side Nigeria.He doesn’t take from the schools rather he gives to the schools. When our hostel was gutted by fire, he supported us with 5 million naira. In essence, he has touched every part of human endeavour in the Archdiocese. Meanwhile, what has defined his episcopacy in the past twenty 22 years is his education apostolate.
