By Ononye VC
The Onitsha Archdiocesan Catholic Women Organisation(CWO)has ended a leadership and empowerment seminar to equip it’s newly elected officers across the Archdiocese to run it’s affairs at zonal and parish levels.
The seminar which was held at the CWO Bethany House,Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity,Onitsha,started on Saturday 15th June 2024 and ended on Saturday 22nd June 2024.
The first batch of the newly elected officers who attended the seminar came from Dunukofia and Iyiowa Regions while the second batch attended from Onitsha and Nnobi Regions.
The newly elected officers attended the seminar in their numbers and in high spirits to avail themselves of the impactful seminar.
One of the resource persons,Rev Fr Dr Patrick Bosah,a lecturer at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU),Igbariam,gave useful hints on how to be good leaders in their various zones and parishes.
According to him,a good should be a person people can approach and talk to.He said that a leader must conquer the sense of pride and arrogance if he must lead others successfully.
Fr Bosah further hinted that a good leader must possess good communication skill and be able to listen and understand his followers otherwise he would generate crisis of bad leadership.
He urged the new officers to try and carry people along,apply emotional intelligence in their dealings and also control their temper and greed,adding that if a leader conquers greed,he can manage public wealth.
Above all,fr Bosah admonished the new leaders to be planning and executing their programmes,projects and activities towards benefitting the church and glory of God.
In his address to the newly elected officers,chaplain of the CWO, Archdiocese of Onitsha,Very Rev Fr Johnbosco Okafor told the women that the reason why they were elected was to provide leadership to the women and not to be autocratic.He also warned them never to be disrespectful or be joining issues with their parish priests.According to him,”We want you to remain the CWO the Archbishop knows under the leadership of Dame Ngozi Nwanosike and don’t import any other idea from other places”.
Speaking earlier,the Associate Chaplain of CWO, Archdiocese of Onitsha,Rev Fr Collins Okoye,pointed out that the essence of the seminar was to empower the new officers to be exemplary and to inculcate such qualities into their members.
He charged the officers to be creative and innovative if they must make progress in their new assignment.
The Director,CWO Archdiocese of Onitsha,Dame Dr Ngozi Nwanosike,expressed gratitude to the Archbishop of Onitsha,Most Rev Valerian Okeke for affording the CWO a conducive atmosphere for their activities.She also commended the chaplain of the CWO,Rev Fr Johnbosco Okafor who is also the Vicar General of Archdiocese of Onitsha and Associate Chaplain,Rev Fr Collins Okoye for their guidance and assistance in making the Seminar a success.
Former Onitsha Archdiocesan CWO secretary,lady Rose Okpala delivered a lecture on discipline and the need for consultations by the officers before taking decisions.
Among other top officers of the CWO present was the Secretary General,lady Chika Obike and Organizers of the various zones.
The CWO leadership announced newly created zones (as approved by the Archbishop)which increased from 22 to 27.
The names of the new zones were given as,St Charles Borromeo Zone,Oraukwu Zone and Oba(2) Zone.
Others are Nkpor(2) Zone and Nnobi Zone.
Names of the new Organizers are,Mrs Monica Ogunekpo(Nnobi Zone),Mrs Rose Okoye-Ozo(Nkpor2),Mrs Stella Onyia (Oba 2),Pharmacist Vero Ezechinwoye (Oraukwu) and Dr Mrs Dorothy Unachukwu(St Charles Borromeo)
The new zones are expected to take off immediately.
