by George Adimike Two Onitsha Archdiocesan priests, Fr Lawrence Orazulume and Fr Gabriel Chukwudi Amobi, were inducted today, the 9th day of March 2023, into the prestigious Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in a ceremony in Abuja. It should be recalled that the archbishop of Onitsha, His Grace, the Most Rev. Valerian M. Okeke, had sent out four priests to study medicine—two in the Phillippines and two in Hungary—and another two to study pharmacy. To the glory of God, four of these priests (the doctors, Fr Gabriel Amobi and Fr Lawrence Prazulume, and the two pharmacists, Fr Evaristus Ezeani and Fr Christopher Okeke) have successfully completed their studies and graduated with excellent results.
Consistent with the archbishop’s mission of fullness of life (John 10:10) for God’s people under his care, he keeps demonstrating undying commitment relative to personnel training. These are only a small fraction of priests undergoing specialised training and studies in various disciplines in almost all the continents of the world. Without a doubt, the archbishop invests great financial, spiritual and intellectual resources in human capital development as one of the cardinal enablers and drivers of his pastoral vision. According to Archbishop Okeke, an array of well-formed pastoral agents is an asset that can sustain the archdiocese in her course of excellence. Continuing, the archdiocese will stop at nothing in equipping her priests and lay leaders for the challenges of the present and the future so as to uphold the glorious heritage and produce mature citizens of heaven.
With the formal induction in Abuja, Rev Fr Gabriel Amobi, MD, and Rev Fr Lawrence Orazulume, MD, satisfied the legal requirement to practice in Nigeria as medical doctors. While congratulating them for making the archdiocese proud, the archbishop assured them that the local Church is happy with them and expects them to deploy their great learning and formation to the healing ministry of Christ in the archdiocese through the health services directorate. He advised them to be models of excellence and healing balm in their places of assignment in the archdiocesan hospitals. The director of Onitsha health services, Rev Fr Basil Ekwunife, PhD, thanked the archbishop for the vision and sacrifice in training these newest doctors and the inducted for the dedication, docility and willingness to serve God and humanity through the health apostolate.
