Same sex union leads to early death – Pro-Lifers warn

People of the same gender contemplating going into wedlock had better think twice, as experts have discovered that same sex marriage decreases life expectancy and by complication resulting in early death. The tolerance and promotion of same sex union also leads to the corrosion of more basic rights (consciences right, religious right), injury to children and further degradation of family. These facts were contained in a seven-point Declaration issued at the end of the Pro-Life Conference/Rally at the Obiri Odenigbo, Villa Assumpta Owerri, (June 3-4, 2013) organized by the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri. The participants warned, “It is for this reason that it should never be an integral part of our social, culture or legal…

Senate rejects N4b First Ladies Mission House fund

The Senate Wednesday rejected the appropriation of N4bilion for the building of the First Ladies Mission House in Africa. This is contained in the summary report of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 2013 budget, which was approved by the Upper Chamber. The controversial figure was part of the proposed budgetary estimates submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval. There were bitter criticisms of the money, which was seen as a waste of scarce resources. Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi noted in the report of his committee, that “ it is worthy of note that the proposed appropriation for the construction of the building for First Lady Mission in…

Russian, US and UN officials to meet on Syria

US and UN officials will meet next week to prepare for a proposed peace conference in June between warring sides in Syria, UN and US officials said on Thursday. “We can confirm that on 5 June 2013 in Geneva, US, Russian and UN officials will hold a three-way meeting to further the preparations for the international conference on Syria envisioned under the US-Russian initiative,” a UN spokeswoman said in a statement. The meeting was agreed to in talks last week between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. The meeting will include US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, acting US Assistant Secretary of…

St. Mary’s Parish Ubomiri, celebrates 2013 Father’s Day

The annual celebration of Catholic Men Organization (CMO) known as “Father’s Day” took place throughout Owerri Archdiocese on Sunday, May 5, 2013. At St. Mary’s Parish Ubomiri in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State, the occasion kicked off with a concelebrated Holy Mass presided over by the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Innocent Maduakolam Osuagwu, assisted by Rev. Fr. Cletus Eboh of the Pontifical Mission Society (PMS). The Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Osuagwu welcomed the Christian fathers and all, and wished them a happy and fruitful celebration. In his sermon, Rev. Fr. Cletus Eboh said that fathers are heads or pillars (Ide ji ulo) of their individual families and have the obligation and duty of teaching their…

2015: Obasanjo Dumps Jonathan

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo reopened what is arguably Nigeria’s most critical issue – leadership.  “You know you can help somebody to get the job, but you cannot help him to do it.  If somebody cannot do the job, we have Sule Lamido who we are confident can do the job”, he told a crowd of would-be investors, dignitaries and ordinary folks in Dutse, capital of Jigawa State on Wednesday. It was at the opening of the First Jigawa State Economic and Investment Summit at the Sir Ahmadu Bello Hall at the state secretariat. Obasanjo did not elaborate on his statement and it was not immediately clear whether he was talking about the 2015 election.  Jigawa…

Full text of Bishop Okpaleke’s Post-ordination speech (2)

Contd. from last edition In a lighter mood, let me confess that now I know firsthand the emotions women go through when they are getting married. It is like being transplanted from one location to another with the uncertainties and adaptation challenges therefrom. The experience is made worse if the woman notices sins of non-acceptance by some in her place of marriage. But many women know that in spite of the roughness of the beginnings, better days could be ahead and that the best way to ensure better days ahead is by loving and serving all irrespective of what has transpired at the beginning. Indeed, if left to choose between two unpleasant options, many women…

Come; Let Us Imitate the Faith of Mary

Apostolic Letter of October 11, 2011, titled Porta Fedei (The Door of Faith), His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI declared the Year of Faith. The Year began on October 11, 2012. It will end on November 24, 2013. Pope Benedict’s Year of Faith may be named too Year of the Blessed Virgin Mary chiefly because the faith of Mary is not only unsurpassable, but it is also the most extraordinary thing in her life. Her fiat was the first Pentecost, the first mission in the spirit which gave flesh and blood to the WORD at the Annunciation. The Incarnation is a mystery described by the Angelic Doctor St. Thomas Aquinas as the miracle of miracles (miraculum…

Soldiers capture 120 terrorists

Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said that troops have again captured 120 Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri, Borno State, while burying one of their commanders killed during an offensive by the Special Forces. An update on the operations from the DHQ in Abuja, signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brigadier-General Chris Olukolade, also disclosed that shallow graves in which insurgents hurriedly buried their killed members littered the ongoing operation areas. “In Maiduguri, about 120 terrorists were arrested as they organized burial of one of their commanders who died in an encounter with Special Forces the previous day.  The arrested insurgents are in custody of the Joint Task Force where they are being interrogated”, the statement…

Re-at-homing Chinua Achebe or Rectishaping our World

The Most Rev. Anthony J. V. Obinna Catholic Archbishop of Oweerri was personally at Awka  Anambra State on Wedeneday May 22 at Ekwueme Square to deliver a tribute to the world renowned novelist and 1999 Odenigbo Lecturer, late Prof. Chinualumogu Albert Achebe. Below is the full text of the tribute When in July 1997 I traveled to Barry College, Annandale, New York, to invite our revered Professor Chinua Achebe to visit Owerri in 1999 and deliver that year’s lecture in the Odenigbo series initiated by me in 1996 I could never have imagined what that invitation would mean for Chinua Achebe and his family nor even  for me. Echi d[ ime- Taa bx gboo was…

Response to Emergencies

Those who witnessed the rescue operation to save the lives of men, women and children trapped under the giant Uko tree that crushed dozens to death at Umudagu Mbieri in Imo State last week marvelled at the incredible desperation with which both indigenes and passers-by alike threw themselves into that life and death Save-Souls humanitarian service. Since nobody anticipated that the 400-year-old tree would finally hit the ground that evening (about 7.30pm) there were naturally no previous arrangements for a bulldozer, pay-loader or ambulance to standby.  This is quite understandable.  Though these emergency fighting facilities eventually arrived and assisted a lot, more lives would have been saved if Nigeria had a better emergency response culture….

Seven arrested over CP’s murder

A disclosure came from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Abubakar, that seven persons have been arrested in connection with the killing of the former Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chinwike Asadu.  Asadu was murdered about three months ago at his Amorji Nike residence in Enugu-East council of Enugu State. Briefing journalists in Enugu during his official visit to the state, the IGP said the arms used by the killers during the operations were also recovered by the police. He said following the confessional statements of the arrested suspects, the police were on the trail of other collaborators in the murder.  He said: “We have arrested seven of those behind the killing of…

Fallen tree tragedy: Imo community counts losses —plans to immortalize victims

It was tears and cries of anguish all over Umudagu Mbieri, in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, Friday, May 17, 2013 as eye-witnesses and relatives of victims of the giant ancestral Uko tree that crushed dozens of buyers and sellers to death, counted their losses and relived their harrowing experiences. The tree believed to have existed for over 200 years finally fell after the mighty wind storm that preceded heavy down pour. Speaking to THE LEADER in an exclusive interview, the President-General of Ihitte Mbieri Community Government, (CGC), Dr. Edmund Ugorji, an indigene, who witnessed all that happened, described the incident as shocking. He said that it had thrown all Umudagu people…

Communiqué To Rescue Nigeria From Collapse – CBCN

Statement of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, issued at the end of the Retreat to mark the Year of Faith(May 11-17, 2013, at the Daughters of Divine Love Retreat and Conference Centre, Abuja. We, Catholic Bishops of Nigeria have spent this last week in prayer to mark the Year of Faith. During this period, we have reflected and prayed for the Church in Nigeria and our dear country. We are confident that prayer remains an indispensable means for restoring our country to normalcy. For the last two years, we have witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence and criminality across the country. We must admit that apart from the tragic civil war, our nation has…

The Need for Proper Orientation for traffic Task Forces

Imo State is steadily attracting hundreds of inquisitive visitors and tourists who want to see for themselves Governor Rochas Okorocha’s unbelievable structural and infrastructural accomplishments. Both the landscape and skyscape of the major cities of Okigwe, Orlu and especially, Owerri the state capital have changed so drastically that anyone who was last in Imo State by mid-year of 2011, barely two years ago, would question his eyes if they were seeing correctly should he enter the state today. This is not a debatable political issue.  One is talking of what the eye can see and perceive. It is therefore horrific that new visitors to Owerri and Imo State tend to be received by thugs in…

The morality of sharing money to Pupils in Imo (3)

Opportunism: Another factor has to do with those whose responsibility it is to share this money. God knows that many Nigerians are opportunists at different levels. When I went to enquire on the modalities for sharing this money, I reliably gathered that agents from the ministry or from the government come to do the jobs themselves. The money is not collected by proxy; it is given only to students present at the time of distribution. When compared with election periods and delivery of ballot boxes to polling centres for voting in Nigeria and the artificial delay that always followed, I came to some conclusion that the lateness in sharing this money could be a consciously…

Why I take Indian hemp -Pastor arrested for kidnapping tells police

A Pastor of a Pentecostal Church arrested for alleged kidnapping shocked detectives, when he was also arrested with a bundle of Indian hemp, found in his house as part of his daily meal. General Overseer of Divine Justice Church, Owerri, Imo State, Pastor Clement Ezeigbo, who is currently cooling his heels in the police Anti Kidnap Unit of the state police command, told the police: “I don’t know anything about kidnapping but I am the owner of the Indian hemp (Igbo) but the good thing is that I don’t smoke it but I use it to prepare my food.  I enjoy eating food prepared with Indian hemp”. “I don’t think there is anything wrong when…

Silver Jubilee anniversary: An act of thanksgiving – Bishop Ukwuoma

–     As Prof. & Mrs. Tony Uzoma clock 25 years in marriage It was all joy and merriments as Prof. Anthony Uwandu-Uzoma and Mrs. Beatrice Ifeyinwa Uzoma marked their silver jubilee wedding anniversary at St. Gregory’s Catholic Parish Amaigbo, Nwangele LGA, Imo State on Saturday, May 11, 2013. The silver jubilee celebration commenced with a concelebrated Eucharistic Mass presided over by the chief shepherd of Orlu diocese, Most Rev. Dr. A.T. Ukwuoma and assisted by about 50 priests from different dioceses of Igboland, including Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Ibole, Vicar-General Owerri Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Dr. Alphonsus Oha, Chancellor, Owerri Archdiocese and Rev. Fr. Prof. Louis Asiegbu of the Federal University of Technology Owerri. Delivering a…

St. Andrew’s Parish Umuokanne celebrates Father’s Day – Decries lukewarm attitude of members

The Catholic Men Organization (CMO) of St. Andrew’s Parish Umuokanne has expressed disappointment over the lukewarm attitude of some members towards the upliftment of the parish. The President of the parish CMO, Mr. Sylvester Onyema (City), who expressed this view during the Father’s Day, May 5, 2013, regretted that some CMO members are not making any financial support for the parish and called for a complete change of heart, both morally and financially. The Parish CMO Secretary, Vincent Mary-Ihejieto Esq., echoed similar view.  He told THE LEADER that this year’s Father’s Day was rich spiritually. “Some of our parishioners’ resident “abroad” were invited to help us support and build our “parish security fence” as the…

VIRUSES ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN CANCER (1)

Cancer may be described as any tumor arising from abnormal and uncontrolled division of cells that then invade and destroy surrounding tissues. Most of them are named after the organ or cell in which they start e.g. liver cancer, cervical cancer, skin cancer etc. Cancers are grouped into: carcinoma when they arise in the epithelium, sarcoma when they involve connective tissues, leukemia with origin in blood or bone marrow, lymphoma arising from B or T lymphocytes (white blood cells), myeloma originating from plasma cells, and central nervous system cancer when the cells of the CNS are involved. Cancer is a public health problem world-wide and affects all categories of persons. It is the second common…

Town Unions and Community Governing Council In Imo State

A town union is an association formed by members of a particular community for the socio-economic development of that community. Accordingly, town union collaborates with traditional administration, government at all levels and sometimes non-governmental agencies to achieve its aim. Town unions existed in communities in Nigeria even before colonialism. Interestingly, when the colonial masters came to the country, they also associated with town unions and made adequate use of them to foster their mission. With the country’s independence and the constitutional provision on Freedom of Association, town unions became stronger institutions. Also, with the promulgation of the Companies and Allied matters Act, town unions are now incorporated as legal persons. Today, many town unions are…