Akunyili Carpets Priests Over Indecent Dressing

Priests and other ministers of God who for reasons best known to them, wed half naked brides in their various churches have been advised to desist from such act as it is capable of not only tarnishing the image of Christianity, but drag the name of the church to the mud.

Minister of Information and communications, Prof Dora Akunyili, who made her feelings known while speaking at the just-concluded 2009 Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Enugu, held at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Enugu, expressed total disappointment at the attitude of some men of God who do not see anything wrong in wedding a good number of newly married young women who now appear half nude on their wedding day.

According to the former NAFDAC boss, if the worrisome trend is not checked now, the negative impression it would create would adversely affect the growth and development of the church generally.

She, however, blamed family members, especially mothers for allowing their grown up daughters to go about half naked in the name of modern fashion, a trend which she described as not only embarrassing, but “very unfortunate” in a country like Nigeria.

While calling on various Church leaders in the country to work as a team with a view to addressing the ugly development which she said is not in the best interest of Christians, professor Akunyili equally called on Christians to always emulate Muslims in their mode of dressing.

Muslims, she went on, cover their bodies very well whether in their Mosque or outside their Mosque, an act, she said, should be emulated by Christians.

Prof Akunyili, however, used the occasion to debunk the wrong impression the international community have about Nigeria “as a country of fraudsters and criminals where nothing works .”

The former NAFDAC boss said the negative perception about Nigeria was foisted on us by the “international community and given flesh by the bad behaviors of some of us at home and abroad, and failures of leadership at various levels”

She disclosed that she had a deep reflection about the issue of the nations image at home and abroad, adding that as the Chief Image Maker of the country, she felt strongly that, “we must redouble our efforts to change the negative perception about Nigeria”.

The first stage of the on going re-branding efforts, the minister stated, would focus on endangering changes which would include attitudinal change, re-orientation, revival of our cultural values and instillation of a renewed spirit of patriotism and hope in all Nigerians.

She, therefore, warned that “it is only when we have re-branded ourselves that we can effectively re-brand Nigeria to the world, describing the re-orientation aspect of the re-branding project as the most critical”.

She stated that the Federal Government was fully committed to a lasting peace in the troubled Niger Delta Region, adding that the amnesty was part of moves to return peace to the region.

Earlier in his Presidential Address, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Enugu, The Rt. Rev. Dr Emmanuel Chukwuma, lamented that most of the ills that were identified as plaguing the nation in 1999, including epileptic power and energy supply, unemployment, insecurity of lives and property, among others had degenerated to a “War like dimension instead of abating”.

The man of God noted that democracy had been clearly bastardized, adding that credible, free and fair elections, which were the bedrock of democracy have all eluded the nation.

Bishop Chukwuma maintained that Nigeria needed to make progress in her democratic adventure, advocating the enthronement of respect for the ballot and good governance.

From right: Wife of Imo State Governor, Mrs. chioma Ohakim, wife of Bayelsa State Governor, Mrs. Alanyingi Sylva, and wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Orji , exchanging views during a public function at Owerri, recently.