Bishop Urges Leaders To Shun Selfishness, Greed

The Archbishop of Catholic Arch-Diocese of Onitsha, Anambra State, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, has urged leaders in the country to shun selfishness and greed while working for the common good of Nigerians.

Okeke said this on Sunday after a special thanksgiving mass to mark his 59th birthday, which he held with inmates of Onitsha Prisons.

The Archbishop also urged inmates to imbibe good virtues and fear God in all they do even as they go through their period of transformation of character and mind.

“I would call on all Nigerians at this point in time to shun selfishness.

“As long as selfishness mounts, crisis will continue to increase, confusion, violence, hatred would also continue to multiply.

“Let those at the corridors of power seek the common good, let those who are opportuned to be in positions of leadership consider themselves servants and serve the people they are called to minister to.

“As long as we do not serve, as long as we amass wealth only for ourselves, as long as we use power to undermine the rights of others, as long as we use power to subdue the less-privileged, the under-privileged and the less-fortunate, so long shall we accept confusion and crisis.

“But as long as we seek the common good; as long as we engage ourselves in the roles of service; so long shall we carve our names in gold on the sands of time and the books of history.

“So long shall we be fulfilled.’’

The Archbishop thanked the federal and state governments as well as organisations, companies and individuals that had donated to ameliorate the plight of persons internally displaced by floods.

“I would want to personally thank anybody or group at any level or capacity that have donated and given succour to our brothers and sisters who are victims of the flood disaster in the country.