. . Promises School Fees for Needy Pupils
By Ifeoma Ezenyilimba
The Education Secretary, Awka Region, Catholic Diocese of Awka, Rev. Fr Dr Adolphus Chukwuka, OCT, has equipped the libraries of five schools in Anambra State with 3,500 books as part of activities to mark his Silver Jubilee.
Making the donation on the occasion of his 25 years Priestly Anniversary at St Peter’s Catholic Church, Nkwelle-Awka, Awka South LGA, on October 12, Rev Fr Chukwuka said it was part of his way of giving back to society.
The Umuomaku, Orumba South LGA-born Catholic priest, Fr Chukwuka, also at the event, promised to foot the school fees of needy pupils in schools in Awka Region for the 1st term of the 2019/2020 academic session.
He called on the parents of such pupils who could not afford the school fees to get across to him through their pupils’ school management.
On why he ventured into the education apostolate, Rev Fr Dr Chukwuka, fondly known as Fr Oyoyo, said it was in a bid to give back to the mission which he benefited a lot from. Pointing out that he had been a beneficiary of mission education, the Catholic priest noted that his various contributions to the growth of mission-owned schools and other institutions, as well as to human development, were to give back to the mission and society.
Rev Fr Oyoyo, who has been described as the emancipator of the downtrodden by many said, ‘I want to give back what I received the much I can. That’s why I am very passionate about the education of the young people and the poor people who could not afford education.
‘Whatever I have, I invest in this apostolate. I am confident that God will always provide what I need to carry on with the apostolate.’
The schools that benefitted from Fr Chukwuka’s jubilee largesse included his alma maters, St Dominic Savio Seminary Akpu, Orumba South LGA and St JohnBosco Seminary Isuaniocha, Awka North LGA, both in Anambra State. They got a donation of 1000 books each.
Others were Rosary College, Nise, Awka South LGA; Udoka Primary School, Awka and St Peter’s Primary School, Nkwelle-Awka, which received 500 books each.
Earlier in his homily of the Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass, the vicar of St Paul’s Catholic Parish, Uga, Aguata LGA, Rev Fr Adolphus Nwoye, called on Fr Chukwuka’s colleagues at the Anambra State Ministry of Education to support the educator in his mission to make quality education easier and achievable for the masses.
For his part, the first Umuomaku indigenous Catholic priest, Rev Fr Zeph Uzoh, extolled Fr Chukwuka for what he described as his strong love for education and passion for generosity.
Fides reports that Fr Chukwuka had in the past donated free books and other educational materials to other schools. The schools included Holy Family Primary School, Umuomaku, Orumba South LGA; Okwute Primary School, Umuomaku, Orumba South LGA; Urunnebo Primary School, Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka LGA; and Community Primary School, Nawgu, Dunukofia LGA.
Others were Tansi International College, Awka, Awka South LGA; St Patrick’s College, Awka, Awka South LGA; St Mary’s Prestigious College, Awka, Awka South LGA and Austica Memorial College, Nanka, Orumba North LGA. The schools are all in Anambra State.
