In the spirit of Yuletide, the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, Wednesday, gifted over 200 bags of rice, cash, cartons of noodles, biscuits, fruits and other items to over 300 vulnerable persons from across religious and ethnic groups.
Ezeokafor, while delivering the items at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Awka, enjoined the affluent in the society to extend gifts and other charity works to the disadvantaged around them during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
According to him, Christ, the reason for the season, loves without discriminating, hence his decision to ensure that all benefit from the largesse.
“We are only giving back what were gifted to us by high spirited individuals in the society. This is a season of sharing; a season of love, when to be more generous. This is an annual event. We want to show love to the less privileged among us so that they too would be happy in this Christmas and New Year festivities.
“We pray that people at the helm of affairs would help to better the lots of these loved ones this season. They will be happier when things get better in our country. I am charging everyone to see that those around them are never hungry this season. You don’t need to discriminate,” he said.
On the second wave of coronavirus, Bishop Ezeokafor, advised the citizenry not to relent in observing the WHO basic COVID-19 protocols including frequent handwashing, use of facemask and others so as to prevent spread of the disease.
Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, a mother of eight, Mrs Rabiu Ali, who hails from Nassarawa state, thanked the prelate for the kind gesture, assuring that she would utilised them for upkeep of her families.
