At the Owerri Catholic Archdiocesan Catholic Men Organization (CMO) annual conference, held at Obiri-Odenigbo, Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi, PhD, has challenged the Christian fathers to rise up and fulfill the divine mandate of building a just and peaceful society.
Speaking on the theme “Deepening the faith of Catholic men in the Year of Jubilee”, Amadi raised a provoking question: “Where are the prophets”? According to him, in times of moral crisis and societal injustice, God raises up prophets- men who boldly speak truth to power and call the community back to faithfulness.
In his opinion, the Year of Jubilee is a sacred time of renewal, forgiveness and homecoming, a season of liberty to the captives, debt forgiveness, land restoration and justice renewal. It is a time when God resets the social order to its proper balance from social disequilibrium.
He said, “As Catholic men celebrating this all important Jubilee Year, we must ask: where are those prophetic voices today? Are we, perhaps, called to be those voices?”
He challenged members of the CMO to emulate the prophets of the old, who at all times stood courageously to challenge injustice. According to him, there can’t be restoration without prophetic courage.
It is instructive to note that in every age of corruption and oppression, God has always used ordinary men armed with nothing but faith and a fiery sense of justice to confront kings, the ruling class and elite.
Speaking in the context of the time and reality, Amadi expressed concern why men of faith and prophetic mandate like the Catholic Men Organization have remained provocatively silent or indifferent in the face of injustice, corruption, bad governance and inept leadership in our dear state.
He regretted that noble men who should have mounted as watchdog for a just and equitable society have lost their voices and allow the children of God under their watch to suffer the burden of leadership failure, collapse of public infrastructure and endemic economic deprivation over the years.
Peveed by what he correctly observed as an act of impunity, Amadi queried how a local government council that has allegedly received in excess of 15 billion in the last five years will be grasping with unimaginable dilapidated road networks with other public infrastructure in a state of gross disrepair.
Clearly and pointedly decrying the the hydraheaded monster called insecurity and banditry currently ravaging Imo State, the University of Ibadan aluminus, described such heinous acts as align to Ndigbo’s culture and tradition and must be condemned by men of varlour and character.
He revealed that government’s lack of sincerity, focus and fear of God as the major precipitating factors breading insecurity in the state.
Amadi noted that a government that is concerned about security of lives and properties of its citizens must be ever-present and physically available to confront the everyday challenges of the state. He therefore frowned at the present government where the chief security officer of a state abandons state only to visit after many weeks of absence and jets out immediately without any reasonable attempt to provide solution to the myriad of problems facing the state.
He therefore challenge the members of the Catholic Men Organization to live up to their calling by demanding accountability and transparency from all public office holders through citizen action.
Speaking earlier the President of the Archdiocesan CMO, Bro Kelechi Darlington Eke informed that the “unanimous choice of Dr. Chima Amadi as the Keynote Speaker in this seminar is not by chance but a product of his proven records of philanthropy, as well as his human capital and community development interventions”
He further announced the conferment of the prestigious “Ugwu Ndi Nna” Title (The Pride of CMO) to Mazi Chima Amadi. This title according to the preseident is in recognition of his numerous contributions to the development of the society. The award which was presented by the Vicar, Very Rev. Fr. Reginald Egbu on behalf of the leadership and members of the Catholic Men Organization.
Mazi Gburugburu was accompanied by members of the Mazi Organization among whom were: Okenze Blyden Amajirionwu, Hon. Amb. Uche Ogbuagu, Hon. Micheal Crown Njoku, Cajetan Duke, Chief Sir Emma Burka, Chief Martins Ohanaele (Udor N’ Avuvu), Barr. Uche Nwosu, PhD, Dr. Harold Onumuo, Comrade Obioma Onwuegbucha, Chief Precious Munachimso (Alhaji).
