Protect the vulnerable, cleric tells politicians

The Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, Most Rev. Patrick Eluke, has called on political office holders to use their positions to make peace and protect the most vulnerable in society.

He spoke at the burial of Mrs Dame Amaechi, the mother of former Rivers State governor and vice presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, on Saturday.

In his homily at the burial in Ubima Community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state, Eluke urged politicians to embrace peace and ensure that political offices were not used to destroy one another or communities.

“Election is an opportunity for the people to choose who they want to lead them. Nigeria needs peace. We need leaders who can only disagree but arrive at a point that will be beneficial to all,” he said.

The cleric, who spoke on the topic, “Blessed are the peacemakers”, said the lesson everyone should learn when somebody dies is that “every death is a message without a word.”

He extolled Amaechi’s mother’s qualities, describing her as a generous, lovely, kind and sweet mother.

The cleric further said the former governor’s mother was God-fearing, saying she bequeathed those good virtues of putting God first in every human endeavour to her children.

Former vice president and presidential candidate of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, and his wife, Titi, were among dignitaries who graced the burial ceremony.

Also present at the burial event were former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, 2023 vice presidential candidate of Labour Party, Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed, ex-Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Muhammad Malami, and National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark.

Other prominent figures at the event were former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, ex-deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Oyegun, Tunde Ogbeha, and Great Ogboru, amongst others.

In his remarks, Amaechi expressed gratitude to his friends and party members who travelled from overseas, far and near, to honour his late mother.

“Losing our mother has been very hard and your words provided comfort”, he said.

Meanwhile, Rivers State governor, Siminilayi Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, were absent at the burial event.

In a funny twist, a reception programme in honour of Wike was also held the same day at the instance of the Chairman of Ikwerre LGA, Charles Wobodo, in the same local government where Amaechi was saying final goodbye to his late mother.

The development caused a traffic gridlock as one lane of the express road was blocked, forcing dignitaries who attended the burial to spend more time on the road, with many vehicles parked a few kilometres from the reception venue.

Coincidentally, both Wike and Amaechi are from the Ikwerre ethnic nationality of the state, though the former hails from Obio/Akpor Local Government Area while the latter hails from Ikwerre Local Government Area.