•Nwifuru, others celebrate first indigenous bishop at 85

From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo

The teeming Catholic faithful in Ebonyi State have appealed to the head of the church and sovereign of Vatican City, Pope Leo XIV, to unbundle the Abakaliki Diocese and give them another diocese.

Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru, spoke the minds of other members of the church at the 85th birthday celebration of the first indigenous Catholic bishop from the state, Most Rev. Michael Nnachi Okoro, held on November 27, 2025, at the St. Theresa Cathedral, Abakaliki. He noted that Ebonyi was the only state in the South East with one diocese.

The Abakaliki Diocese was carved out of the Ogoja Diocese 52 years ago, precisely, on March 1, 1973, and Okoro became the first indigenous bishop four years later. Thomas McGettrick was installed as its pioneer bishop in September of that same year.

Nwifuru applauded the church over its contribution towards the peaceful atmosphere currently experienced in all parts of the state and the spiritual support for the government.

Commending Okoro’s successor, the Most Rev. Dr. Peter Nworie Chukwu, for his commitment in his priestly functions, the governor appealed for the creation of additional diocese in Ebonyi for easy administration: “For the bishop to be in charge of over 200 priests is burdensome, thus, there is need for another diocese, mostly when one remembers that it is only Ebonyi State that has only one diocese among all the component states of the South East zone.”

He described the celebrant as a dedicated Christian, resilient leader, and father of all whose good qualities could not be exhaustively explained by anybody and, thereby, thanked God for preserving the life of the Bishop Emeritus till now.

“God knows why he kept his life till now because many of his mates have gone to be with their maker; additionally, the state and the diocese will equally celebrate him very well in the nearest future as he left a sound legacy that cannot be beaten by someone else,” Governor Nwifuru said.

The governor, however, urged the use of Igbo language during celebration of mass in various churches for easy understanding of the members which, according him, would invariably prevent the dialect from going into extinction, particularly as majority of the congregants at the hinterland are not educated.

The Chancellor, Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Rev. Fr. Mathew Uzoma Opoke, described the programme as a tripartite jubilee that comprised 85 years birthday celebration, 60 years priestly ordination anniversary, and 48 years of Episcopal ordination. 

He explained that the emeritus bishop was ordained under the Ogoja diocese as a priest in 1965, while the Abakaliki Diocese was created four years later: “Most Rev. Dr M. Okoro became the bishop four years after the creation of the diocese and, as a result, ensured the smooth transition between the expatriate missionaries and the indigenous clergy.

“As a pastor, he served in difficult areas of the yet-to-be-developed parts of the diocese where he made indelible imprints which he recounts and relishes to this day.

“As a teacher and formator, he was a member of the College of Formators of the prestigious Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu, as a substantive bishop, he piloted the affairs of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki for 38 years before handing over the baton to our indefatigable bishop, Most Rev. Peter Nworie Chukwu.”

He further disclosed that the emeritus bishop inherited 24 parishes from his predecessor, Late Thomas MCGettrick and bequeathed 180 parishes and 16 chaplaincies to his successor. He also stated that the only 30 ordained priests during Okoro’s assumption of office later increased to 212 priests besides those who had answered the call of nature.

The Chancellor called the celebrant an agent of development, pointing out that he laid foundation of punctuality, liturgical decorum, and other related virtues while his life epitomises divine providence in action, as he left a legacy of service for other priests.

Okoro’s successor, Bishop Chukwu, was full of thanks to those that participated in one way or another, including the homilists and guests from across the country and the congregants, for making the event a national celebration.

Chairman of Ebonyi State Founding Fathers, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, extolled the emeritus bishop, describing him as a symbol of spirituality that has not shown any act of discrimination in his dealings. He urged young priests to toe the path of the celebrant: “Bishop Okoro is an epitome of humility; it is hard to see a man so humble like him. He receives everybody without segregation. No one talks bad about him in the whole Catholic Church. Therefore, we are wishing him a longer life because he deserves it, he is a good man.”