By Nkiru Anakor
The Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha and Metropolitan of the Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke, has received the AMTY Person of the Decade Award at the fifth edition of the Anambra Man of the Year (AMTY) Awards.
The award was presented on July 18, at the Stanel Dome, Awka, during a ceremony attended by religious leaders, government officials, traditional rulers, captains of industry, academics and business executives.
Archbishop Okeke is the first recipient of the special Person of the Decade honour since the awards were instituted in 2020.
According to the organisers, the award recognises his exceptional contributions to evangelisation, education, healthcare, youth empowerment, humanitarian service and the socio economic development of Anambra State over the past decade.
The organisers said Archbishop Okeke had transformed the Onitsha Archdiocese by expanding the number of parishes from about 72 to more than 182 and increasing episcopal regions from four to six to improve pastoral administration.
The citation also highlighted his role in convening the first Archdiocesan Synod, overseeing the elevation of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha, to Nigeria’s first Basilica, and promoting priestly formation through scholarship and pastoral development programmes.
It further acknowledged his contributions to strengthening Catholic education, revitalising mission hospitals, promoting youth empowerment through the Holy Family Youth Village and Oluchukwu Microfinance Bank, and advancing media evangelisation through Radio Sapientia.
The organisers also praised his humanitarian initiatives, including prison ministry, welfare support and inmate rehabilitation, describing his leadership as a model of faith driven development that has positively impacted lives across Anambra State.
The presentation was greeted with prolonged applause as guests celebrated Archbishop Okeke’s decades of dedicated service to the Church, humanity and the development of Anambra State.
Nkiru Anakor is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State*
