Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, Founder of Ogilisi Foundation, an Igbo sociocultural organisation, has expressed gratitude to God for the elevation of Bishop Peter Okpalaeke to the position of cardinal in the Catholic Church.
Ezeonwuka, who spoke to journalists in Awka on Tuesday, also thanked Pope Francis for the honour.
Okpalaeke was on Aug. 27 installed as a cardinal in a consistory at the Vatican alongside other 20 bishops from across the world.
Ezeonwuka, who is also the Managing Director of Rojenny Stadium and Games Village, Oba, described the development as a welcome one and a blessing to the people of Aguata, Anambra and Nigeria.
“The elevation of Bishop Okpalaeke to a cardinal of the Catholic Church is a good thing, first as a son of Aguata…
“As a spiritual leader of the Igbo nation, I want to congratulate him and the people of Anambra and also thank God for recognising us.
“I also pray that his promotion will bring progress, unity and God’s blessing to the entire Igbo land,” he said.
Ezeonwuka reiterated his call for the people of the South-East to bury their deceased ones as quickly as people as the practice of preserving dead bodies in mortuaries was alien to Igbo culture.
He said efforts should be made to decongest mortuaries in the area by committing corpses to mother earth to ‘allow them rest in peace’.
Ezeonwuka called on government of South-Eastern states, churches, communities and families to encourage quick burial of corpses, noting that keeping them for a long time had spiritual implications that were affecting the peace and security negatively.
“I have been making this call for a long time, Igbo should stop preserving corpses in mortuary; it is not our culture, departed souls should be buried and allowed to rest.