Ooni of Ife commends Catholic bishops’ service to humanity

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has commended members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for their role in promoting societal development through various humanitarian activities.

Ogunwusi commended the bishops during their visit to the oba’s palace as part of activities marking the Second Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.

The conference was hosted by the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo between Sept. 10and Sept. 18.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Senior Media Officer, Ooni’s Palace, Sodiq Lawal, on behalf of the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Mr Moses Olafare, on Wednesday, in Ile-Ife.

Ogunwusi appreciated the bishops’ visit, describing the Catholic church as an institution respected within and outside Nigeria.

He said the church had distinguished itself through discipline, prayers, advocacy and commitment to serving humanity, adding that its contributions to society deserved recognition.

The statement quoted the CBCN President and Archbishop of Kaduna, Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, as describing Ile-Ife as the cradle of Yoruba culture.

It also quoted Ndagoso as saying that the oba’s throne was an important symbol of Yoruba history and heritage.

Ndagoso commended the oba’s efforts in promoting peace, national unity, youth development and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians of different backgrounds.

‘’Traditional and religious institutions have complementary roles in addressing social challenges.

‘’I, therefore, call for stronger collaboration in areas such as education, healthcare, humanitarian services and community development, the cleric said.

He called on Nigerians to reject vote-buying and support transparent, free, fair and credible elections, stressing the need for collective efforts to tackle insecurity, poverty, corruption and unemployment.

The statement noted that the CBCN delegation was led by Ndagoso and other members, including Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan.

Others it stated, include Archbishop of Ibadan, Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin; Bishop of Osogbo, Rev. John Oyejola; Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, among other bishops and officials.