Archbishop of Onitsha Catholic Diocese, Most Revd Valerian Okeke, has invested Professor Pat Utomi and Sir Francis Anyakwo with the Papal Knighthood of St Gregory (KSG).
The investiture took place at Christ the King College, Onitsha.
The ceremony was granted by Pope Francis.
Archbishop Okeke visited Christ the King College, Onitsha as he does yearly on the feast of Christ the King, which is also the feast of the College.
Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Obi also attended the event with Obi of Onitsha, HRH Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe.
Both Obi and Utomi are alumni of CKC.
Utomi, who is a Professor of Political Economy, attended the CKC in the middle of 1960s before proceeding to Loyola College, Ibadan where he finished at the of 15.
He was born and raised up in family with staunch Catholic background.
Sir Anyakwo, the CEO of Prime Resources, single-handed, built a church-St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Inland Town, Onitsha- which was dedicated in 2019 by Archbishop Okeke.
Obi in a tweet, congratulated Utomi and Anyakwo for the honour.
He said that they had continued to serve as leadership role model for the youth in Nigeria.
“Hearty Congratulations to Prof. Pat Utomi, and Sir Francis Okey Anyakwo, two fellow CKC Onitsha alumni, who were today installed as Papal Knights at the CKC Campus during the Feast of Christ the King,” Obi tweeted on Sunday, November 20, 2022.
The Archbishop also administered sacrament of confirmation on some of the students of CKC.
Okeke through a post on his official Facebook page, said the feast of Christ the King reminded Christians that Christ’s life was that of love and selfless service for his subjects.
“As we celebrate the universal nature, infinite span and boundless sphere of the kingship of Christ, we also acknowledge that he empowers us to be collaborators in his reign of love that transcends space and time, Christ whose reign is characterised by loving service, invites us to be servant leaders preoccupied solely with the wellbeing of the subjects.
“The Spirit of God in us, leads us to live beyond selfish and sectional considerations in order to be his worthy ministers.”
The cleric congratulated
Utomi and Anyakwo for elevation “to the honour of Papal knighthood”.
He prayed prayed God to help people to “be good shepherd king and servant leaders.”
Other dignitaries at the event included former national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Senator Victor Umeh; PDP gubernatorial candidate in Anambra 2021 election, Mr Valentine Ozigbo; and former Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Chief Tony Nnachetta, among many others.
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