Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Government has also expressed deep sorrow over the death of the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, His Lordship Peter Nworie Chukwu, describing it as a major loss to the state and the wider Catholic community.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru said he received the news “with a heart weighed down by deep sorrow, yet comforted by the eternal promises of God.”
He described the late bishop as “a revered shepherd of God’s flock” and “a spiritual colossus whose life embodied humility, sacrifice, and undiluted devotion to the service of God and humanity.”
Mr Nwifuru said the bishop’s death marked “the end of an era of profound spiritual guidance, moral clarity, and fatherly leadership in Ebonyi State and beyond.”
The governor noted that Mr Chukwu, a native of Ededeagu Umuezeokohu in Ezza North Local Government Area, distinguished himself as “an icon of faith, a promoter of peace, and a tireless advocate for justice, unity, and love.”
According to him, the late cleric’s counsel served as a source of wisdom to leaders and the faithful, especially in times of uncertainty.
Quoting 2 Timothy 4:7, the governor said, “He fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith,” adding that the bishop “ran his race with grace and finished strong in the vineyard of the Lord.”
He extended condolences to the Pope, the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and the family of the deceased, noting that the loss is felt across the state and the nation.
The Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki announced the death of Bishop Peter Nworie Chukwu on Saturday.
