By Mimi Chiadikaobi
An Anglican Cleric, Most Reverend Alexander Ibezim, has called on fathers to take seriously,the responsibility of building a healthy home to entrench a safer society, as pillars of their homes.
Ibezim, Archbishop, Ecclesiastical Province of the Niger, and Bishop of Awka Anglican Diocese, made the call in a message he delivered to mark 2021 Father’s Day celebration in Awka on Sunday.
Venerable Ekene Nwafor, vicar in charge of Church Of The Pentecost Awka, read the message, on Sunday in Awka during a church service to mark day, with theme, Joseph the Carpenter: A Role Model, Luke 2 verse 41 -42,
Nwafor, also the Archdeacon, Awka Central Archdeaconry, charged fathers to ensure that they were rooted in Christ, to be able to raise a healthy home.
He encouraged fathers to hold onto prayers as the only solution to a challenging time and at any time where life challenges star at them, face to face.
Mr Osita Obi, Chairman, 2021 Fathers’ Sunday Planning Committee of the church of the Pentecost urged fathers to place home training and care of the family as main duty.
Obi also said that more attention should be given to family development in order to have a healthy home that would serve as a unit of socialisation and societal development.
“ When we get the home front right, then we are sure of safe environment that would make life activities thrive without fear of any attack, fathers must take responsibilities of their homes,” he said.
Mr Okey Anyanyo, a member of the planning committee, advised that “it is time for parents to sit down and monitor the activities or company their children keep.”
Anyano expressed concern that parents had placed materialism above proper and sound home grooming, abandoned the care of the home to domestic helps, and called on them to a rethink and a change of attitude.
“ Many parents cannot give full account of their children outside home, some fathers think that to care for a home is to provide money, no, fathers need to monitor what goes on in their homes,” he said.
Mrs Victoria Nwosu, a parishioner, commended the church for setting out a day to celebrate fathers for their enormous work in home development as well as to remind them of their great importance in home care.
Sir Basil Onourah, Chairman Fathers Fellowship Church of the Pentecost Awka, said that objectives of fathers’ fellowship wrre to attend church regularly,to devote life time, wealth to the service of God, to make their families peaceful and exemplary Christian families.
He said listed the main functions of the fathers fellowship to include: nurturing children that were hard working and ready to render service the church always and encourage purity of life, in speech and in conduct, amongst others.
Mr Tony Nnamani, secretary of the planning committee, said that Fathers’Day reminded fathers of their promise as fathers where they promised to uphold the objectives and functions of the fathers fellowship of the diocese.
Nnamani called on father to make their home Bible friendly and put the urge to read the Bible always by the family members. .
“parenting as was seen in the life of the biblical Joseph instill discipline, love, peace and togetherness in their families, the story should not change today,” he warmed.
He appealed to fathers to love their wives, look inward into their families and discipline themselves, nothing that when they got it right in their families, the society would be a better place.
The Reporters reports that Fathers day celebration is an annual event of the church of Nigeria Anglican Communion which comes up every June.
