Bukedea, Uganda | URN | The Bishop of Soroti Catholic Diocese, Bishop Joseph Eciru Oliach, has urged the people of Teso to keep former Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among in prayer during her difficult times.
Bishop Eciru made the call while addressing hundreds of Christians at Uganda Martyrs Catholic Parish in Kachumbala, Bukedea District. This year marked the first time the Martyrs Day celebration was held in dioceses due to the Ebola outbreak in the country.
Annet Anita Among, who has been the Women Member of Parliament for Bukedea District since 2016, is currently facing scrutiny as investigations into her financial dealings and alleged corruption during her tenure as head of the 11th Parliament.
Bishop Eciru emphasized the importance of prayer, stating, “The scriptures teach us that when one is in problems, do not celebrate; pray for them and share. Even if the person who is having problems is your enemy, do not use that time to celebrate because today it’s me and tomorrow it will be you.” He called on the community to kneel down and pray for Among wherever she is.
Bishop Eciru urged Christians to abandon earthly distractions and prepare their souls for heaven.
“Let us walk and follow the road that leads us to heaven, where we shall meet our Father, the saints, and the angels, as the scriptures state. You should leave behind all the bad deeds and embrace the new you, so that heaven is for those who are righteous and who have embraced peace and love for one another, not hatred,” he said.
The bishop also took a strong stance against alcoholism, asserting that it has impoverished many families and hindered their ability to plan for the future. “Imagine some of you received money from the Parish Development Model, and after that, you spent it all on drinking and remain poor. You get one million shillings from PDM and use it for drinking—what did you gain from alcohol? You just urinated it out without any development,” he lamented.
Bishop Eciru advised the people of Teso to embrace an alcohol-free lifestyle, stating that an alcohol-free community can foster development and engagement.
He cautioned against the involvement of Catholics in leadership roles within drinking establishments, highlighting the need for Christians to avoid frequenting such places.
David Beecham Okwere, the Member of Parliament for Bukedea County, revealed that some leaders from Teso plan to meet President Museveni regarding Annet Anita Among.
Okwere confirmed that the delegation is likely to be led by the Emorimor Paul Sande Emolot and Bishop Eciru, as well as bishops from other churches across the Teso.
”The purpose of meeting the president is to discuss and ask for his pardon in case she went wrong somewhere. It’s not the first time he has pardoned people; he has previously pardoned Captain Mike Mukula and others. We are again going to request him to pardon Among,” Okwere stated.
He encouraged the community to remain calm as they prepare to engage with President Museveni, assuring them that everything will be well with their sister, Annet Anita Among.
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