Bishop raises alarm over rising cases of suicide

Anglican Bishop of Orlu, Most Rev Bennett Okoro has raised the alarm over the increasing number of people committing sui­cide in Imo State, saying the State Government should pay pensioners their entitlements to re­duce the trend.
Bishop Okoro raised the alarm while present­ing his presidential ad­dress at this year’s Synod of Orlu Diocese on Tues­day.
He appealed to Imo State Government to pay pensioners promptly and shun any plan of deduc­tions or coercing them to forfeit any percentage of their entitlements.
He disclosed that a re­tired school Principal, Stephen Nnadi, who re­tired from Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) last year and was unable to fend for himself and his family decided to commit sui­cide last week.
Bishop Okoro said the late pensioner had com­plained severally of the non-payment of his gra­tuity and pension as well as the growing eco-nomic hardship.
He said the late Nnadi gave a hint of taking his life and he was prevailed upon not to but the pleas fell on deaf ears.
Further, the Prelate said another suicide was avert­ed when an unemployed man who appeared frus­trated had visited him and showed him a rope meant for suicide.
Bishop Okoro said af­ter counselling, prayers, and presentation of food items and money, the un­employed man agreed to jettison the rope and sui­cide plan.