Chinese contractors finish carving Africa’s largest statue of Jesus

A 9-meter tall statue of Jesus Christ, carved by Chinese contractors, was unveiled in southeast Nigeria’s Abajah village on Friday.
The statue is reportedly the biggest one of JC in Africa, weighing 40 tonnes. Known as “Jesus de Greatest,” the white marble creation drew over a hundred priests and hundreds more Catholics to its official unveiling.

Local businessman Obinna Onuoha hired a Chinese company to carve the statue, before housing it in the 2000-capacity church he built in 2012.
Bishop Augustine Tochukwu gave a homily at the mass service for the official unveiling. Tochukwu waxed poetic about the significance of the statue for African Catholics, declaring that “It will remind them of the importance of Jesus Christ.”
Considering the size of the thing, one would hope so.
For more on Chinese projects in Africa, check out Howard W. French’s book “The Second Continent.”
By Pinky Latt