God recognises, rewards service, African church primate tells Awolowo Dosumu

THE Primate of the African Church, His Eminence, Dr Emmanuel Josiah Udofia, has challenged the newly installed first Asiwaju Onigbagbo Obinrin of Ogun State and chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Dr Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, to be courageous and not to fear over the new responsibility of leading Christian women in the state.

Udofia, who stated this on Saturday, during the investiture of Awolowo Dosumu by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ogun State chapter, held at the Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Anglican Church, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, stated that the honour was a reward for her service to God and humanity.

In his exhortation, the clergyman maintained that God recognises and rewards service and that Awolowo Dosumu’s investiture was CAN’s way of encouraging her. He urged her to do more for God, saying: “God is rewarding whatever you have been doing in secret and in the open to serve Him.”

Udofia, who stated that the good name and legacy of the Obafemi Awolowo family had continued to be relevant for decades and that he was proud to be associating with the family through the event, maintained that it was not everyone that should be honoured by the church.

He stated that those who deserved honour were those “who could serve; who live their lives in a way that people could testify to the glory of God and those who would be selfless and ever ready to help the needy and the underprivileged, urging the Asiwaju Onigbagbo Obinrin not to fear over the great task committed into her hands.

“You have become a role model; you have become someone that all women in Ogun State will look up to. Everything about you has been enlarged. But as long as you look up to Jesus Christ, you will not fail. Please, make sure that whatever will be of good report, whatever will exalt the Lord, go for it,” he counselled.

Earlier, the CAN chairman in the state, Bishop Tunde Akin-Akinsanya, along with many other clergymen, had invested Awolowo Dosumu, after her avowal to spend and be spent for God, be totally committed to the service of humanity and be ready to go anywhere in the name of Jesus, with Akin-Akinsanya charging her to be steadfast.

The Asiwaju Onigbagbo Obinrin was presented with what was described as the largest Bible in the world, containing English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Tiv translations, just as she was anointed, after which Bishops and congregants prayed for her.

Felicititating with Awolowo Dosumu during the event, the governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Taiwo Adeoluwa, appreciated CAN for “what they have been doing to lift up the Lord in Ogun State and for honouring our elders and distinguished individuals. As a government, we are proud of what CAn is doing…”

The government also appreciated the new Christian women leader for keeping aglow the name of the “liberator of the Yoruba race, our patriarch, Chief Obafemi Awolowo,” saying that the government would do all it can to make her succeed.

In her response, Awolowo Dosumu acknowledged the grace of God as the sustaining secret of her life, noting that it had been Him that kept her safe, secured and prevented her from falling.

She narrated how her life’s journey had always been fraught with attempts by the devil to thwart God’s counsel and how He had always made her triumph, assuring that God would always remain with everyone who trusted in Him.

She said that, in January 2016, she was chosen as the patroness of the Remo CAN, noting that she was stunned, only for the Ogun State CAN to honour her as the Asiwaju Onigbagbo Obinrin. According to her, if she lived to be a million years, she will always be grateful to CAN and other well-wishers for the honour done to her.

The investiture was attended by royal fathers from Ogun State, including the Alakenne of Ikenne, Oba Adeyinka Onakade; dignitaries, as well as a former governor of the state and Asiwaju Onigbagbo of Remo, Chief Gbenga Daniel; Chief S.K. Onafowokan; Chief of Staff to the current governor, Chief Tolu Odebiyi; Chief Sofola and Senator Anthony Adefuye, among others.

Members of the clergy in attendance included His Eminence, Dr Udofia; Archbishop of the Lagos Ecclesiastical Province of the Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Dr Olusina Fape; heads of blocs in Ogun State CAN and the state’s CAN executives, as well as the Bishops of the Methodist churches in Ijebu, Sagamu and Ibadan, among others.