I WILL HAVE THE LARGEST CELESTIAL AUDITORIUM IN NIGERIA– HEAD SHEPHERDONATOYE ADELEKE (CELESTIAL CHURCH OF CHRIST IJEGUN PARISH).
It was an aura of bliss and adornment of glamour as one of the Celestial church family under the leadership of Shepherd Onatoye Adeleke hosted the crème de la crème of the society to her Adult harvest and the fund raising ceremony of Celestial Church of Christ Ijegun Parish. Itwas indeed a glamorous moment when Ijegun stood still for the hours of the ceremony. People from different walks of life made their presence known and as for people who could not make it to the venue, representatives were sent, then one would have wondered how the Man of God would have willed such attention. It is the Adult harvest and as well as fund raising programme for a proposed church building that would house over 50,000 worshippers that is estimated to gulp the sum of #500,000,000.
According to reports, Shepherd Onatoye Adeleke before his conversion was famous for thuggery, hooliganism and some other social vices, he was also known to be a political thug, tout and Political instrument in the hands of many politicians before his conversion, like Shina Rambo the Nigeria’s foremost armed robber who later became a pastor, Onatoye was an instrument in the hands of politician, his political participation transcends political differences, he works for who pays more because he believes that there are no permanent friends or enemies in the Nigeria political scope and that is why he has a great influence beyond bonds in the Nigeria political terrain. Though he was raised in the Christian home but immediately after the demise of his parents in 1990 he took to the street so as to make ends meet. As a tout, his radicalistic approach to issue within and outside the Garage gave him seat amongst top notch politicians in Lagos and several other states in Nigeria. He remains a voice to reckon with in the Nigeria political stage until his conversion. However, during the days of his thuggery spree he has successfully engraved his name in the heart of virtually all the political gladiators in Nigeria.
At the event, the cross section of the political and secular big wits who graced the occasion among others were Olusegun Obasanjo (former president of Nigeria) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC chieftain and national leader), Atiku Abubakar (Former Vice President of Nigeria), Senator Bukola Saraki (Senate President), Gov. Nyeosom Wike of Rivers State, Femi Otedola also present were members of the NURTW, M.C Musiliu Oluomo, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, Koko Zaria, Alhaji Nojeem Yasin (N.U.R.T.W President). It was indeed a countless sections of prominent people. Also at the function were leaders and spiritual fathers of the celestial church of Christ such as Rev. Emannuel Mobiyina Oshoffa C.C.C. Worldwide, Prophet Marcus Korede Oluwatosin Tibetan of C.C.C Elisha Parish, Pastor Oladele Ogundipe of C.C.C. Genesis Parish, Prophet Gabriel Beni Omoge C.C.C. Worldwide, Prophet Aniya Olajide C.C.C. Peace and Joy Parish, Prophet Adebayo Olajide C.C.C Orisun Abiye Parish and host of other names in the Celestial Church of Christ). The royal fathers were not
SHEPHERD ONATOYE ADELEKE VICTOR
also left out, likes of HRH Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ooni of Ife), HRH Oba Riliwan Akinolu (Oba of Lagos), HRH Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi (Alaafin of Oyo Town), HRH (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona (Awujale of Ijebuland), HRH Eheneden Erediauwa (Oba of Benin Kingdom) and many prominent traditional rulers.
The display of the architectural design however stole the heart of the eagerly waiting audience and also proved that the value of what was displayed equals the value of the proposed estimate. After the tremendous display of the proposed edifice, the time then is ripe for donors to be called upon to pledge their respective support in kinds and cash. Some of the politicians who had come to grace the occasion were not opened to express what they would be offering but preferred that get send their support to the building committee chairman in confidence. At the end of the event, few people present were given the opportunity to talk, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who happened to be the honorary father of the day buttressed the need to always help the church in anyway one can, he also made an allusion to the verse of bible that says ‘Money is the wheel of evangelism’. That peaceful co-existence may remain and oneness be engraved in the mind of the people, all these spiritual altar must be referenced because our God is love. He said.
Furthermore, we all know where we all reside, with all the securities and beautiful places we reside, we must also be ready to beautify a place of worship, a place we all call an abode of God. So I therefore charge you all to give something befitting to this project. I know we all have one way or the other benefited from Onatoye Adeleke, if not on political grounds but on spiritual grounds, I know the numbers of time I have visited him like the biblical Nacodemous who come to Jesus at night, (he laughs), we need to support this wonderful project. Thank you all. He concluded.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar also expressed his support for him. ‘As a politician we all have only one religion and that is the religion of love, Shepherd Onatoye has always preached this to me whenever I engage him back then in days of electioneering and he remains the only person I know who can house several politician under one roof, even while he was still an active politician, he looked beyond political differences or disparities, I have always learnt from him that no permanent friend and no permanent foe in politics, that is why he can call on us and we answer his call. I will be donating to this project but the amount will not disclosed publicly because most times when we go for functions in public places his words of whatever you want to do, don’t let your other hand knows about it lingers. We are here today to support one of our own in our own little way, it is not a political gathering or a religious sentimental gathering, I am here to celebrate and assist my very own loyal friend and brother. He concludes.
Other dignitaries have a dole of their commitment to Shepherd Onatoye who had one way or the other impressed and impacted them. Their continuous loyalty to him and his course were made obvious at the event, as everyone of them re-consecrated their pledge to him as well their commitment to his work.
However, some were not surprised to see a man of great influence and affluence during his political days to have thrown in the trowel and pick up on the work of God. APC national leader, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed ‘I have always known you will do the work of God because the devil himself needs a tough man to battle with him (laughs) I remember your giant moves on political rally grounds, I remember days you have advised me on some political decisions which I took the glory for. I also want to make this clear for the record, anything whatsoever you want within Nigeria, you have it already because you are a wonderful man. I still see you as one of my close ally and a confidant, anyway we know where we meet (laughs). The building committee must have seen my quota and I will still do more. He said.
At the end of the event, the chief shepherd himself expressed his profound gratitude to God who had made this possible, ‘I am really excited at the testimonies you all have given about me, it is also a thing of joy to have written my name on the mind of everyone here because ifit was not because of the love, the bond and my impact in your lives, you would not have come out today to help me drive this my project to the altar of realisation. I want to thank everyone here today, My able leader back them, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the royal fathers who never thought of me a small man to have honoured my invitation, as well as my indefatigable former Vice president Atiku Abubakar, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, my very own friends, Gov. Nyesom Wike, I acknowledged your support since we became friends and to others who I cannot mention I appreciate you. I appreciate all the Unionists present here, I always remember where the journey started from. I thank you all for your support since time past and I pray all these our labours of love will not be a waste.
I ONATOYE ADELEKE will build one of the largest Celestial Church auditorium in Nigeria, and with you all seated here, I know this will be possible. This project is not aimed at contesting titles among religious bodies, it is aimed at glorifying God, who took me from the slum to the place of grace. He concluded.
Summarily, one could have contest the political strength and power of these religious leaders if this event was not held and it is imperative to state that, in the religious circle there is power beyond the spiritual parlance as this was made manifest today.
COMPILED BY AYOMIDE IFEOLUWA.
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