By Sam Akadoro - Special Correspondent, Sapele
A top gunner for the governorship slot in Delta State come 2015, Chief_ Gabriel Oyibode, Mr. Etatsemi Onoriode, principal information officer, Ministry of Information, Asaba, Mr. Daniel Christmas, a publisher and other prominent Nigerians have been conferred with honourary doctorate degrees by the World Communion of Christian Celtic Convergence Churches, United Kingdom and Nigeria.
Other Nigerians who got the award on the occasion which attracted the-who-is-who in Nigeria, included Mrs. Winnie Umeadi Oburo, Mr. Brown Eleken Ubu, Apostle Martin Ajayi, Mr. Anthony Ovuede and Mrs. Gladys Igbe and Mrs. Oyibode. Many other persons were ordained as archbishops/bishops, and priests at the ceremony. Archbishop Godspower O. Akindor, the presiding archbishop Nigeria representative of the College of Archbishops and Bishops who represented His Eminence Archbishop George A. Booty, the patriarch of World Communion of Christian Celtic Convergence Churches United Kingdom/Nigeria, said the award was given to the awardees based on their individual merit and outstanding contributions towards the advancement of humanity and their selfless service in their respective places of work and business.
Archbishop Akindor, while tracing the history of the university, said it was founded by Archbishop George A. Booty in 2010 and was established by the Central Pastoral Foundation, adding that they have consecrated several archbishops, bishops and priests world wide including the conferment of honourary doctorate degrees and professors to deserving individuals worldwide and here in Nigeria, adding that the institution has offered honourary doctorate degrees to over sixty persons who have distinguished themselves in their respective callings. Archbishop Akindor added that in 2013, the university spread to Nigeria with a satellite campus in Sapele as he was appointed by the Governing Council of the university to head the Nigeria branch which currently has five archbishops, fifteen bishops and twenty priests, explaining that the university currently has branches in Calabar, Accra, Ghana, South Africa, Chile, U.S.A, Pakistan, India, United Kingdom and many other parts of the world.
In their respective sermons at the venue of the epoch making event at the Gospel Crusaders Ministry, Sapele, Archbishop Imhianvan Osaze Saturday and Archbishop Cecilia Owe enjoined those that were consecrated bishops, priests as well as those conferred with honourary doctorate degrees to see the honours as a call to more service and dedication to their respective callings. They agreed that Gabriel Oyibode has been ordained by God as the next Governor of Delta State come 2015 and that nothing will stop his movement into Government House, Asaba, while calling on all Deltans to support his aspirations which they affirmed has the hand writing and seal of God. The Archbishops and Bishops which comprises of renowned men and women who have made their marks in the vineyard of God, laid their hands on Oyibode while anointing him with oil of acceptance and approval by God for the job of becoming the next Governor of Delta State come 2015,remarking that it is the time of Ukwuani person to occupy Government House, Asaba.
Oyibode commended the Governing Council of the College of Archbishops/Bishops on behalf of himself, his wife and others who also got doctorate degrees for finding him worthy of the award, explaining that before the good things that have been happening to him manifested in the physical form, it was revealed many years back that these things must come to pass in his life. The Governorship hopeful who fielded questions from members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists Sapele chapter who were around to witness the conferment of the honourary degree on their colleague in the Ministry of Information Dr. Etatsemi Onoriode, said the award was timely when he is at the verge of going into government house which is a sign of good things to come the way of Deltans.
He told the journalists that God has ordained the day to come his way, pointing out that he believes so much in God (him as an evangelist) including the word of God which he has absolute faith on, that one’ God has spoken, it is settled.
Mrs. Oyibode who donated the sum of N500,000 to the college also appreciated God for the award given to her and her husband, as she thanked the men and women of God for the honour which she affirmed will move her to do more work for God and humanity.
Dr. Etatsemi Onoriode, who also fielded question from journalists, said he was grateful to God and the clerics for finding him worthy of the award, not minding his modest contributions to society, remarking that he has never accepted award of this nature in the past but decided to accept this having discovered those who gave him the award were real and not fake. Etatsemi said the award given to him was an invitation to work harder for God and humanity, having been noticed and sorted out for the little he has done so far, and again he disclosed that it is another call for him to go back to the classroom to study harder for his academic doctorate degree as he encouraged everybody to always do his or her best to affect their generations positively because their life is like the Bible which is been read through by everybody on daily basis.
Meanwhile members of the Concerned Citizens of Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State have appealed to the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, the National Chairman he party, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Governor of Delta State and the state party chairman, Chief Peter Nwaobishi to prevail on their leaders in Burutu to stop imposing any candidate on the people and make room for all screened and cleared candidate to contest the forthcoming poll in Burutu Local Government Area in open and transparent primaries.
In a press release issued to journalists in Warri by Chief Sonomo Doye, chairman of the group; Chief Akpotuba Egiren, Secretary and Chief (Mrs.) Augusta Tamigbe-ere Edongha, Vice Chairman, they stated that on July 21, some leaders of the PDP in Burutu local government area of Delta State were alleged to have met in the Mega Hilton Hotel, Effurun, not to address the serious problems of underdevelopment and unemployment plaguing the council area but to adopt a single candidate for the chairmanship slot in the forth coming council poll. They said this is coming at a time when the Presidency and the new leadership of the POP have made it clear that the era of kangaroo primaries was over, explaining that the leaders were either not in Nigeria or they want to dare Mr. President, the party leadership led by the Mu’azu and the state Governor who all insist that the process of selecting candidates for the elections in the party should be transparent. They further explained that it was very disturbing that Pa Clark who opposed incumbent governor of Delta State on the grounds that he is a cousin of former governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, insisting then that Uduaghan was an imposed candidate.
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