Akeredolu bags Anglican Church Award
By Adekola Afolabi
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The Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has bagged Anglican Church Award of Excellence in appreciation for what God has helped him to do in the development of the church.
The award was presented to the Governor yesterday during the 70th Anniversary Thanksgiving and Awards Service of Diocese of Ibadan Anglican Communion, held at the Cathedral of Saint James the Great, Oke-Bola, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The theme of the 70th Anniversary Thanksgiving and Awards Service is, “God with us, as with our fathers”.
Speaking shortly after receiving the award, the Governor who is also the Chancellor of Owo Anglican Diocese, appreciated the leadership of the Anglican Diocese for honouring him with the award.
Akeredolu who explained that he did not see Anglicanism as a child’s play, also added that he is fully committed to Anglicanism.
“Anglicanism is our own inheritance, so whatever we do for church is not too much, we will still do more, it is given. We have not done much, we believe we will still do more”, he said.
The Governor further noted that serving or giving back to God always attracts good rewards, just as he encouraged all to make service to God and humanity part of them.
According to the Governor, nobody serves or gives back to God that does not receive in abundance.
Also present at the event were the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo; Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Deaconess Lola Fagbemi; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Gboyega Adefarati and Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Olayato Aribo; Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport, Tobi Ogunleye and his Gender counterpart, Olamide Falana among others.
The Governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde and 77 other dignitaries also bagged awards for their contributions to the development of the church and humanity.
Earlier in his sermon, The Most Rev (Dr) Henry Ndukuba, Archbishop and Primate of all Nigeria, who congratulated and rejoiced with the congregation on the occasion of the church’s 70th anniversary, disclosed that the Diocese has moved from strength to strength, while also raising God-fearing generational leadership.
Primate Ndukuba said it is good to give thanks to God for the great things he has done in the life of individual members and the Diocese in general, adding that the anniversary is to celebrate God’s faithfulness upon all members and the church.
He used the occasion to appreciate God for preserving the people despite the various challenges facing humanity, assuring that the Diocese of Ibadan would continue to live up to expectation of nurturing men and women for the service of the Kingdom of God.
Highlights of the event were thanksgiving, prayers for the governor, his family and his administration to be able to do more for the Diocese and the people of the state, as well as prayers for the nation, the diocese and the congregation.