• Splashes cars, cash, other gift items on Nigerians
By Olakunle Olafioye
Cash strapped and crippled by scarcity of fuel in the country, many Nigerians saw little or no reason to take part in last Tuesday Valentine’s Day celebration.
But for members of the Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church and many who graced the February 14, 2023 edition of the Annual Thanksgiving Service of the church, it was a day true love was on display.
Although Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele may not be a believer in Valentine’s Day celebration, the date, February 14, holds a special place in his heart as it often marks the grand finale of his annual thanksgiving and philanthropic programmes.
Dignitaries who graced the occasion, including a former Military Administrator in Lagos State and Director General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd), who was represented at the occasion and the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Musa Gusau, could not but showered encomium on Primate Ayodele whose large-heart has been described by many as unrivaled among contemporary men of God with philanthropic outlook.
The well-attended event had well over 250 households that benefitted from the cleric’s gesture as they smiled home with various gift items, including cars, buses, tricycles, cash gift, scholarship, empowerment kits, household appliances and several others.
Speaking on the significance of the occasion, Primate Ayodele deplored the level of suffering in the country, describing it as unacceptable and called on the government to show more concern about the plights of Nigerians.
His words: “What we are doing today is our own way of appreciating God for His faithfulness and to follow the example laid by our Lord Jesus Christ. The suffering is too much. Nigerians are facing a lot of challenges. And for us, we cannot fold our hands and be watching without doing anything. That is why we have been going around in the last three weeks touching and impacting on people’s life. The government must rise to its responsibility.”
No fewer than seven people, including two journalists smiled home with brand new Sports Utility Vehicles at the end of the colourful event.
Primate Ayodele had taken the empowerment of journalists as one of the prongs of his yearly multi-million naira empowerment programme in the last few years.
“In the last couple of years, we have made car presentations to members of the press. And this year is not going to be an exception. Perhaps I need to say this: as usual some lucky journalists are going to benefit today. In October, when we are going to dedicate our new church which is currently under construction another batch will also benefit. The third batch of journalists that will benefit this year will have theirs in December. So, if you are not called today, be sure that yours will come later,” the cleric promised.
Besides car gifts, about 30 other journalists from different media outlets smiled home with cheques of N200, 000 each. In addition, Primate Ayodele also promised to foot the bill of the eye surgery of one of the journalists who covered the event.
Similarly, five other Nigerians were empowered with buses while eight tricycles were presented to other lucky beneficiaries.
Empowerment kits, including sewing machines, hair dryers, grinding machines and cash supports for businesses were also given to several other Nigerians who attended the event.
Not less than 50 students and pupils benefitted from Primate Ayodele’s education and scholarship supports. The beneficiaries include students of tertiary institutions who got cheques for their tuition fees. Others were supported to procure their JAMB forms while others who are preparing to sit their Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE); Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and Common Entrance Examination also benefitted.
Household appliances and materials, including television sets, freezers, fans, mattresses, and financial/ accommodation supports were equally given to the less privileged in need of them.
Cash donations ranging from N1 million to N500, 000 were also given to religious organisations, including churches and mosques.
Impressed by Primate Ayodele’s charitable gesture, the NDLEA boss who was represented at the event, promised to partner the man of God in fighting the menace of drug abuse among the youths in the country.
The man of God had during his opening remarks sought the support of the anti-narcotic agency in the rehabilitation of youths who are battling drug addiction. “We have equally recorded some level of success in our bid to take some of our youths off the streets and to give those who are battling drug addiction a new lease of life. In the past we have succeeded in rehabilitating several of them and equally we empowered them economically and they are doing quite fine now. Even today, we have some of them here that we have been able rescue from the streets and will be empowered today so that they also can live a more decent life. So we believe partnering the NDLEA on this mission will help us further to achieve more results,” he said.
Also speaking during the event, the President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Gusau, expressed his happiness to be identified with Primate Ayodele despite the fact that they both share different religious belief and faith. He traced the genesis of his friendship with the man of God to a particular day when someone sent him a clip of Primate Ayodele’s prophecy where he predicted that he (Gusau) would emerge President of the nation’s football federation.
He, therefore, commended the man of God for his large-heart, saying, “I am very proud to be identified with you and particularly impressed by what I have seen here today.”
The well attended event attracted people from different states of the country while Yoruba gospel singer, Yinka Alaseyori and her band entertained the guests at the event with some of her hit tunes.
Ayo Ajewole of Woli Agba fame and his Ibadan-based Christian comedy group, was also on hand to add colour to the grand finale of the 17-day philanthropic outreach tagged “Appreciation and Philanthropic Impact Programme.”
The 17-day philanthropic outreach had begun on January 29 with the man of God visiting houses of the aged, the sick and widows whom he impacted positively during the visits.
Besides meeting their spiritual needs, Primate Ayodele also supported many financially. A good number of his beneficiaries had their hospital bills, accomodation and school fees paid by him.
Also during the period, the renowned seer visited and impacted on schools within Lagos and Ogun states. Schools visited include Adex School, Golden Heritage school, Best Precious Gift school, and Tall Hope School.
Addressing the pupils during the visits, he reiterated the need for them to follow the way of the Lord in order to have a secure future and encouraged them to be good ambassadors of Christ wherever they find themselves.