Kunle Adelabu
-Eminent guests donate towards furniture, electronic organ
It was a commendation galore for Prince Olabode Sunday Ogunleye as chieftains and congregants of The African Church Bethel Cathedral, Ikorodu, commended him for donating a one – storey – building for the Youth/Children Chapel of the church.
The commissioning of the edifice, which commemorated the birthday of the donor, took place during a special service on Sunday, April 31, 2023, and was well attended by eminent personalities who donated towards the purchase of furniture for the edifice, as well as electronic organ for the Church.
Otunba Amid Adekunle Oduborisha, President, Oriwu Club, led other chieftains of the prestigious club where the celebrant is the number one member, to honour him.
Among eminent members of the club at the event were: former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and chieftain of the Governance Advisory Council, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye; Chief Judge of Lagos State, Honorable Justice Kazeem Alogba; former Minister for works and Chairman, Ikorodu Resource Development Group (IDRDG), Sen. (Otunba) Dr. Adeseye Ogunlewe; Senator representing the Lagos East Senatorial District, Sen. Tokunbo Abiru who was represented by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity; Pro – Chancellor, LASU and Lay President, Patriarch Bolaja Cathedral Methodist Church, Ikorodu, Sir David Sunmoni; Chairman, Ikorodfu Chairman, Ikorodu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sir (Engr.) Chief Olukayode Shoderu, and former Chairman, IDRDG, Engr. Layi Adegbola.
Others were: Sir (Barr.) Ladi Sowemimo, KJW, Chief Abiodun Balogun, and Dr Omobolaji Olukoya, among others.
Members of the celebrant’s family in attendance included Mrs Ogunleye, wife of the donor and children; Prince Bayo Ogunleye, former Vice Lay President, The African Church Lagos West Missionary Diocese and Otun Baba Ijo, The African Church Bethel Cathedral, Ikorodu and Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, former Commissioner for Physical Planning & Urban Development and former Peoples Warden, The African Church.
The Bishop, Lagos West Missionary Diocese, Bishop Ezekhial Adetoro, in his sermon, charged congregants to always work and give to the God, while assuring that such a giver always gets multiple folds, in return.
He commended Prince Ogunleye for his philanthropist gestures over the years, and for the donation of the chapel to the Church.
Trustee Emeritus, Chief Amos Oshin (Asiri – Abo), who initiated the project, commended Prince Ogunleye for his efforts in developing the Church.
He used the Bible verse, Deuteronomy 28: 1 – 14, to pray for the donor that he and family will always encounter blessings from God at all times.
Engr. Sunday Oshin, the Cathedral Warden, speaking with THE IMPACT, thanked the donor for all he has done for the Church, adding that he has established his name in the history of the Church, and can never be erased.
“This is another great day in the history of the African Church Bethel Cathedral, Ikorodu, and we are grateful to our Baba Asato, Prince Bode Ogunleye, for this great gesture. It is a very big and giant leap in our administration. Although, I am not surprised because he has been doing great things for the Church”, he said.
“I can assure that he has registered his own name and that of the entire Ogunleye family in the history of The African Church, which can never be erased.
“You can see that the entire Church is happy with him and he did not just come for the commissioning alone, but with his family and eminent personalities in Ikorodu, who also made further contributions towards the furniture for the edifice and purchase of electronic organs for our Church Choir.
“We are indeed very grateful to Prince Ogunleye for this wonderful and laudable project, and on behalf of the management and entire congregants of the Church, we wish him many happier and prosperous returns in good health, happiness and riches. Amen”, the Cathedral Warden prayed.
Meanwhile, Prince Olabode Sunday Ogunleye, speaking with THE IMPACT on Youth Chapel, said that he only accepted the gesture extended to him by the Church and that God assisted him in completing the building for the use of the Church.
“It was a matter of gesture that was extended to me by the executive committee of The African Church Bethel Cathedral, which wanted a separate Church for children and youths and I was at that meeting”, Prince Ogunleye said.
“I felt that it was a nice idea and the initial idea was to have a bungalow to replace an old building that was there. That was how it started and God willing and by the forceful prayer by Chief Oshin, I just accepted that I would do it for the youths. It wasn’t planned for my birthday.
“When the building got to the bungalow level, I felt that it could be decked and also added another hall for other usages. That was how it turned into a storey – building, and luckily for me, God was so good to me and very wonderful because I did not have the money then, but all the needed resources started coming in for the project and today, this is it”, he added.
After commissioning of the chapel, youths and children accosted the celebrant and thanked him with songs for providing a befitting place for their services and lessons.
