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Tag: ‘Covenant

  • Fear of death led me to Christ, says Bishop

    Fear of death led me to Christ, says Bishop

    Bishop Benjamin Beinmote Solomon of the Bible Pattern Evangelical Mission, Port Harcourt turned 50 last Sunday. He used the occasion to count his blessings,  writes Precious Dikewoha

    For Bishop Benjamin Beinmote Solomon, the Presiding Prelate of the Bible Pattern Evangelical Mission, his golden jubilee celebration is nothing but an opportunity to count his blessings. It took him more than one hour on the pulpit last Sunday to narrate how faithful God has been to him, his family and his ministry. He told the congregation that he has every reason to praise God and to rejoice.

    The birthday celebration, which started by 12 pm at the Bible Pattern Evangelical Mission Hall in Rumuokuta, Obio/Akpor Local Government of Rivers State, was attended by men of God, friends, well-wishers and families of the celebrant.

    The Bishop also dedicated his book titled: “Understanding the Divine Covenant”.

    Unveiling the book, the guest minister, Bishop Isaac Ididah, said the book is a must read. He added that if the congregation understood the importance of divine covenant no one would leave the church without buying a copy.

    Bishop Solomon said he was struck with the spirit of death and never thought he could celebrate 50. He said he was the only surviving male child in his family.

    He said the fear of death made him to give his life to God.

    His words: “The power of death was on me when I was at the age of five. To be specific, whenever good thing wants to happen in my life, the spirit of death will recur. I find myself dying and waking up and at that point I understood that my future is at stake. That means, I must be terminated. I knew I will die and my father also knew I will die. So while struggling with the strange spirit, I heard that Jesus can save.

    “So, I said if the power of God upon me can do this for me, I will serve him all the days of my life. I discovered that Jesus can change all things and make a difference in my life. So, it is the fear to escape death that led me to Christ.

    “Though there are different ways that God bring people to serve him because in my family the whole thing was clear that men don’t survive but women can survive. As I am talking to you in my own generation, I am the last man standing.”

    Many who were privileged to have worked with Bishop Solomon attested to the celebrant’s dedication and humility.

    Bishop Isaac Ididah of Delta State said Bishop Solomon is a real man of God who is serving God with all his heart.

    He said: “He is my best friend. He is a man with great anointing of God in his life, and he has been described as a humble man of God. He is a sincere and easy going man, a man who has gone through the fire and refused to burn. He came face to face with death and refused to die. He has no fear for the devil and has sacrificed enough for his members. He is a prayer warrior for the country. I want him to continue in the good work of God and that is the only legacy.”

    Pastor Author Godwin, one of the senior pastors of the church who has served the celebrant for more than 16 years, said: “He is a servant of God who has dedicated his life to Christ. He is known as a terror in the kingdom of darkness. For the past 16 years, I have been under his ministry and we have not lost any soul.  That shows the kind of man he is. I want him to continue with the good work God has handed over to him because we are happy serving under his leadership.”

    Another pastor, Pastor Kinsley Egunatu, said the Bishop is a man that is cherished by all.

    “Everybody in this neighbourhood loves him. He has helped many people, especially the poor. He is our legend and this he has proven through his relationship with people,” he said.

    The celebrant’s wife, Rev. Elizabeth Ibim Beinmote- Solomon, said she could have made a great mistake if she did not marry her husband.

    She said: “Today we are celebrating a great man of God who is also my husband. It has been to the glory of God; a wonderful experience living with him as husband and wife. He is one man who has laid down his life for many to live. I call him a destiny helper of our generation. Many have received and benefited from him. He is a man with a large heart.

    “A man that God called. I came into his life and I can testify about him today. I don’t only see him as a pastor; I see him as a husband, mentor, leader and God’s anointed. I have learnt many things from him. One thing I have discovered is that when you respect the anointing in the man of God, it is easy to receive the anointing. My husband is someone who is not afraid of failure no matter what comes his way, he is an excellent man.

    “There has never been any regret. As for me, I had never believed that I will marry a man of God. It has never been my agenda. When he came, I told him that I was not ready to be called a pastor’s wife but that did not mean I didn’t want to serve God. Whenever I prayed, I always added it as my prayer point that God should not allow me to marry a pastor.

    “But I see destiny speaking and I have to obey. My husband used to be my marriage counsellor. God has proven Himself why He brought us together and I have seen the reason why God bent my decision to marry a man of God. Without this man, my life would have been a forgotten issue.”

    The highpoints of the occasion were the cutting of birthday cake, book dedication and thanksgiving.

  • WHAT AND WHERE?: God’s Covenant Woman International celebrates at two

    The second anniversary of God’s Covenant Woman International Outreach holds next Sunday with the theme “realm of glory”.

    It holds by 12noon at GCWIO auditorium Unity Estate, Pakuro in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

    The chief host, Rev (Mrs.) Irene Agbanobi (JP), in a statement, said that God will bless every participant.

    Guest speakers include Pastor Benny Apena (Rhema World Ministry, Lagos) and Pastor Olaolu Ojo of Christ Apostolic Church, Lagos among others.

    Baptist youths meet

    The annual youth summit of Triumphant Baptist Church Akowonjo takes place next Saturday.

    The theme of the summit, which holds at Shonowo Hall behind Mr. Biggs, Akowonjo, Lagos, is the visionary youth.

    A renowned educationist, Mrs. Olukemi Oke; The  Chief Finance Officer of Leadway PFA, Mr. Abayomi Adesope and the senior pastor of the church, Dr Sunday Oladejo, will minister to the youths.

  • A midday covenant with God 

    A midday covenant with God 

    On appointment with a Commissioner in Imo State, Chief Tony Ezedunor, a contractor, drove all the way from Warri in Delta State to Owerri, the Imo State capital. He left early to meet his appointment at the state secretariat in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    Although his driver did his best to arrive before the scheduled time of 11:00 in the morning, he was late for the appointment, no thanks to the traffic gridlock in Onitsha, Anambra State.

    They finally arrived at noon. Apparently aware of his lateness, the anxious contractor ransacked the thick pile of files by his side and grabbed the relevant documents he needed for the transaction.

    No sooner had his driver pulled up than he jumped out of the car clutching the documents. He went straight to the office of the commissioner.

    But to his amazement, on getting to the door of the Commissioner’s office, the whole place was agog with the commissioner and the entire staff of the ministry singing songs of praise to God.

    Still shocked, he looked behind him for a possible answer and to his utter disbelief, the policemen attached to the commissioner were also dancing and singing at the top of their voices. Confused and about to leave, one of the staff who noticed his seeming confusion, told him that they were observing 15 minutes compulsory daily prayer that starts by 12 noon every day.

    It was at that point that his mind flashed back to the huge billboard he read while he was coming. Although he did not pay much attention to it, the wordings were still bold in his mind. The writing in bold neon sign read: ”Have you prayed for Imo State today? Join the 15 minutes prayer and commit Imo State to God.”

    At 12 noon every day, all official duties in government offices in Imo State, including that of the governor and his deputy are stopped to allow all staff to observe the 15 minutes prayer.

    Governor Rochas Okorocha, who initiated the programme, said the initiative was to commit the state to God, to seek His face and grace for peace and prosperity of the state.

    All offices and other establishments of government across the state erupt in praise simultaneously with clergymen in attendance to minister and supervise the sessions.

    The Office of the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, is virtually turned into a church every 12 noon as both staff and non-staff converge on his office front desk to observe the prayer.

    Commenting on the programme, Pastor Paul Chibuike said the benefits of praising God cannot be over-emphasised.

    He said: ”The Bible tells us that if the people that are called by my name shall forsake their sins and seek my face, I will hear from heaven and heal their land. So, the midday prayer is a time the entire state seeks the face of God to heal our land and prosper the state.”

    He further said: ”Since the governor introduced the midday prayer, God has taken over the battles of the state and the benefits are visible and enormous. We are enjoying peace and security because it is God who guards a city. I encourage other states to copy from Imo State and make out time to cry to God.”

    Mr. Ucheakolam Onyejiuwa, a Director in one of the ministries, described the midday prayer as a covenant between God and the state, noting that, ”in Imo State, we are dependent on God to solve our everyday challenges and He has never failed us. Imo State has become a sought-after state among other states of the country.”

    He further said: ”Before now, we were battling with high rate of insecurity including kidnapping, armed robbery and other heinous crimes. But these days, Imo State is one of the safest states in the country and we thank God for the kind of man He has given us as governor; a man that has the fear of God because the Bible said when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.”

    At the office of wife of the state governor, women gathered to observe the daily prayers and the sessions are characterised by thunderous singing and dancing.

    At first, the Imo prayer  programme was greeted by widespread criticism. But the people have come to appreciate and identify with the programme. At the headquarters of the local government areas as well as schools in the state, all official and non-official activities are paused by 12 noon for the prayers.

    The state governor, who presides over most of the prayer sessions at the Government House, attributed the success of his administration to God.

    “We have designed the Imo midday prayer as a time to spend quality and robust time with God, to seek His face concerning our state. And He has not disappointed us,” he said.

    Apart from being observed in government offices, government sources disclosed that the midday prayer would soon be observed in markets and other open places across the state.

    A clergyman, Reverend Ukachukwu Izu said: ”We are prayerfully looking forward to a time when the whole state will stop at midday to praise God. It should not be an affair for government offices alone. All Imo citizens within the state or outside the state should observe the midday prayer as a covenant with God.”

    Emphasising the benefits of the programme, a civil servant, Mrs. Grace Uzoaru, said it had promoted unity and love among the civil servants.

    “The midday prayer has brought us closer to God. The benefits are numerous. We look forward to the prayer session everyday and this has promoted Godly virtues in the people. We are grateful to the governor for initiating the programme.

    A first time visitor to Imo State should not be scared when he walks into any office by midday and see the entire staff singing and dancing instead of working on incoming and outgoing files. He should simply join and complete his transactions after the session.

  • Covenant University alumni emulate Oyedepo

    President, Covenant University Alumni, Mr. Muyiwa Fadugba, has urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of selfless services to humanity in order to move the country to greater heights.

    He spoke during the inauguration of this year’s edition of the David Oyedepo Days of Service (DODOS), the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, in recognition of the Chancellor’s contribution to the development of society.

    DODOS, which was instituted in September, last year has been in the vanguard of harnessing the growth of society through selfless services and giving to the less privileged. This, according to the organisers, would emulate Oyedepo’s lifestyle and contribution to mankind.

    Fadugba, who explained the motive behind DODOS’ project, noted those behind the scheme came together to appraise what the bishop has been doing to mankind which has added value to societal development.

    He stressed that Oyedepo has made remarkable contributions in health, education, humanitarian and environment.

    He said: “Every of our project center around these key factors, all our members within and outside the country are inspired by our Daddy’s lifestyle of service and we are following his footstep. The best use of your life we believe is to invest your life in something that will outlast it. As we seek to grow and become more like Christ, we need to learn how to live a life of service, as living a life of service will give you deep personal fulfillment.”

    “Some of our activities includes visiting hospitals; schools where we donate books/bibles and also mentor the pupils/students; soon we will be going to beggars colony at Okobaba, Ebute Metta and Nigerian Prison Service for hunger relief. To be part of this project, you need to first identify a project/service you want to render; register your project; carry it out and give us feedback. We don’t accept donation, all we want is people who are willing to solve problems in the society.”

     

  • Oyedepo: Covenant ‘ll rank among world’s best in 10 years

    The Chancellor of the Covenant University (CU) Ota, Ogun State, Dr. David Oyedepo, yesterday said the university would rank among the world’s best in 10 years.

    One hundred and forty-four graduating students of the university made first class at its eighth convocation, Dr. Oyedepo said. Another 720 made second class upper, 565 made second class lower and 67 made third class, he added.

    At the post graduate school, he said the university graduated 111 at the master’s level, with additional 30 that were conferred with doctoral degrees.

    Eromhonsele Osayi, a graduate of Technical and Civil Engineering, was the valedictorian with a Cumulative Grade Point of 4.93.

    Dr. Oyedepo addressed a crowd at the university’s annual ‘Release of Eagles 2013 at the chapel. The address has the theme: ’Living the Covenant University Dream-Our leadership development mandate’.

    He said CU would not compromise its mandate of raising a new generation of leadership in Nigeria and Africa, going by the leadership gaps on the continent.

    Oyedepo said: “Here at Covenant University, we see leadership as taking the lead, setting the pace and blazing the trail in one’s field. Leadership is, therefore, not occupying a seat, it is accomplishing a feat. It is not occupying a position, it is making outstanding contributions. It is not occupying a place, it is setting a pace. It is not talking the lead, it is taking the lead. It is not an appointment, but an attainment. Leadership is not titles that we carry, but in the outstanding feat we accomplish. Therefore, leadership is all about excelling in one’s field.”

    Dr. Oyedepo said this year’s convocation was significant in two ways-it is the first to be held in the second decade of the university (CU celebrated its 10th anniversary last October). Another significance, according to the Chancellor, is that for the first time, some of their PhD awardees incidentally include CU products, who, upon graduation, were admitted into the system as graduate assistants.

    Recounting how the journey began 11 years ago, Oyedepo said “today’s testimony is worth all the trouble.”

    Said he: Since the release of the first set of eagles numbering 762 in 2006, CU has graduated 9,009 eagles across seven sets. In this eight convocation, another 1, 466 will be joining this vanguard of new generation of leaders.”

  • Covenant Poly holds orientation

    The Covenant Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State, has held orientation for new students. The event was held to help the students know the institution’s code of conduct and regulations.

    The Rector, Deaconess Bukky Nwoke, reminded the freshers that the polytechnic was a faith-based institution, which, she added, would not tolerate any form of immorality. She said the management had developed zero-tolerance for indecent dressing and misconduct.

    Nwoke said any student that faults the dress code would be arrested by the school’s security outfit. She listed some of the banned dressing styles to include show back, low waist, sagging and show armpit among others. She also noted that excessive application of cosmetics by female students remains banned.

    Nwoke said the institution had strict regulation against exam malpractice, saying the management had collaborated with the institution’s Students’ Representative Assembly (SRA) to battle the vice. She stressed that any student caught in the act would be sanctioned accordingly.

    Ending her speech, Nwoke advised the students to be focused and take their studies seriously, adding that discipline was a virtue every student must work hard to acquire.

  • Covenant holds overseas higher education fair

    Nine foreign universities and representatives of about 500 other higher institutions in the United Kingdom, America, Canada and Australia have participated in the 2013 Overseas Higher Education Fair organised by the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State.

    The event, which was the second edition, took place on the university campus last Friday .

    Declaring the fair open, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Charles Korede Ayo, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. A.A.A. Atayero, urged the students to maximise the opportunity to get appropriate information on what to do at their Master’s level.

    The Director, International Office and Linkages, Dr. Nnamdi Ekeanyanwu, said the programme was put together to acquaint the students with information about universities in the United Kingdom, USA and Canada for postgraduate studies.

    He said quite a number of Covenant University graduates end up in UK or US for their Master’s degrees, adding that the fair is a free counselling for the students to avoid falling into wrong hands when processing their admissions.

    Dr. Ekeayanwu said Covenant University has a direct collaboration and linkages with most of the universities represented and everything would be done to ensure a maximum benefit for the students.

    Universities and other institutions represented at the fair included University of Westminster, UK; HULT International Business School, Dubai; Griffith College Dublin; Birmingham University; Aston University and University of Roehampton.

    Others are Lancaster University; Northimbria University; British Canada International Education Limited; Education Support Counselling Consult; Education Link Nigeria; Find Admission.com; Trusted Edge Consult and Glory Educational Services.

    Three senior officers of Salem University, Lokoja, Kogi State, have arrived at the Covenant University on a three-day visit to understudy some key operations in the institution.

    The team, led by its Bursar, Mrs. Charity Egbita, was received by the Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Prof. Ayo and other members of the management.

    Briefing the management on the purpose of their visit, Mrs. Egbita said the vision of the two institutions is the same and Covenant University has achieved a lot from which they can learn.

    She said: “We believe that our vision is the same. We are raising global leaders and we believe we can learn from a sister university whose vision is the same.”

    The visit, according to her, is to “access the workings of the Business Development Centre of the university to learn their business strategies and study the financial services in order to know how we can achieve maximum results.”

    Mrs. Egbita added: “The National Universities Commission has been directing universities to learn about Entrepreneurship Study from Covenant University. We therefore want to look at this also and learn how we can develop ours.”

    Prof. Ayo said Covenant University is a leadership institution, which places emphasis on character development and leadership.

    He noted that in the words of the Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo, it would be a failure if the graduates of Covenant University joined the army of unemployed graduates. “They should be able to create jobs, which was the reason for the establishment of the Entrepreneurship Development Studies (EDS).

     

     

     

  • ‘Covenant outperformed from inception’

    ‘Covenant outperformed from inception’

    Prof Peter Okebukola was the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) when Covenant University (CU) got its operating licence in 2002. In this interview with ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, Okebukola recounts what qualified CU then.

    meeting NUC approval for licence

    In 2002 when its operating licence was issued, Covenant University was the most outstanding in terms of meeting the very stringent conditions of government in setting up a private university. It had over 10 times the minimum land area specified by government, it had academic, administrative and hostel facilities as well as staff housing that shamed many public universities. It had a good academic brief and physical master-plan. The draft university law was also in place. On the NUC checklist, the then proposed Covenant University scored positive tick marks on all items. It was eminently qualified for being licensed and a license was issued. More importantly for us at NUC is that since it was okayed to fly, the university has been soaring very high and delivering on its promise of producing a new generation of young leaders for Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world.

    Rating CU after 10 years?

    CU is one of the most decorated universities in Nigeria today. Decorated means, earning academic laurels and being well ranked among other universities in Nigeria, indeed Africa. I recently had a glimpse of a compilation of its academic laurels and was filled with admiration and awe. One of the indicators of performance of a university is the quality of its graduates. CU graduates are reputed for their professionalism, exemplary work ethics and Christian values. Another indicator is the quality of its academic programmes measured by the number of programmes with full accreditation. All CU pogrammes are accredited by NUC and relevant professional bodies.

    What distinguishes CU from others?

    I am able to quickly identify five attributes. The first is putting God first.

    Second is focused vision. The vision of the university has remained the lodestone guiding every action, big or small, in a consistent, methodical manner.

    Third is strong leadership. The leadership of the university at all levels is very strong.

    Fourth is funding. The funding level at CU is huge and this has helped to significantly address infrastructural and welfare needs. Fifth is staff and student discipline. The CU community presents one of the best-case scenarios of staff and student discipline in the Nigerian university system.

     

     

    Focus in the next 10 years

    In the coming years, CU should consolidate the gains recorded in the first 10 years, continue to emphasise areas where it has comparative advantage, develop new and exciting programmes that are scantily available in the Nigerian university system, focus more intensively on research so that its global ranking is bolstered and equip its graduates with 21st century skills.

     

  • ‘Covenant varsity’s mandate is divine’

    ‘Covenant varsity’s mandate is divine’

    In this interview, Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Dr David Oyedepo, shares his thoughts on the foundational philosophies and accomplishments of the university in the past one decade.

     

    Can you recall how the vision for Covenant University (CU) was delivered?

    We had in our hands 530 acres of property. And the first thing that occurred to me was to give the land out for farming, pending when we would need it. But God put out the master plan before my eyes. Within five days, I had a detailed master plan of those facilities which was divided into three main components: Moriah was to be our secondary school, the altar of sacrifice for the future we desire. Shiloh is the place for the church. And Hebron was the place for the making of kings and that is the university. And, interestingly, there was no professional engagement in the master plan for this place. It was absolutely divine, and this was in May 1998; and by August 29, same year, we had the ground-breaking service here where we pasted on the board the components that make up Canaan Land.

    So, it was clear that by His design, God had commissioned us to engage in birthing a university revolution. The word revolution came along with it, from the outset.

    After we dedicated the church in September 1999, we inaugurated a consortium in November for the setting up of Covenant University and we began planning, documenting, preparing to apply for licence until August 2002 when the NUC came for their verification visit. By December, it went to the National Executive Council and by February 2002, we got the licence. In March, construction started, and by October 21, our pioneer students resumed.

    What were the immediate steps taken to ensure the university’s vision was realised?

    The moment you have an established goal, it’s easier to design the process. If you must have a highly disciplined ambience, then there must be specific rules in areas of you concern, and that was what evolved the student handbook. The student handbook is the constitution of this university ‘nation’.

    When you are in this nation, you are guided by this constitution, and if you break the constitution, you should be ready for the sanctions, as dictated in the handbook. This is because until you change the man, he cannot change his world.

    What is our objective?

    Repackaging of the graduates universities turn out today. How do we repackage? Establishing lines of discipline, that will help them know how to behave in the society; how to relate by looking at issues that are of importance to us, for instance, moral decadence, and examination malpractice. So, from the outset, we said any act of examination malpractice equals to expulsion. We reasoned that anyone who indulges in it here today, if he finds him/herself anywhere tomorrow, would do the same, being used to it, already.

    And when we talk of personality traits, how do you get people to be acceptable, when they go seeking for employment? Here, the dress code comes in, and we agreed they have to be corporate. Why? You cannot tell when you would be called upon.

    The faculty and staff have rules that guide them. If you feel you cannot be governed, you can excuse us and go somewhere else. So, our core values are the mainstay of our production line and these core values include spirituality.

    What are the unique programmes in CU?

    We have three specialised programmes that are unique to us. The Total Man Concept (TMC), for example, is about going through things that make a man. Imagine if I go through a university system, up to the Ph.D level without knowing anything about marriage, and yet I am going to be married; or you know next to nothing about financial management, and yet you are going to be dealing with money all the days of your life. We try to address these things with the TMC programme.

    We introduced the Entrepreneurial Development Studies aimed at equipping them to recognise opportunities around and how to buy into them even when in school. As a result, we have students who are paying their fees.

    We also have what we call Towards a Total Graduate. What that does is to package them for the world of work. We think: As our student out there, what do you need to maximise your learning? That is why our core leadership programmes take place, so that they leave here knowing where they are going and not guessing.