Tag: Pastor Adeboye

The University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) was agog on Tuesday January 24. It was a special convocation ceremony solely packaged for conferment of Honorary Degree of Divinity (Honoris Causa) on Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). On entering Nsukka town in the early hours of the day, one would notice from the security architecture that a big fish was being expected. And from the campus main gate, to the heart of the University, the tenor and fragrance that exuded heightened the curiosity in the ivory tower. Of course, the influx of the foot-soldiers of RCCG Enugu Region 6, the intimidating entourage of Daddy G. O. as the pastor is fondly called, and an array of masterly technical crew on hand to life stream the proceedings, signaled the triumphant re-entry to the university he left about 50 years ago.

With nostalgic feverishness, Pastor Adeboye recounted his first contact with the university at the age of 20 in 1962, when he, along with other secondary school students came for an excursion. Their visit to the cafeteria – Margaret Ekpo Hall, which now serves as the Convocation Hall, was inspiring. The glittering infrastructure, the serene ambience and the decorum of the students who were served jollof rice with chicken parts during the lunch time, made him resolve to study at UNN. He had picked up a pebble from the school premises and prayed to God to grant him admission in the next academic session to enable him bring back the pebble to Nsukka.

By 1963, he joined the campus as an undergraduate. His matriculation number was 1800 while he stayed in Room 108 in Awolowo Hall. The years at UNN were the best and informative in his life. He participated in sporting activities like volley ball, long tennis and swimming, to the extent that he was part of the team that represented the university in the volley ball event at the National University Games (NUGA), hosted by the  University of Ibadan, and came back with a gold trophy. At the West African University Games, they also won a silver trophy.

However, his stay at UNN was truncated in 1966, in the build up to the Nigeria civil war. He recrudesced at the University of Ife where he graduated with a B.Sc in Mathematics in 1967. For him, the honorary award was symbolic in two respects. One, it was a home coming to a place where he started his academic career. Two, it afforded him the opportunity to still have a certificate from UNN which eluded him five decades ago. The delectable Governor of Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was on hand to welcome Daddy G. O. It is indeed historic that a man who was sent packing from UNN under the orders of a military governor as the Nigeria’s civil war drums were beating, was also warmly welcomed by a sitting governor many years after. Indeed, when a man dedicates his life to serve God, honour will pursue him even from unexpected quarters.

The vice chancellor of the University, Benjamin Ozumba, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, who delivered the good messages of the chancellor and the pro-chancellor at the auspicious occasion, was overwhelmed with joy. He informed the ecstatic audience that the rationale for Pastor Adeboye’s decoration was, a reward for excellence, a fact corroborated by the 2016 ranking of UNN as the best University in Nigeria by Webometrics. At the Akanu Ibiam Stadium, within the campus, where the Holy Ghost service tagged Divine Visitation was held immediately after the ceremonies, the vice chancellor confessed that his long time quest to meet Pastor Adeboye had been fulfilled that day. He informed the audience that his emergence as the vice chancellor was a product of prophecy and called for special prayers for the university, which has witnessed relative peace after Pastor Adeboye’s declaration, under the tenure of Prof. Chinedu Nebo, that the university would no longer witness strife.  For sure, the life of Pastor Adeboye represents a man salted by God. His salvation and acceptance of Jesus Christ as his Lord and personal saviour altered his ambition to become the youngest vice chancellor in Africa and thus, he capped his academic trajectory with a PhD in Applied Mathematics in 1975 from the University of Lagos. Hardly had he resumed lectureship at the University of Ilorin and also at the University of Lagos, that the mandate for full time apostolic ministry became compelling.

Besides the status of mathematician with international repute, Pastor Adeboye is a pride to Christendom and an inspiration to countless workers in divine vineyard across denominational divides. His modesty and humility are exemplary. A man of few words, but when he speaks, wisdom and fresh insights illuminate the paths of the simple and the learned. His Holy Ghost-inspired messages are likened to J. P. Clark’s good driver, “who arrives the market again and again with fresh vegetables”. Souls have been lifted with dumbfounding miracles; deliverances from the yokes of the powers of darkness have been recorded; healings, like in the apostolic days are common, and numerous lives have surrendered to Jesus Christ under his awesome ministrations.

To his credit, over 60 books have been published, including the powerful devotional – Open Heavens, which is translated to no less than three international languages with over a million copies sold annually. Under his charismatic superintendence, RCCG has grown in leaps and bounds with over 40,000 parishes in about 190 countries across the globe. In Nigeria alone, about 300 parishes are operational and more in the offing, with the ‘Let’s Go a Fishing’ programme designed to establish RCCG parishes within a five-minute walkable distance in the cities and towns across the country. Before now, he had received honorary doctorates from three universities in Nigeria; honorary citizenship from four cities in the United States of America and two national honours awards from the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His church has built a world class university – Redeemer’s University, produced the incumbent Vice President of Nigeria – Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and above all, managed to steer and insulate RCCG from destructive scandals ravaging some care-free Pentecostal movements across the world.

Despite his lofty attainments and unparalleled focus on his divine mandate, he has remained the target of fifth columnists, who strive to strike the shepherd in order to scatter the sheep. Recently, he jolted the RCCG congregation with his unexpected resignation from the office of the General Overseer on account of a mischief framed through the incendiary Corporate Governance Code of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN). The opprobrium and barrage of criticisms from many informed quarters including Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, the House of Representatives led by Leo Ogor, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and many others; as well as the sledge hammer from the presidency are indicative of the biblical charge that no one should touch the anointed or do any harm to the prophets of God. Indeed, Pastor Adeboye is a gift to this generation and that was why the governing authorities as well as the lions and the lionesses – an appellation for students and alumni of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, rose in exceptional unanimity to celebrate the iconic personality. May God strengthen him as he clocks 75 in March this year, and raise God-fearing leaders   like him, to lead the church to the imminent wedding with the Lamb.

• Dr. Uche writes from Enugu.