20th August, 2013
Two prominent church leaders, Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission and the General Overseer of the Four Square Gospel, Reverend Felix Meduoye, Monday paid a condolence visit to State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), even as they praised the exemplary leadership of the governor in the country.
Speaking during his visit at the Governor’s Office, Lagos House, Alausa, Bishop Okonkwo expressed gratitude to God that Pa Fashola died a fulfilled man having produced such legacy like the Governor who, according to him, has demonstrated that with the right person on the saddle, nothing could be impossible to achieve.
The TREM’s Presiding Bishop, who said he had been looking forward to the visit, declared, “In spite of what has happened, I believe that there is cause to thank God because I believe your father must be very proud of you where he is now for the wonderful things you have been doing for Lagos State and for Nigeria as a whole”.
“Your father, in spite of living to good old age must have left a fulfilled man”, the Cleric said and implored the Governor to continue in his way of providing good governance and exemplary public service for the people of Lagos adding, “Some people will say some things are impossible to achieve but when you put the right person there nothing is impossible to achieve.”
In his own condolences, Meduoye, the General Overseer of the Four Square Gospel Church, said although they wrote a condolence letter to the Governor as soon as the incident happened, they decided to come in person to condole with the Governor knowing how painful the loss of such a very close relation could be.
The cleric, who said his visit was at the instance of the Board of Governors of the church also extolled the quality leadership the Governor is providing for the state and the nation, praying that the Almighty God would continue to support him and his family in order to enable him do more in providing exemplary leadership in the country.
Responding to the condolences of Bishop Okonkwo, Governor Fashola thanked him for the courtesy of the visit as well as the support and brotherly advice the Bishop has provided both to him as an individual and the Government as an institution.
“I also use the occasion, on behalf of the Deputy Governor and our colleagues in government, to thank you and your wife, your ministers and your entire church for the support we have enjoyed in the formulation and implementation of policies in the State, for peaceful coexistence, for brotherly advice you have constantly rendered to me personally and the support that you have also given, the very quiet but useful words in my ears,” the Governor said.
According to the Governor, “it has been a relationship that, to put it mildly, has been mutually beneficial for us. As individuals, I must say that I have benefited from knowing you and as an institution and a State and a church, I think that there has also been very visible and powerful benefit in how we have inter-related.”
He told the Bishop, “I can only urge that you continue to be who you are, to continue to be the counselor and the brother that you have been. And on this side, we will remain receptive to ideas that take us closer to our ability to fulfill our promise.”
Expressing appreciation to the Bishop on behalf of the Fashola family, the Governor declared, “We are indeed very grateful, we are honoured by your expression of support and love, we pray that God continues to shower you with honour. Words are insufficient to express our gratitude but God knows how deep our gratitude is and as big as he sees it, He who rewards goodness will surely reward you.”
Also responding to the condolences of the General Overseer of the Four Square Gospel Church, Governor Fashola commended the cleric for the leadership he has continued to provide for the church with such history adding, “I speak of the history of the church with some knowledge”.
The Governor also thanked him for the prayers that, according to him, “have been very instructive in the way that all of us have managed to carry on after our father’s passing, prayers that we did not know but prayers that I can say were definitely answered.”
Also present at the two occasions was the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, while Rev. Ikechukwu Ugbaja, Rev. Victor Iwala and Rev. Tobi Akinbo accompanied the General Overseer of the Four Square Gospel Church on the visit.