Methodist Church honours ex Ogun ex HoS – Odulate, others with Knight Of John Wesley award

The Wesley Methodist Church Elekuro, Ibadan on Sunday honoured the wife of the Oyo State governor, Mrs Taminominini Makinde, former Ogun State Head of Service (HoS), Princess Iyabode Odulate and some other prominent Nigerians with the Knights of John Wesley (KJW) awards.

In her words Odulate, who doubles as a Commissioner in charge of Ogun and Lagos, Federal Civil Service Commission, Abuja, descibed the award as a crowning glory, “because I have had over 250 awards in my life, but this has to do with the church, and once you serve God, you’re serving humanity, and the more you serve the more work you have to do.

” So I know my God will give me the strength to forge forward in the service of evangelism and humanity.

My message to the younger ones is that they should start early, you cannot get to this place by saying you have money or anything.”

Odulate, a member of Mellor Methodist Cathedral, Agbova Sagamu, charged the younger generation to be committed to the service of God and humanity saying she started early in the service to God. “You cannot get to this place by saying you have money or anything, we started from the choir side of the church.

She charged the church to try to mentor the youths so as to build tomorrow leaders, noting that there are still a lot of rots in the society “but people still believe in the clergy, and for them to have the opportunity of shaping lives of so many people,

“We started from the choir side of the church, from there we were been groomed by the elderly people of the church and I became presidents of so many societies not even in the Methodist church alone.

“I have fountain of Hope in Anglican and some other churches, but is the same God that we all serve but recognition come at the God chosen time, and I’m happy that this one is coming after thirteen years of my retirement, so I will have enough time to devote to my God and my community and all and sundry.

“My message to the church is that they should try to mentor, build leaders out there we have a lot of rots and people still believe in the clergy, and for them they have the opportunity of shaping lives of so many people, it has not gotten to the stage that people don’t listen to them.

“In that wise, I want the church to be proactive, don’t look at them as youth, it is the youths of today that will become the elders of tomorrow but if we do not mould them into the right way that is why we will start having all sorts of elders.

“So I’m appealing to the church not to give up, they should continue to preach the gospel and evangelize, going to the nooks and crannies and bring worthy ambassadors to the fold of God.

“If you go to so many churches it is the youths that are cutting the shots, so you cannot judge people based on what people are saying on the media, when you go out there, you will see some of them they do not have money, but they’re very committed to the work of God.

“Don’t let us leave them to the dustbin, let us continue to work on those that are good, bring them to our side, they will affect those that are not too good for now.

“I happened to be a permanent secretary in the ministry of education for good eight years and I know how many of them that were even cultists that we brought back from their wayward style of life.

“So don’t give the up, they will be fine by the time we allow them to speak up their minds, let them voice out, that is when you will be able to help them, if we don’t know what is wrong with the youths we cannot give them the pill for their ailment, some of us push them away, we believe they are not good, and that is not the right thing to do, I believe in the youth of this country and I will forever continue to encourage them whenever I found myself.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mrs Makinde was represented at the occasion by the state government’s delegation led by, the executive assistant to Gov. Seyi Makinde on Administration, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe, who said the award of knighthood to the deserving prominent Nigerianns was a call to serve humanity.

According to Ogedengbe, the award to the wife of the Oyo State governor, is a recognition of the roles she is playing, not only within the christian body, “but among the masses in the state.

“So we see this as a great award that testifies the contributions of Gov. Makinde and his wife to the society.”

On lessons derived from such an honour, the executive assistant said it was a challenge and encouragement for people to keep helping themselves, “deploying our resources to keep supporting the masses, helping the hands of the feeble and encouraging the needy.”

Another recipient, Motunrayo Oladele, said the award meant a lot o things to him, it means more work, more service to humanity and to God, “my advise to the fellow awardees is that to move forward because they were awarded because of one work or the other they’ve done, so they should not relent, they should improve upon what they’ve been doing.”

Oladele said the role of the church was to take care of the community, take care of the people, to show love, and w helping humanity and spread the gospel by doing the right thing at the right time.

He urged all the recipients to let the people enjoy them wherever they may be, “in your church, let them know you for assisting people, give assistance to others, love others, that’s what Jesus Christ told us, to love each others”.

In his sermon the Methodist Bishop of Owerri, Rt.Rev. Denis Mark charged all the Knight recipients to do more in the service to the church and humanity in general saying “reward is for more work”.

Mark urged them to use themselves for “kingdom business, remain steadfast even at this present situation of the country and to be more dedicated to God”.

He also charged the recipients to provide good leadership anywhere they found themselves and use their position to the glory of God, maintaining that whatever they do for God was not in vain, “the time of reward would come”.