Osinbajo, Obaseki extol exemplary life of Late Archbishop Benson Idahosa 

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and the Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki on Saturday, extolled the exemplary Christian life lived by the founder of the Church of God Mission International, (CGMi), the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa.

Speaking at the 50th anniversary celebration of CGMi in Benin City, the state capital, Prof. Osinbajo described the late Archbishop as a game changer in the country’s path to Christianity, noting that his legacies would live on.

The Vice President who delivered a lecture entitled “The Christian, Politics and Nation Building,” at the event, said, “The late Archbishop Benson Idahosa was a role model to many Christians and church founders within and outside the country.”

He saluted the Christian virtues of the current overseer of the church, the Mrs Margaret Idahosa, and said “she is a woman of history, destiny and the future, who has been able to crack the glass ceiling in the gospel world that is dominated by male preachers and whose messages have changed the destinies of many.”

In his remark, Governor Obaseki said the late Archbishop Idahosa revolutionised the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria, and did not relent in his missionary work despite opposition from many people.

“We have every reason to celebrate the legacies of our Papa, as we fondly called him. He introduced television evangelism, which is now popular among Christian preachers across the country.

“We thought his passing would lead to the collapse of the Church but we are here celebrating the vibrancy of the Church in the past 50 years,” the governor said.

He praised the leadership qualities of the present Archbishop of CGMi, Mrs. Margaret Idahosa, describing her as a steadfast preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He noted that the preaching and prayers of Mrs. Idahosa have continued to mend broken hearts and homes of people of the state and beyond.

The governor also commended Mrs Idahosa for leading the affairs of the church and wished her divine strength to do much more in the body of Christ.

In her address, Archbishop Idahosa expressed her appreciation to the Vice president for gracing the occasion and said that the mercy of God had kept the church thus far.

She further said that the church is living the legacies of the founder which include, evangelism, greater works and risk-taking, adding that God is not gender specific as he has chosen her to preach the gospel in a world full of male preachers.

She listed the achievements of the Church to include establishing over 100 chapters of the Word of Faith schools, three branches of Faith Mediplex Hospitals and Golden Age Centre for old people amongst others.