Tinubu Mourns as Tributes Pour in for Pastor Taiwo Odukoya

• Atiku, Sanwo-Olu condole family

Chiemelie Ezeobi, Rebecca Ejifoma in Lagos and Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, commiserated with the family, friends and congregants of the Fountain of Life Church, over the demise of the Senior Pastor, Taiwo Odukoya, who passed at 67.

Also, tributes have continued to pour in for the late man of God from different parts of the world, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

However, Tinubu, in a release yesterday by his media adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, sent his heartfelt condolences to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and associates of the highly revered religious leader, whose teaching, outreach and good work expanded the frontiers of charitable endeavour with particular respect to the education and health sectors.

The president noted the worthy contributions of Pastor Odukoya to the development of the country, supporting the weak and vulnerable while providing a platform for many to realise their dreams through the teaching of the word of faith.

While praying for repose of the soul of the departed, he highlighted the importance of the active sustenance of the outstanding legacies of the renowned clergyman by all who knew him, trusting that the Almighty God would continue to comfort the family.

In a tweet, Atiku wrote: “Heartfelt condolences to the family, congregation, and community of Pastor Taiwo Odukoya of Fountain of Life Church, @TFOLC. He was a beacon of faith and hope. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

Sanwo-Olu, too, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said the death of the cleric was a great loss to the entire congregation of the Fountain of Life Church, body of Christ, Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.

He urged the family, especially the deceased children, friends, clerics and the entire congregation of the church as well as Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) to take the death of Odukoya in good faith.

“On behalf of my family, the government and people of Lagos State, I sympathise with the Fountain of Life Church on the demise of the founding Pastor of the Church, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya. The death of Pastor Odukoya, whose ministry has touched many lives within and outside his congregation, came to me as a shock.

”The death of Pastor Taiwo Odukoya is a great loss to the body of Christ. But we take solace in God that the deceased lived a good life and served the humanity.

“Pastor Odukoya, the founding Pastor of the Fountain of Life Church was a great Teacher, Preacher and Servant of the Most High God, who impacted people within and outside Nigeria positively.

“May his soul find rest with God, and may the good Lord comfort his friends, family, and all members of his church. Amen.”

President, Centre for Change, Joe Okei-Odumakin, who also described the death as a rude shock, said “Only men with the confidence of the “true call” yield the resource of life to toil in the Vineyard.

“Through huge losses and vicissitudes of life, he rose to glory as an end time General …led the flock towards the feet of Christ. This surely  is our terrestrial loss…but a great celestial gain. Goodnight, till resurrection”.

One Janyallar wrote: “May he rest in perfect peace. He lived an exemplary life and overcame a lot of personal tragedies. Rest in peace, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya. And now, his watch has ended.”

@Ugotalksalot wrote, “Pastor Taiwo Odukoya was one of those pastors that really really loved people. He was all about people. We’ve lost a great man.”

@Xtasy32111, too, wrote: “Pastor Taiwo went through a lot in this life, but his love for God was still solid. I’m certain he has found peace and he’s with his maker. Rip pastor Taiwo Odukoya.”

Odukoya, who died in the United States of America on Monday, August 7, 2023, passed barely eight weeks after he clocked 67. He was said to have been battling an undisclosed ailment, coupled with the burden of the personal tragedies that had happened over a period of time.

The deceased was an ardent believer who walked the talk and was not afraid to share his faith with any who cared to listen.

Also known as a worshipper, he would often break into praises or worship during his messages and his dance steps were with joy.

In the statement announcing his death, the church on its Instagram page wrote: “The Fountain of Life Church family, in total submission to the will of God Almighty, announces the passing unto greater glory of our father, our teacher, a great servant of the Most High God, Pastor Daniel Taiwo Odukoya, Founding Pastor of the Fountain of Life Church, who passed unto glory on the 7th of August 2023 in the USA.”

According to those in the know, the loss of his first wife, Pastor Bimbo and the second, Pastor Nomthi, whom he married afterwards, was a great blow and he was yet to recover when he lost his twin sister.

Pastor Bimbo died in a plane crash in 2005 and after he remarried, he lost his second wife, Nomthi, to cancer in 2021 and almost two months later, lost his twin sister, Kehinde, aged 65.

Born on June 15, 1956 in Kaduna, the late Odukoya had his primary and secondary education at Baptist Primary School, Kigo Road, Kaduna and St. Paul’s College (now known as Kufena College, Wusasa) Zaria.

He proceeded to the University of Ibadan in 1976, where he obtained a degree in petroleum engineering in 1981.

He started work at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in April 1982 after the compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) scheme, and served there until his voluntary retirement in January 1994 after his call to the ministry.

In 1980, Odukoya met Bimbo Williams at the University of Ibadan and the two struck a relationship that led to their marriage in 1984 and produced three children.

The couple co-founded The Fountain of Life Church in 1992 with a stated vision “to teach men and women the art of building successful relationships and the principles of leadership so they can be what they are created to be.”

The church practiced community involvement under their leadership including outreach initiatives until Bimbo died in the Sosoliso plane crash with 102 others.

Five years after Bimbo’s death, he married Rosemary Simangele Zulu from South Africa and they had two boys before she died in 2021 after battling cancer for about two years.