Leadership

How Igbinedion Walked From Wheel Chair In 2019 –

- BY PATRICK OCHOGA, Benin City

President and founder of Believers Love World popularly known as Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, on Saturday recounted his experience with the Esama of Benin and chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada in Edo State, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, when he met him on a wheelchair in 2019.

Oyakhilome spoke after

Igbinedion renamed the teaching hospital of the university after him as part of activities marking the school’s 20th convocatio­n and conferment of a honorary doctorate degree of science.

Igbinedion said the teaching hospital is now called Pastor Dr Chris Oyakhilome Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital in recognitio­n of his sterling qualities “and significan­t contributi­on to the upliftment of mankind and your exceptiona­l devotion to the healing ministry.”

Sharing his experience with the respected Benin chief, Oyakhilome said he met him in 2019 on his request on a wheelchair but left his presence on his feet.

He said, “From my arrival at this place, I was received by the founder of the university himself, Chief Igbinedion and I had a wonderful experience. He drove me in his car, that was a most amazing moment for me.

“My heart was full of joy just to see him today. I met him for the first time in 2019. If you ever lived in Benin City, there is no way you wouldn’t have known about Chief Igbinedion. We grew up knowing his name and then in 2019, I got a message that Chief Igbinedion wants to see you. I asked if he wants to see me? I was in South Africa so I thought maybe there was a miscommuni­cation. So, I asked many questions to be sure.

“We set a date and he came. Chief was in a wheel chair, he had been incapacita­ted. When he came, he couldn’t walk, he said my knees, I looked at him, we sat together, I sat close to him. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. I put my hands on his knees, he has faith like a child, he got up, walked out of that place to his car."

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