Bible Society honours Meduoye, Kolade, Osipitan
THE Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN), which held its 11th Annual Luncheon and Awards with the theme: “Building for the Master’s Use,” and was presided over by the Chairman, Special Members Forum of BSN, Pastor Elijah Adebayo Oladosu has bestowed special awards on the General Overseer, Foursquare Gospel Church of Nigeria, Rev. Felix Meduoye, the former Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Olusola Kolade and the Managing Director, Great Nigeria Insurance Plc, Mrs. Cecilia Olapeju Osipitan
The luncheon was aimed at raising N150 million for translation centre as well as establishing regional warehouse for BSN.
In his welcome address, Oladosu lauded the efforts of the patron of BSN, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the National President, Dr. Aaron Nuhu, the Trustees and BSN’s National Executive Committee for their relentless effort to keep the flag of the Society flying.
Repeating the theme of last year’s annual luncheon, “Building for the Master’s Use,” he said this year’s theme was so coined because, according to him, “we are in no way near our target of N150 million intend to finance the ongoing project at Ibadan, which is to consist of a warehouse, a translation centre and other facilities.
“Generous donations are still needed due to inevitable upward review of the initial cost and also as a result of the the economic downturn now prevailing in the country.”
Gowon, in his goodwill message, gave assurance that BSN has put its hands on the plough and would not look back until Nigeria is saturated with the Scriptures.
“We now have the complete Bible in 24 Nigerian Languages with Igede, Ebira, Idoma and Bura Bibles just added last year.
“For us to be able to do more, we have plans to build an office complex that will contain Bible Translation Centre and Regional warehouse in Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of our strategic efforts to take the Bible closer to Nigerians and provide a more conducive environment for our Translators, who are mostly in very remote parts of the country,” he said.
Dr. Nuhu, in his submission, re-iterated the commitment of the Society to make the Word of God available, affordable and free to the blind, the deaf, the prisoners and other less privileged Nigerians.
“It costs a minimum of N40 million and a minimum of 12 years to get complete translation work done and yet, we must translate the Bible to 500 language speaking ethnic groups in Nigeria out of which we have just done only 24,” he said.
The General Secretary of the Society, Dare Ajiboye, disclosed that the Society distributes more than two million Bibles in a year far below the population of Nigeria. He added that the warehouse in Lagos had become too narrow, hence the need to have regional warehouses in strategic locations in the country.
“At the moment, we are working on 16 different Bible translation projects each at a minimum cost of N40 million.
The Chairman for the occasion, Dr. Olatunde Ayeni, attributed the peace in Nigeria today to prayers and the Word of God and advanced the need to have the Bible everywhere in the country including the hotels.
The Guest of Honour, Professor Taiwo Oshipitan, solicited the support of BSN by giving out the Bible free at any occasion that gifts have to be given.
The Host, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs & Culture, Mrs. Grace Ebun Oladimeji, while commending the BSN, said that its effort was well noticed, which would no doubt afford people to have access to wisdom contained in the bible and also increase the fear of God in the heart of readers of the Bible.
The Guest Speaker, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel Uche, who was represented at the occasion by Bishop Michael Akinwale, urged believers to make themselves available for God to use as vessels of honour.
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1 Comments
This is a honour well deserved. Big congratulations to the awardees.
We will review and take appropriate action.