Ikorodu agog as Liberty Outreach carries out empowerment programmes

Ikorodu Town Hall was a beehive of activities as Ikorodu residents participated in a week diverse empowerment programme organised by Liberty Outreach, a non-governmental arm of New Covenant Church having its tentacles in England, America and Canada.

There was no segregation as beneficiaries including Christians and Muslims among others, converged in large number to receive counseling, medical attention, and learn vocational and digital skills.

The seven-day programme with people trooping in for one need or the other was quite unprecedented.
According to the National Overseer, New Covenant Church, Rev. Oladipo Abimbola, the programme was not novel but has been going on for the past 25 years.

He disclosed that the Church which has 300 branches in Nigeria is made up of South West, South-South, South East and Abuja.

Abimbola described Liberty Outreach as the non-governmental arm of New Covenant Church and an international annual programme that brings all the members of the Church all over the world together.

According to him, the General Overseer, New Covenant, Rev. Paul Jinadu, is based in London though the Church was founded in Nigeria, particularly in Ibadan, Oyo State, where the first Liberty Outreach was held.

The inaugural Liberty Outreach with its five segments made up of Preaching, Teaching, Medical, Agricultural and Educational projects was held in Ibadan where all the branches of the church participated.

“Liberty Outreach is actually the baby of the General Overseer. However, the idea of the outreach was actually conceived by the wife of the General Overseer, Kate Momodu in 1998, who felt that instead of inviting people to the Church, the good news of Jesus Christ could as well be taken to the people to be set free.

“Since then, the fire of the innovation kept on burning.

“Liberty Outreach increases our numerical strength everywhere it is held. In 2014, we were at Badagry. In 2018, we were in Epe. The following year, we went to Maforija, a town in Epe axis. This is actually the fourth time the Church is bringing the programme to Lagos State which has led to increase of our branches.”

National Director, Liberty International for Nigeria, Heart Surgeon, Professor Uvie Onakpoya, whose assumption of office as the National Director dated back to 1999, said one of the commitments of Liberty International is to reach out to the community to convey God’s love to them through free medical service.

“At this outreach in Ikorodu, we have been carrying out eye surgeries, dental surgeries, general medical check-up for the people and we also treat hypertension and diabetes. Our physiotherapist treat joint problems while we also have a legal team with lawyers to help people with legal issues.

“In addition to that, we also run two schools, Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools based in Oyo State which are virtually tuition free which is our contribution to education in the community. We organise talks on drug abuse to secondary school students together with career talk through our professionals like architects, lawyers among others. We also dig bore holes and carry out skills acquisition among others.”

National Director, Liberty Outreach, United Kingdom, Kayode Adewunmi, at the event said team of 80 from United Kingdom and United States of America made up of medical personnel, doctors, nurses, administrators among others who possess the passion to transform lives were at Ikorodu event to complement the efforts of those in Nigeria.

“We concentrate our resources on the outreach in Nigeria where we also have network of churches to support this programme. We support schools here with scholarships,” he said.

The Covenant Women President in Nigeria, Adeola Oduwole, said New Covenant Church is segmented into Conferences and Centers and at Conferences and centers, activities such as medical, eye surgeries among others also take place with the fact that activities at the conference level are not as big as that of the national level while events at centers are not as big as what do take place at conferences.

Oloruntoye Aderinola who led the Business Empowerment Team, Liberty Outreach, 2024 said there were two sets of empowerment such as vocational skills and digital skills. Those that did very well in the various sections in the tests given to them after their training were given starter packs.

Tobiloba Olukorede who did very well in sewing and tailoring was given a full sewing machine. According to the mother, Gbemisola Arulogun, the father taught him up to Primary School level and he was sent to learn tailoring.

Reacting to this, Aderinola, said the Church was also responsible for his three years training as a tailor.

Tobiloba and her mother expressed gratitude to Liberty Outreach and by extension to New Covenant Church.

Oba of Ikorodu, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, who was at the event appreciated the magnanimity of Liberty Outreach and that of the New Covenant Church.