Encomiums as Okoh launches foundation, book

As the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh prepares his retirement from active service in March 2020, series of events have been lined up to celebrate this great Church leader, who has impacted the Anglican Communion worldwide and Nigeria. One of such events is the book presentation in his honour, as well as the launch of Nicholas Okoh Foundation, a non-governmental organization.

The Book entitled; “Not By Might, Nor By Power” is a collection of the Primate’s selected messages to the world. According to the Rt. Rev. Duke Akamisoko, Bishop of Kubwa, Anglican Diocese and chairman of the local organising committee for the book presentation and foundation launch, it is a book that will be a reference material for preachers of the gospel and inspiration to Anglicans and Christians.

The book reviewer, retired Bishop of Okene Anglican Diocese, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ajulo, said the Primate’s lamentation throughout the book is that there is a disturbing and yawning gap between what Christians profess and how they live. Revd. Ajulo said the Primate acknowledged in the book that though the Church’s failure is there, there is hope, though not by power nor by might but by the Spirit of the Lord.

“It is a book written to challenge and help Christians live as they ought to in these last days,” he said. The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) described Okoh as spiritually inclined, saying the Anglican Church runs a good government. He called on Nigerian leaders to emulate Anglican Church structure and how it is run and learn from it, so that the country can make progress.

At a press conference organised ahead of the event, Bishop Akamisoko said Nicholas Okoh Foundation, as an NGO, is committed to promoting a holistic development of man, stressing that the foundation is a complete package, aimed at serving God and humanity. He highlighted the foundation’s functions to include promotion of good leadership and ethical governance in the Church, organisations and country through creation of an enabling environment for leaders from different strata of society to come together and share ideas; award of scholarships and grants to indigent students, promotion of youth empowerment programmes through skills acquisition and vocational training; creation of platforms for impartation of life skills, mentorship and leadership apprenticeship; establishment of food banks for orphanages and old people’s homes, internally displaced persons and camps and other victims of emergencies, distress and natural disaster; and propagation of the gospel of Christ through sponsoring of missionaries, as well as promotion of mission work in rural communities.

Highpoints of the event include special song renditions by GAFCON Choir, Video presentation of a short documentary on the Primate, donations in support of the book and foundation.