By Uche Amunike
President Muhammadu Buhari has reached out to the family of the late Founder and General Overseer of Christian Pentecostal Mission International, Reverend Obiora Ezekiel, over his demise which took place a few days ago.
This, he did, through a statement signed and released by Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina who stated that President Buhari believes that Rev. Obiora Ezekiel showed love, peace and happiness during his sojourn on earth as he pursued his passion for winning souls for Christ and working with great commitment as he spread the gospel in and out of Nigeria, holding outreaches and generally contributing to the growth of Christianity.
He acknowledged the role played by Rev Obiora Ezekiel in raising several spiritual sons who have also grown to mentor pastors, teachers and evangelists, while commending his vision for founding the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).
Recall that the late Reverend Obiora Ezekiel died in the early hours of Friday November 19, 2021 as announced by his church during service at their headquarters in Ajao Estate, Lagos.
During his lifetime, he operated under the five-fold Ministry gifts as an apostle, pastor, teacher, prophet and evangelist. His dynamism was top notch while his integrity, transparency and discipline showed his desire to live by the Word of God he preached.
He came to Lagos in 1954 so answer the call of God upon his life. According to his biography, his mother always told him about how he usually mounted their small kitchen stool with a Bible in his hand and preached the Gospel. When he eventually opened his Ministry, it was particularly known for Deliverance which made people call him a Demon Bulldozer.
Entering the third phase of his Ministry made a lot of his fellow Gospel Ministers within and outside the country remain under his spiritual authority as they saw him as the Apostle of our time.
According to the Imo State Coordinator and member, Board of Trustees of the Christian Pentecostal Mission International, Rev John U. Ezeh, the late Rev Obiora Ezekiel, before his death had particularly been preaching to them to keep the vision alive and the fire burning, stressing that the mantle was with them. He ascertained that the glory was with them while their late founder and spiritual father goes to wait for them to come over when the time was ripe.
His words: ‘he has left his mantle with us to continue where he stopped, to move the CPM to the next level. He came, he saw, he conquered and triumphantly, he left. Transform triumphantly, our General till we meet at Jesus’ feet’, he concluded.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari appealed to Nigerians to continue to remember the family of the late Rev Obiora Ezekiel in their prayers, especially his wife and spiritual partner, Rev (Dr) Mercy Ezekiel, while praying that the Almighty God will receive his soul.
The late Evangelist took a bow from the earthly stage at the age of 78.
