The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos West, The Rt. Rev Olusola Odedeji has described the former Chairman of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye as an outstanding Nigerian and a God lover who has impacted humanity with his treasure and talent..
He however urged him to keep on serving because there are more grounds to be covered.
Odedeji made the remark while delivering a sermon at the 85th birthday celebration of Osunkeye, which took place at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja Lagos on Sunday September 7.
Impact
Odedeji gave a brief rundown of the great impact Chief Osunkeye has made over the years.
According to him, the former Nestle CEO is not only a captain of industry but a man who has touched several lives and impacted several organisations.
While noting that it was important Osunkeye is celebrated while still alive and not when he has passed on, he said, ‘Your life has been a sermon to many people.
“I have met a lot of people who say your lifestyle has inspired them to serve in the house of God. They saw the humility and the way you carried yourself.
“As CEO of Nestle you were an altar server here in this cathedral, sweeping the house of God and assisting priests at the altar. Many people saw that and were inspired. They say if a CEO could be doing that for God, they had no excuse.”
He cited many instances of how the corporate icon impacted the Church of God.
“I have been to many churches and what I hear from people is that you have impacted those churches. They point to the projects that you have done and how you have made the difference.”
Blessed with good health
While observing that Chief Osunkeye has been blessed with good health, he said, ‘If you are walking with Chief Osunkeye, you may be the one trying to catch up with his pace. That is evidently the grace of God. I know he still plays golf.”
Quoting from the Bible, Psalm 103, Odedeji said, ‘When David says, bless the Lord oh my soul, he was not preaching to anybody. He was talking to his soul and telling his soul to wake up.
“There is a tendency for man to forget the goodness of God. So David was commanding his soul to rejoice at the generosity of God. Our forgetful nature focuses on the trouble we face. But David warned his soul not forget because it is easy to take God for granted.’
Time to look back and praise God
He urged the celebrant to look back and recall God’s interventions in his life.
“Gratitude requires memory. It is not natural. If a man is not intentional about giving thanks, he will not see reasons to appreciate God.” He said.
Odedeji said further that the call to bless the Lord is not a casual utterance. It is a call to the mind, the will and the emotion. Our dance, clap and appreciation come before cash offering”
The Anglican Bishop underscored the value of life while declaring that there are certain things we can’t do for ourselves as human beings.
“Those things are beyond human comprehension. No man is rich enough to give life. No man has capacity to buy life. It is divine, freely given by God himself.
“We may care for our body. But it is God who sustains our breath. There is no formula to staying alive. Life is a mystery. It is not a measure of human competence”
Not time relent
He then urged Chief Osunkeye not to rest on his oars. “It is not yet over. There are still many grounds to cover. You have not completed your assignment. Note that Caleb in the Bible at 85 still asked that he be given the land that was promised him and his descendants. He said he was able to conquer the land.
“Just like Caleb you must be more courageous . There is no age that is problem free. We must be courageous to move. Quitters never win. No one that trusts in God that ends in shame.”
Deepen your spirituality
He advised Chief Osunkeye to deepen his spirituality. “You have been serving God. But you must now increase your closeness to God. Invest into reading the Bible and praying. Be more concerned about what will draw you closer to God . The rest of your life is important to God. Invest more in the lives of people as you have always done.’
Dignitaries
Dignatories at the event which lasted for about hours include Chief Emeka Anyawau, former general secretary of Commonwealth,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, represented by his wife, Bola Obasanjo Chief Joseph Sanusi, a one time governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and
Nigeria’s former Minister for External Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi.
Also at the event was the former Primate of All Nigeria, The Most Revd Dr Jasper Peter Akinola, former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and former Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.
Others were captains of industries drawn from Nestle Foods, UAC, Larfege etc came in large numbers to celebrate one of their own
The Archbishop of Lagos, The Most Revd Michael Fape led about 15 Anglican Bishops at the event