Makinde, others pay tribute to late Bishop Wale Oke’s mum

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, alongside his Ondo State counterpart, Lucky Ayedatiwa and a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel were among the dignitaries who paid tributes and eulogies to the scion of the Wale Oke family, Mama Elizabeth Oke, who was laid to rest amidst fanfare, on Friday.

Other personalities were a former Military Administrator of Ondo and Oyo State, retired Major General Oladayo Popoola, Oyo Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, a former Oyo Deputy Governor, Hazeem Gbolarumi, National President of Christians Association of Nigeria, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel, National Vice President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, John Praise, Oyo CAN Chairman, Apostle Joshua Akinyemiju, Oyo PFN Chairman, Rev Samson Ajetomobi, Primate Emeritus Sunday Akinmakinde, Evangelist Bola Are and a host of others.

The event was held at Kasumu village in the Egbeda Local Government Area of the state.

The deceased, who passed away at the age of 97 years, was the mother of the Presiding Bishop, Sword of the Spirit Ministry, Francis Wale Oke.

Delivering his short sermon at the service held at the James Oke Memorial Anglican Church, the Bishop of Ibadan North Anglican Diocese, Dr Williams Aladekugbe lauded the worthy virtues of the deceased, saying each individual would bear the responsibilities for their actions, inactions, and the privileges they have received while on earth.

He reminded the congregation that the world’s unrest served as a reminder of life’s impermanence.

Aladekugbe instilled hope by assuring that death, for believers, was not the end but rather a transition to a realm of eternal bliss prepared by Christ himself, saying “Death, is far from being a conclusion, but marks the beginning of a glorious resurrect for the believers.”

In his remarks, Makinde said the occasion was not to mourn but to celebrate the virtuous life the deceased lived, going by the children she raised.

“This is not time to mourn, it is time to celebrate a life well spent, it is time to celebrate Mama. So, I’m glad that I’m here to be part of this celebration, even those people who don’t know our late mother, merely seeing Mama’s children, you will all agree that Mama lived a well-fulfilled life.

“She was a fruitful woman. She has an impact on her environment. So, we are grateful to God for the life well spent by Mama. It’s God’s blessing that Mama got, and we are grateful Mama didn’t use herself anyhow. She stayed in this environment and she became everything in life and she gloriously returned to this environment.

“So, on behalf of my elder brother, the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State and the Government and people of Oyo State, I want to congratulate all of us that we are witnessing today, which is the celebration of a life well spent by Mama, and my prayer is that all of us will surpass our old aged parents.” He prayed.

In his vote of thanks, Bishop Oke recounted how he left the village in 1973 how God had used different people to help his life sojourn and how the virtues learnt from his mother had helped shape his life.