The former Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Rev. Abiodun Adetiloye, has been buried at Odo-Owa, his home town in Ekiti State.“The Federal Government and President Goodluck Jonathan were represented at the burial by both the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, rtd, and the Minster of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada respectively.
Other dignitaries at the ceremony included former Military Governor of the defunct Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo, rtd, and his son, Niyi Adebayo, fomer Ekiti State Governors, Segun Oni and Ayo Fayose, the Director General, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr Femi Ajayi, wife of the state Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, former Primate of the Church, Most Revd Peter Jasper Akinola among other religious leaders.
Governors Ayo Fayose’s presence caused a stir in the church ,as he was hailed by the people from different directions .
In his sermon during the funeral service at St. Paul’s Millennium Anglican Church, Odo-Owa, the Primate of the Church, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh condenmed materialism, warning Christians not to associate themselves with corruption.
Okoh said that Adetiloye waged relentless wars against church members who belonged to secret societies adding that this made it possible for him to change the image of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria.
According to him, the late Adetiloye was ”a dependable community leader; a man of peace who was loved by everybody both within and outside the country.
Nigerians should not let the legacy of this great man go in vain. They should not revive those forces in the name of cultural revival. Adetiloye was a courageous prophet of the church of God.
He was not afraid to speak his mind to the society and people and was always ready to pay the price of integrity. Other Bishops should be encouraged to be bold to speak about the ills in the society.”
Okoh further said: “Unless we restore the values of our furture, we are not going anywhere. Adetiloye was a selfless man who was using 504 all through his ministry.
Selflessness is an important Christian virtue. Our greed is misleading us and instead of serving the people, we are going around deceiving people with our fake lifestyles. We stand the risk of evil people in the society and we must all rise up and speak the mind of God to this generation.
The church must be the watchman to the people in government and direct them with the counsel of God.“”In doing this, we must be bound by integrity, truthfulness and in-line with God’s will bearing in mind that people in government are all servants of God.
“There is great concern today for the pervassive moral failure in the society and therefore it is a time to challenge ourselves on the premise to which late Adetiloye stood. He has struggled with man, sin and at this moment, he has finished the good fight and he is now at rest.
“He has entered into eternal victory and God’s eternal salvation. We are not here to help late Adetiloye, but to help ourselves and see the possibilities of aligning our lives with God and make possible corrections to be closer to God.
If you have not settled your journey with God, this is an opportunity to do so. We do have course to worry with ourselves because we are struggling with the power of sin, greed and human relations.
“This is a period to be sober; those who are aiming to have the eternal salvation should not struggle for materal things.Rather, they should have a new orientation powered by the Holy Spirit to be able to march with the angels of God.
This is a message for those who claim to be on the side of God. Christians must live a Kingdom life that is not engrossed with material things. “”Adetiloye was a committed and powerful evangelist, it is by that special arrangement that he is being buried today.”
Jonathan, Fayemi extol virtues of Adetiloye
President Jonathan who was represented by the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Olubolade said the late Archbishop served humanity and God faithfully.He described Adetiloye as a man of peace who put all his entire life to the service of God.
Jonathan said ” one of the lessons one can learn from the death of the late primate was that there was contentment in the service of God ”
Also, the Ekiti State Govenor, Kayode Fayemi has donated N5million to the ministry of late Adetiloye for the promotion of evangelism.
According to him, “Today is not the day of mourning but a celebration of a life totally dedicated to the service of God and humanity. Adetiloye lived a sacrificial life to the work of God and I am privileged to be recognised as one of his sons.
Adetiloye did not belong to any political party but to the party of God and that is why I am happy that we are able to complete the road that leads to his house in Odo-Owa”.
He told me how he used to trek from Odo-Owa to Ila-Orangun in Osun State. Indeed, he has fought the good fight, lived and died well,” he added, and called on Nigerians to emulate the selfless sevice rendered by late cleric.
“Fayemi recounted the leadership roles played by the late primate as a young student of Christ School, Ado Ekiti when he was then a Bishop of Emmanuel Church of Christ, Anglical Communion,Ekiti Diocese whenever there were little problem in the school and how the intervention of Most Revd Adetiloye used to do the magic.“
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