Women Urged to Imbibe Good Virtues, Serve Humanity

Peter Uzoho

Founder, Arise Women’s Conference Nigeria, Pastor Siju Iluyomade, has called on women in the country to imbibe good Christian virtues and devote their lives to the service of humanity. Iluyomade made this call at the Arise Women’s Conference 2017 held in Lagos which was well attended by women from all walks of life, and had the theme: ‘Branded for Christ’. She said as people branded for Christ, women should at all times possess and show such attributes as love, joy, patience, tolerance and compassion to everyone. “My message to everyone is that we need to touch humanity. The world is what we are meant to touch and if we imbibe all of these virtues that I’ve spoken about – being compassionate, being less-selfish, wanting to reach out to one another so that nobody will lack anything,” she said.

The convener who is wife of the Pastor in charge of Region 20 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God disclosed that since inception, the organisation had empowered more than 20, 000 women in its skills acquisition programme. She said they adopted Dafara, a community in Abuja where they built schools and sunk borehole. She added that in the coming year, the organisation would build a library for them so that girls in the community can get educated and free themselves from the shackles of poverty.

Iluyomade stated that healthcare had been a cardinal programme of Arise since its birth, and that they had rendered free medical care to many areas in Lagos.

In her homily, special guest/preacher, wife of the Vice-President, Pastor Dolapo Osinbajo, who spoke on the topic: ‘Yes Lord’, advised women to always submit to the command of Jesus, saying that was the true mark of being branded for Christ.

She stated that being branded for Christ takes a painful process but comes with pleasant reward in the end, adding that it was by the seal of the Holy Spirit that Christian women were branded. According to Osinbajo, “Ruth, Philip, Daniel and Deborah were special brands because they said yes Lord. They obeyed God rather than man,” she noted.

Awards were presented to deserving persons at the occasion. Imo State First Lady, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha who was the Face of Arise 2017 received Arise Ambassador’s award. She described the theme of the conference as a unique one. “For me this is a submission of all that we’re doing in the Christendom. For you to be branded a lot has to take place. For you to be branded that brand needs to make a statement.”

First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki also honoured with Arise Ambassador’s award described the theme as apt and advised women to be branded not only on the outside but on the inside. “We should have as Christians, truth in our inward heart, and be true children of God in our words, in our actions, in our thoughts, in our imaginations even in our dreams.”
Queens College Old Students/Rebecca Group and the Principal were presented with Arise Ambassador’s award for supporting the training of visually impaired students in the school. Also, Mrs. Jim Obi, mother of one of the old students was equally presented with Arise Ambassador’s award for partnering with the Queens College Rebecca Group in 1970 in carrying out an experiment that helped blind students in the school receive proper education.

There was free medical treatment at the event such as cervical cancer screening, skin care consultation, free eye test and glasses, free services on blood sugar level, as well as blood pressure checks. Other dignitaries at the occasion were former deputy governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Sarah Sosan; Head of Service, Lagos State, Mrs. Olabowale Ademola; wife of former Kogi State governor, Mrs. Tokumbo Awoniyi; and CEO, Standard Bank’s Africa Subsidiaries, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, amongst others.