Mary Ekah
It was a celebration galore and a big sigh of relief for residents of the Gbagada-Ifako area of Lagos as members of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry recently inaugurated a bridge alongside various other projects constructed by the church for the ease of human and vehicular movement in the area during and after church services.
The multiple projects inaugurated by Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, included a link bridge on Oduwaiye Street, Gbagada, traffic lights on a number of streets and a 600 capacity multilevel car park, all built from the contributions of members of the church across the country.
While commending the Church for mobilising millions of its members across the world towards making life more meaningful for members of the community in which the headquarters Church is situated, Ambode praised the General Superintendent, Pastor William F. Kumuyi and members of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry for their contributions towards community development and improvement of the quality of life of the people of the state.
Ambode, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olawale Olowu said that Deeper Life has by those projects demonstrated its willingness, not only towards the spiritual uplift of its members but also on the quality of life of the people irrespective of religious inclinations.
He said the projects executed by the Church were in line with Ambode’s drive towards the rebuilding and renewal of Lagos City. He called on other religious organisations and private sector institutions to emulate the gesture as a means of expediting the revamp of infrastructure in all parts of the state.
“What Deeper Life Church has done is epochal and keys into the overall drive of the state government towards the renewal of infrastructure projects all over Lagos in line with the mega city ambition of the state. It is my considered view that if all other religious groups and private sector organisations in the state, provide similar support to the government, a lot will be achieved and in a very short time in improving the quality of infrastructure in Lagos,†the governor noted.
In response, the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William F. Kumuyi commended the Lagos State governor for his commitment towards the infrastructure renewal of the state while revealing the disposition of the church towards a partnership that will support the drive of the government towards infrastructure renewal of the state.
Kumuyi said the Church was deeply concerned about the comfort of the people of the communities where it is located, hence its decision to support the government in a number of such projects.
He acknowledged the giant strides the state government has made in infrastructure development and urban renewal, adding that the projects were envisioned to support the state government towards the development of the state.
“The Lagos State Government under Governor Ambode has been tirelessly working towards renewing the mega city of Lagos and I must say that this has immensely endeared him to the teeming population. What we have done is only a token of support in the drive to ensure there is a collective contribution towards the collective aspiration of the people of this great state for a city of comfort that we all will be proud of,†he said, adding that the Church still has a number of other projects either under construction or at planning stages, all geared towards improving the quality of life of the people in support of the urban renewal programme of the state government.
While also commending the church for its infrastructural intervention, some of the residents said that doing business in the area would be easier as a result of the improved traffic situation. They also said the bridge would make life easier for the residents. They expressed the optimism that it was also going to impact positively on the economy of the area.
Deeper Christian Life Ministry is a non-denominational Christian Ministry with its international headquarters, Deeper Life Bible Church in Lagos. Formally founded in 1982 following consistent ministry work that started in 1973, Deeper Life Bible Church grew from a small group of people to several thousand branches and millions of members in Nigeria, spreading eventually throughout sub-Saharan Africa and then to the United Kingdom, from where branches were developed in Western Europe, Russia, India, and North America.
