He stood before the altar of God in the new church being dedicated in his hometown, Ikere-Ekiti and told the church filled audience, including a Vice President, and a former Head of State, royal fathers, senior citizens, and his colleagues both in the inner, and outer bar: “I belong to no cult!”.
That is Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, the Asiwaju of Ikere-Ekiti on February 28, 2020 at the dedication of the 1500 capacity church auditorium he and his wife, Lady Omolara, built for his local church, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Ikere-Ekiti. The auditorium replaces the older one that can only accommodate 500 worshippers at a time.
Chief Olanipekun did not end his speech of gratitude there. “My secret is my heartbeat for God and prayers”. For a man who has not only reached the peak of his profession as a legal practitioner, but is seen as the most proficient in the profession currently, these words coming forth from his mouth to his audience were not vain.
He was so grateful for the opportunity that he listed the church as the most fulfilling aspect of his life.
In the words of gratitude he tagged the “Magnificant of Chief Wole Olanipekun”, he said: ” I stand here today conversant of the fact that I do so under the umbrella of God’s grace, His infinite mercies and His everlasting love. It is through Him we derive our sustenance and it is His banner over us, love, that platforms our very existence. Drawing inspiration from the prayers of Humble Access, I remind myself that I am not worthy so much as to gather crumbs under God’s table, but through grace, and by grace alone, here I am, rendering my own Magnificant;
To me, these truths are self evident, they have been so ever since; wrapped in the swaddling clothe of innocence, I was introduced to Christianity within the precincts of these very church; brought here by my paternal grandmother, Evangelist/Prophetess Deborah Ajigbeda, who gave me the name Oluwole, prophesying greatness to my life. I thank God that the prophecy of my paternal grandmother has come to pass…;
I only exist at God’s forbearance, so does my family. To this effect, there is nothing we have that He has not given us; there is nothing we are that he has not allowed us to be…;
I am scribbling these few lines under the heading ‘Magnificant’, for like Mary, the mother of the Lord, I say on behalf of my family that “Our souls magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our saviour, for He has regarded the low estate of our family…For He that is mighty has done us great things..;
Without any pretension at all, I state that within the phylum of any achievements ascribable to me, relying on God’s grace of course, God calling on my family to bring this place of worship to fruition ranks up as the best; It is the sweetest psalmody. Like Hannah, the mother of Samuel, I also chorus on behalf of my family that: “Our hearts rejoice in the Lord, our horns are exalted in the Lord…There is none Holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God”.
In his comments, Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo described Olanipekun as not only a brilliant lawyer but also a wise and smart one. “When he told me about a year ago about this building, I said that my egbon is not only smart in the courtroom, he is smart in the things of God, for with this dedication today he has placed himself and generations to come under the umbrella of God”, he said.
The Vice President likened Olanipekun to the biblical David who purposed in his heart to build a house for God. Although God did not allow him to build the house, Osinbajo quoting biblical verses, mentioned everlasting gains that the simple intention attracted to David. “God called David a man after His heart, Jerusalem the capital of Israel till today is called the city of David, God established the House of David to the extent that the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ is traced to him, God made his son to reign after him, and thousands of years after him, the world have not forgotten about David. You can now see how smart this lawyer is”, Osinbajo concluded.
The dedication was attended by dignitaries from all walks of life. They included the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde, Governor of Osun State, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomole Chief Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN, Mr Dele Adesina SAN, Mr Eyitayo Jegede SAN, Mr Dayo Akinlaja SAN,and several other dignitaries.
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