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Saturday 6 October 2012

OYEDEPOs 58th BIRTHDAY.

IT would not have been out of place if a big party was organised to celebrate the 58th birthday of Bishop David Oyedepo, Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota Thursday last week.
However, the alumni association of the institution decided to set the day aside for service to humanity.
In the quiet of the African leadership Development Centre of the university, members of the alumni who launched a new initiative tagged: Dr David Oyedepo Day of Service (DODOS), which president of the group, Muyiwa Fadugba said will focus on providing environmental, health, education, social services to communities.
“Today, we are gathered to institute the lifestyle of Dr David Oyedepo as a legacy for generations to come. We have come to establish our commitment to be the extension of his hands and heart, as we subscribe to an annual day of service to humanity. We have come in this manner today to bring to birth the desires of Dr Oyedepo that we would do greater things than he has done in his lifetime. We have come to identify with a man who has demonstrated the greatest value in life- loving people and serving them. We have come to pledge our allegiance and followership to his philosophy of taking the lead in meeting the needs of others,” he said.
Fadugba added that non-CU alumni interested in participating can register their interest on a website dedicated to the intiative (www.davidoyedepodayofservice.com).
Eulogizing Oyedepo, Pastor Abraham Ojeme, Vice President (Foreign Missions) of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, owners of Covenant University, said, “service is not just doing; service is a lifestyle. He is an embodiment of the love for God and love for man; the whole of his heart panting after God and after men. He is an enigma, and the way we can have more of him is to reproduce his own spirit so that we can have more of him in our own lives and this world will be a better place.”
Speaking earlier, The CU Vice-Chancellor Prof Aize Obayan who commended CULCA’s initiative said the gesture is also an extension of the three key mantra of a university.
“Universities all over the world are known for teaching, research community service. Even education must translate into contributions. A university cannot just celebrate its certificates, its contributions that come out of its graduates, research findings by its teachers are also able to add to the society.”
“It’s commendable of the alumni association to flag this day particularly for the Chancellor who has given his whole life for service even from childhood. Now our eagles are all over the world, carrying out the light of education. So, this service mentality is the mentality to think others which we have seen in the life of the Chancellor who has given himself to working 16 18 hours a day.”

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