Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and six other pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) were at the weekend honoured with Living Legend Awards.
The award was bestowed on them by the Redeemer’s International Leadership Academy (RILA).
Pastor Kayode Pitan, the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BoI) bagged Living Legend Award with Osinbajo while Pastor J.A Bolarinwa, PhD, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade and Pastor Tokunbo Adesanya where also honored with the Lifetime Legend Awards.
The founding Registrar of the institute and the immediate past Registrar, Pastor Alfred Olufeyimi and Pastor Ben Ewuzie were also honoured post-humously with the as RILA Legends.
The Vice-President joined the awards ceremony virtually on Saturday.
Presenting the award to the Vice-President, Pastor J.A Bolarinwa, who spoke on behalf of the institute at an event held in Lagos, noted that before Pastor Osinbajo was “taken away” by a “national assignment,” he served in RILA as one of the faculty members, describing him as a leader indeed, who did not just teach leadership but lived it.
He praised the VP’S humility, and his support for the institute where he enrolled 25 years ago as one of the pioneer students.
The institute is impressed by the service, support and contribution of Osinbajo, Bolarinwa said, describing him as a Nigerian who not only teach and advocate the virtues of leadership but also live it.
“He has been an exemplary demonstration of true leadership in practice.”
In his remarks, Prof Osinbajo, who gave the acceptance speech on behalf of all the honorees, said: “I am deeply honoured to have been asked to speak on behalf of the extraordinary and transformational leaders who are being honored today.
” I am not being modest when I say I am clearly the least in terms of those who contributed to the story that became RILA.
“RILA Legends Posthumous Awards recipient, late Pastor Alfred Olufeyimi laid the foundations of the institute almost singlehandedly; the pastor’s contributions were “unforgettable, he led with compassion, understanding and a focus on heaven.”
The VP also praised Pastor Kayode Pitan whose task it was to faithfully build in the great shadow of his mentor and friend and Pastor Ben Ewuzie, my friend and brother who with Pastor Kayode, Pastor Mike Oshiokameh were my classmates in the Bible school.
Recalling the contributions of the first RILA Registrar, the VP said: “in his lifetime he became Mr. RILA, literally gave everything he had for RILA. He left NAL Merchant Bank to earn N10k as the first full time administrator of RILA.
“Pastor Ben developed RILA to the foremost Bible and leadership training institute in Africa and developed courses and programmes always in the cutting edge, always forward thinking, and started the many Centre’s of RILA locally and internationally.”
On Pastor Bolarinwa who was also honoured, Osinbajo described him as a “God-sent to RILA,” crediting him with the successful incorporation of the institute under the structure of the RCCG.
He added that Pastor Bolarinwa had in the past years added great value to the academy as Vice Chair of its board of governors and chair of its academic board.
He also commended Pastor Idowu Iluyomade and Pastor Pastor Toks Adesanya for their leadership and worthy contributions to the academy.
The event was part of the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Bible School.
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