President Goodluck Jonathan and the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, have described the former Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, the late Most Rev. Abiodun Adetiloye as a dependable leader who is worthy of emulation.
The remains of the cleric was yesterday laid to rest in his Odo Owa country home in Ekiti State.
Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), said the late Adetiloye was until his demise an epitome of service, humility and a reliable man. He said a lot of lessons could be learnt from his life and times.
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi said the late cleric was dedicated to the service of God and mankind and has left an example for others to follow.
In a sermon he delivered at the funeral, Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh warned that Nigeria must fashion out ways to reawaken the selfless nature of its citizenry as well as the Christian virtue of humility and sacrifice if the country must be sustained.
He affirmed that unless Nigerians turn away from sin and return to the values of God, the country would not make any meaningful progress.
Okoh, who took his sermon from 2 Timothy 4: 7 and 8, noted: “We are not here to help Archbishop Adetiloye but to help ourselves to see if we can realign with God and make a meaning of our life.”
He said “the church today is highly criticised because many of us who profess Christ are very poor images of Christ.”
He charged Christian leaders in the country to begin a serious campaign against societal evils, beginning with their congretations, saying “otherwise civil society organisations will take over their responsibility and they may be speaking out on moral and societal grounds but not spiritual.”
He described the late Adetiloye as a committed and prayerful evangelist who “waged war against augmenting the power of God with some other powers.” He described the deceased cleric as a “courageous prophet of the church who was not afraid to speak the truth to the authorities and stood firm in it.”
Okoh warned the Anglican faithful not to allow cultism into the church “in the guise of cultural revival.”
At the service were General Adeyinka Adebayo (retired); ex-governors Niyi Adebayo, Ayo Fayose, Segun Oni; retired Primate Peter Akinola and other dignitaries.
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