Pastor builds estate for ex- sex workers, others in P/Harcourt

Saturday, August 3, 2019 5:11 am

The Estate is made up of 72 one bedroom flats with a a standby sound proof generator and
facilities for comfortable living like quality water, free feeding, television sets to unwind, etc provided for the girls.

..My ambition is not to buy Jets, flashy cars but to use offerings, tithes to save the poor for Christ

…Give N1million to boost business of rehabilitated former sex worker abandoned by husband.

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

In a clear departure from happenings across most pentecostal churches in Nigeria, Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministry,OPM, on 29, July, in Port Harcourt, commissioned one of the biggest estate in Nigeria specifically built for former sex workers and children rescued from baby trafficking syndicates.

The ‘free estate’ situated at Omokiri Play Ground, Aluu in Ikwerre local government area of Rivers State, was built in a tin a serene environment with free skill acquisition centres where the girls would be trained on hairdressing, tailoring, baking and others attached

The estate, which is made up of 72 one bedroom flats has a standby sound proof generator and other

facilities for comfortable living like running water free feeding, television sets to unwind, etc provided for the girls.

While commissioning the flats, Apostle Chinyere, popularly called “Daddy OPM”, reminded the people that his goal is not to build the biggest house or drive the best of cars, buy private jets, but to see that souls make it to heaven and beaten and battered people and societal misfits are given a helping hand, rehabilitated and won for Christ.

He said that his target on earth is to make sure that two billion souls make heaven and that is why he is doing everything possible, including rescuing girls selling their bodies for money.

Apostle Chibuzor noted that though there were more churches than schools, yet many children are still roaming about across Nigeria without opportunity for education.

He therefore enjoined every pastor to make it a point of duty to open free schools for the less privileged children and lend helping hands to the needy.

This is necessary, as according to him, church money is for God’s people and not for the Pastor’s enjoyment.

He argued that if every Pastor made conscious effort to use some part of the tithes and offerings coming into church to open free foundations, crime would be curbed and poverty reduced to the barest minimum in the country.

Most of those given free accomodation in the estate were sex workers who abandoned the trade after crusades by OPM in Casablanca Government Reservation Area, GRA, and the popular ‘Cool Breeze’ in the ghetto parts of Diobu axis of Port Harcourt and girls rescued from the busted baby factories.

They were very excited as they moved into the estate where they will not only not pay rent, but also enjoined free feeding, clothing, toiletries among others.

One of the beneficiaries who spoke to journalists was a 15- year- old- girl that was rescued from a baby factory.

The church has already indicated its readiness to send her back to school so that her dream of completing her education can become a reality.

Some of the girls are gainfully employed in the OPM Free Hospital, others have shops and business places of their own, while the rest are going through various kinds of trainings.

In the estate not only the mothers were put into consideration, the babies were not left out.

For instance, provisions like baby beds, baby food, baby clothings and medications were made available for babies delivered by the pregnant girls rescued from baby selling syndicates and other sex workers.

A baby that was born by a mentally challenged woman was not left out in the welfare package and a baby of a woman who the General Overseer rescued from the clutch of a medical Doctor that seized her because she could not pay the hospital bills.

The bills were paid and the elated woman was reunited with her baby.

The church has also assumed responsibility for the education and general welfare of the children.

The OPM founder believes that offerings and tithes collected during church services should primarily be for the welfare of members and the less privileged members of the society.

Of significance is the pleasant story of Ms. Cynthia. A. Nweze, a former sex worker who was one those who repented during a cruade by Apostle Chinyere in the crime-prone area of Casablanca in Mile One, Diobu in Port Harcourt sometimes ago.

Just like others, she was moved to the free estate for rehabilitation and was empowered with money to start up a decent trade

In moving testimony, on the 14th of July 2019, she said she was so happy with her new found Christian life and her business was moving speedily.

She was filled with emotion as she recounted her past life style and how all efforts to pull her out of her deliquent way of life proved abortive until the intervention of Apostle Chinyere.

After listening to her testimony and seeing her high level of genuine repentance, Apostle Chinyere presented her with the sum of one million naira.

On the 18th July, 2019 the OPM free nursery and primary schools graduated 180 pupils from 7 out of its 11 schools.

The teachers, parents and pupils of the OPM free school located in Elikpokwudu, Ohankwu, Eleme, Bayelsa, Isiokpo, Etche and Victoria branch converged at the church auditorium for the graduation party.

The pupils were enjoined to take their studies seriously so that they become responsible people in the future and parents were also advised to leave good examples for their children.

The highpoint of the ceremony was presentation of gifts and cash awards including laptops for runner ups and best graduating students.

The first runner up received a Laptop, the sum of N200,000 and one plot of land, while the best graduating student received a laptop, the sum of N250, 000 and scholarship which includes studying in any country of their choice.

Apostle Chinyere, Ms.Cynthia.A. Nweze,a former female sex worker who went into prostitution after the father of her three children abandoned her

Apostle Chinyere again reiterated the fact that funds belonging to the church is not for the enrichment of the Pastor or his family, but for the welfare of members of the congregation and other vulnerable members of the society.

He also encouraged less privileged parent to enroll their children in the schools as admission is without regard to tribe, religion or church denomination.

The revolution the OPM General is championing in taking care of human capital development is gradually receiving recognition from many segments of society.

For instance, on 30th of July 2019 history was made as dignitaries from far and near converged at the University Of Port Harcourt to celebrate him for his exceptional efforts towards alleviating poverty and for his relentless humanitarian services to the poor.

The Department of Religious and cultural studies decided to study the life and history of Apostle Chinyere in a bid to make the University of Port Harcourt a major stop point for data on outstanding African Apostolates.

Present to honour him was the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ndowa Lale and all the Principal officers of the University.

A former Nigerian Ambassador to Cyprus, Israel and the United States of America, Ambassador George Obiozor was among the dignitaries in attendance.

Professor Lale confessed that in all his years as Vice Chancellor in the university, he had attended various seminars but had never seen so many dignitaries come from far and near the way they assembled to celebrate the man of God.

The conference began with an opening speech by Dr. Ngozi N. Iheanacho, the Head Of Department, HOD of the Department of Religious and cultural studies after which Ambassador George the former ambassador to Cyprus, Israel and United States made also spoke.

Prof Ndowa Lale congratulated the distinctive man of God for being an example to many while Prof. Henry Ugboma, the Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, gave a citation on the Apostle Chinyere.

An award was presented to Apostle Chinyere to honour of him as a crusader of the Gospel. There was musical rendition by the music department, Art exhibition by fine arts and design department and drama by the theatre art department.

Various groups also gave presentations on how the great man of God has made a mark on their lives.

Apostle Chibuzor thanked everyone for their show of love. He stated that his philantropic activities were not designed to crave recognition but because he understood what it means to be poor since he had at a point in his life been like them.

He promised the department a reasonable sum of money for the completion of their new department.