Omega Power Ministries Transforming Society, Gives Overseas Scholarships to over 4,000 Indigent Children
The General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, has taken up the challenge of contributing immensely to the building of a responsible society by single-handedly sponsoring over 4000 indigent children on scholarships abroad, rehabilitating hardened criminals and engaging them in responsible activities, Blessing Ibunge reports.
One of the fast-growing Pentecostal churches with headquarters in Rivers State, Omega Power Ministries (OPM), in the past years, has contributed meaningfully to building a responsible society through its various innovative and rehabilitating activities across the country. The Christian denomination headed by Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere (General Overseer) has removed many criminals from the streets and further ensured their rehabilitation. Through the church tithes and offerings, the church has sponsored over 40000 persons on free skill acquisitions, built free specialist hospitals, free schools, rehabilitation centres, free scholarships abroad, free accommodations, free restaurants, free boutiques, sponsored so many marriages, and others.
THISDAY visits to some facilities in Rivers revealed that the religious body has impacted more than has been publicised about it. Though there seems to be little interference from outside the church attacking the alleged morality of the founder, that did not distract him from continuing in his philanthropic act, as over 50 indigent children who have left secondary school for over 5-8years and have lost hope of furthering their education to higher learning were given a scholarship abroad on Thursday, fully sponsored by the church. It was also gathered that most of the innovations’ beneficiaries are not church members. Some of the beneficiaries are Muslims.
In 2017, the current Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, as a governor of the state, described the general overseer of OPM as a catalyst for development, following the different creative and developmental activities the church has put on the ground in that state. Wike, who spoke through the then Secretary to the State Government, Kenneth Kobani, at the 11th anniversary of the church, held at the University of Port Harcourt, noted that the ministry has rehabilitated children and even those the society has given up on, appreciating his starling work in the rehabilitation of militants, sex workers and provision of free medical services in the state.
He said, “Whenever the name of Apostle Chinyere Chibuzor is mentioned, it brings service to humanity. The one that touches me is the work you have done in the lives of our repentant criminals. The governor has asked me to commend you for what you have done in rehabilitating the repentant criminals. It is obvious that they have repented of their evil ways, but the polished way you took up their matters as if it is your personal matter has touched the governor of Rivers state.
“On your free medical outreach, you have saved the people and the state a lot, so the Rivers State government believes in you and supports you in what you are doing. I don’t want to go into other things like free accommodation. You have sponsored so many marriages; widows got free accommodation from your ministry. The free education you give to the less privileged is commendable.”
Education
Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere has sponsored over 4,000 indigent children abroad on scholarship. While some beneficiaries were sent to study in Turkey, Cyprus, Poland, the United States, Canada, etc., over 650 persons were sent to study in the Benin Republic, fully sponsored by the church, including free accommodations and feeding. The church also built about 27 free nursery, primary and secondary schools across Abia, Rivers, Lagos and Akwa Ibom.
Kenneth Nwachi, Special Adviser on Special Duties to Apostle Chinyere, General, told THISDAY that one of the schools out of the 27 free nursery, primary and secondary schools is a special free school for autism and people with Down syndrome.
He said, “We have a total number of 27 free schools. Out of the 27, we have 26 free schools in Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Lagos and one free school for children born with autism and Down syndrome. In Africa as a whole, there is no free school for autism and Down syndrome. OPM is the only church that built such a school. Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere didn’t just build the school. He provided brand new buses that take the children to school and return them back home. He also employed special teachers who are teaching them. Presently, he has also acquired land in Umuahia to commence building a free school for autism and Down syndrome in Nigeria.”
The effort includes the provision of a skills acquisition programme.
Free accommodation
It was also revealed that the ministry has built about 18 free estates in Port Harcourt, Aluu community in Rivers. When visited Omuokiri-Aluu in Ikwerre LGA, one of the estates has about 72 flats erected for the homeless and those undergoing rehabilitation. Currently, over 500 children who were picked from the streets live with Apostle Chinyere in his private residence in the Government Residential Area, Port Harcourt.
At the free rehabilitation centre in Omuokiri, some repentant criminals told THISDAY that changes became possible after they had an encounter with the church. Some of them, who claimed not to be residents of the state, said the GO has made them drop their guns and become responsible. One of them, who gave his name as Sule John-Jerry, a native of Edo and son to a prominent general overseer of a church in Benin city, said for years he had made attempts to become a better person but he could not until had got contact with the church.
He said, “On July 19, 2023, I denounced in OPM, and Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere decided to pick me up and rehabilitate me. I denounced armed robbery, stealing and masturbation of 11 years. I have gained a lot here because we have our morning-evening bible devotion. He also gave me a scholarship to the Bible School Institute. So, I am a student pastor as well; besides that, we try to encourage ourselves. We teach ourselves the scriptures because we know where we are coming from and don’t want to definitely go back there.
Also, Omagbemi Great, a native of Delta state who said he was saved from criminal activities, said, “Roughly for 10 years, I was into a life of crime. I usually go from state to state doing wrong things, which is the life of stealing. I came to Port Harcourt. I was here for about a month, but I have been hearing about OPM, so I just decided one Sunday to see what is happening in the place. Precisely on June 5, this year, I was in the service that day, and I heard the apostle say, ‘If you know you are tired of this kind of life you are living and want to denounce that, go to the back of the church and they will interview and will come up and denounce that life. That was how I got up, by the grace of God, I renounced, and that is how the journey started.”
Another beneficiary, Samuel Ekenam, a 42-year-old native of Akwa Ibom, said, “I was an armed robber, a kidnapper, I was into drugs, till I came to OPM in 2017. I had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, and from there, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries, started rehabilitation. Since then till now we have been under rehabilitation, and God has been helping us through this ministry. I was before now living with my wife, not fully married, but when I came to OPM, the apostle had to pay for my bride price, and I had a proper marriage. Our children are on scholarship. We have benefitted from the free skill acquisition. I was trained in pipeline welding, and some have gotten jobs and are working from here”.
Free specialist hospital
Mrs Charity Chidozie, Administrator of the OPM free specialist hospital, who spoke with THISDAY at the hospital site in Omuahunwo-Aluu, said the healthcare facility, alongside the free specialist hospital in Ohanku Ndoki, Abia, had successfully recorded delivery of about 4944 babies since inception from 2012 till date.
The Free Specialist Hospital was established by the Founder and General Overseer of OPM in Ohanku Ndoki, Abia, in 2012, while that of Aluu was established in April 2019. In a recent chat with the media, Chinyere disclosed that about N534,730,000 was spent on Caesarean section and normal deliveries alone in the two hospitals. He explained that the free services, from registration, antenatal, drugs, and scans to all relevant medical checkups, are offered to members of the public irrespective of tribe, religion and race to help reduce the high rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria.
A medical officer with the hospital, Dr. Chima Nwike, said the devotion to patient management in the facility is standard. He said, “I have worked in a few other private hospitals, I think the way patients are managed here, the consultant, the medical director, the administrator, and the junior cedar staff, the way they work with them has been really excellent.”
He regretted that the government has not been active in their responsibilities, especially in healthcare delivery, adding, “Looking at the environment we are in, a country where health indices are bad, government involvement in their statutory responsibilities are low, we don’t need to remind ourselves that maternal mortality is the highest in the world, infant mortality is just highest in the world and it rests on the government because it is in their duty to ensure optimum indices.”
Thisdaylive.com
