Rev Okotie dedicates annual event to abducted Chibok girls

Making this assertion recently, Rev. Chris Okotie, who on Sunday, December 14, 2014 again played host to the crème de la crème of the Nigerian society at the programme, which incorporates the Karis awards, said, “the connotations of the dedication of this year’s event to the missing girls was to keep the fire of their […]

Making this assertion recently, Rev. Chris Okotie, who on Sunday, December 14, 2014 again played host to the crème de la crème of the Nigerian society at the programme, which incorporates the Karis awards, said, “the connotations of the dedication of this year’s event to the missing girls was to keep the fire of their remembrance and #BringBackOurGirls alive, as all efforts to secure their imminent release and return to their families continues to be uppermost on our minds”.
To make a resounding significance of this, the Reverend said the dress-code for the event would be black, while admonishing attendees to secure rechargeable or battery-powered type table lanterns for the significant ‘lights-out’, when attendees will be expected to switch on their lanterns to imply that the search is still on.
One of the main attractions which the attendees expect is who the winner of the Karis Award will be. This award which was instituted in 1990 seeks to honour Nigerians who have rendered service to the nation, but have not been duly celebrated and rewarded. This year’s award, which is posthumous, goes to late Mrs Beatrice Ibeneme (nee Okebugwu)- the first woman to be enlisted in the Nigerian Police with serial number 001. She receives the award on the heels of another ex-service woman; the 2013 recipient, Air Commordore Habiba Ruth Garba (rtd), who interestingly was also the first female one-star General in the Nigerian Air Force. This increases the list of female awardees to four.
G.R.A.C.E- God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense, was instituted 24 years ago by Rev. Okotie to be the church’s benevolence outreach programme. This event which is presently the church’s only national function has to date continued to honour four charitable organizations’ namely: the Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, the Sunshine Foundation, the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria, SCIAN, and the Strong Tower Mission. The cash award which was N250,000.00, has since been increased to N1 million each. Aside this, Household of God church annually supports the Gideon’s Bible ministry, producers of the Gideon’s Bible.
In 1990, Rev. Okoties created and co-opted the Karis award into the G.R.A.C.E. programme as a means of fulfilling this vision of recognition of service and fidelity. The award criteria and ceremony which have grown over the years, has come to be seen as a benchmark for assessment of character, as several Nigerians from all strata and works of life with unblemished reputation have been recipients. The list which cuts across religious inclinations, gender, age, includes late Gen Murtala Mohammed, late Prof Chike Obi, Hajia Sawaba Gambo, late Chief (Mrs) Margaret Ekpo, late Isaac Boro, late Malam Aminu Kano, Chief Michael Imoudu, Mr Emmanuel Okala, Mr Taiwo Akinkunmi (who designed the Nigerian flag), HRH, late Oba Funso Adeolu, Mr Odiase (who wrote the national anthem), late Sir Akanu Ibiam, late Dr Tai Solarin, D.I.G. Chris Omeben, Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, etc.
The 2014 award recipient, late Mrs Ibeneme joins the growing list of women nominated for the award. It is considered to be an appropriate recognition, in the light of growing violent and war crimes perpetrated against women in different parts of the world. Like all previous post-humous Karis Awards recipients, late Mrs Ibeneme’s family will accept the award on her behalf. Before this, other females like Chief (Mrs) Margaret Ekpo (2001), Hajia Sawaba Gambo (2002) and Air Commordore Habiba Ruth Garba, Rtd (2013) were also recipients.