Bishop David Oyedepo, General
Overseer of Living Faith Church, also
known as Winners Chapel, has
accepted to be the guest preacher in
this year’s Akwa Ibom Government
Christmas Carol Night, which will
feature 9,999 choristers from the 31
local government areas of the state.
National and international music
stars will also feature at the event.
Bishop Oyedepo, who dropped this
hint at a breakfast meeting with
Governor Godswill O. Akpabio in Uyo,
was responding to an earlier
invitation the governor extended to
him.
This year’s carol night is slated for
Saturday December 21, and will hold
at Uyo Township Stadium. Akpabio is
expected to officially flag off the
event.
Meanwhile, a cross section of
prominent Akwa Ibom people have
lent their voices to the continued
hosting of the yearly event.
Speaking with correspondents in Uyo,
Bishop Cletus Bassey, Chairman,
Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN), Akwa Ibom chapter, described
9,999 a divine arrangement by God to
showcase a people, who has always
known how to praise Him.
He noted that sometimes people
don’t understand how much people
before today used to praise God,
saying that God has used 9,999 to
showcase that attitude, a nature that
Akwa Ibom people had imbibed
within the culture and in our
expression of love for God.
Bassey posited that 9,999 has come
to stay because it is something that
broken the world record as per the
number of people coming together at
one place at one time to worship God,
recalling that in other parts of the
world, people have carnival and all
kinds of thing are being displayed, but
the governor came and decided to
take a detour from the traditional way
of doing Christmas to when God is
being put at the centre of the year.
Dr. Sylvanus Ukafia, Chairman,
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria
(PFN), Akwa Ibom Chapter, and
General Overseer, Insight Bible
Church, speaking on the significance
of the event, remarked that given the
number of people who are exposed to
the gospel of Jesus Christ last year,
the number of people that made up
the decision to commit their lives to
Christ, a lot more can be measured, a
lot more can be rated in terms of
policy and impact.
The clergyman was of the opinion
that the event should continued after
the Akpabio administration,
explaining that it is an avenue to
preach the gospel. “What will you
gain if you gain the whole world and
lose your soul.
“Whatever brings spiritual
enlightenment, whatever brings
people from darkness into light, we
need to pursue all along”.
Dr. Anthonia M. Essien, Head of
Department of Religious and Cultural
Studies, University of Uyo, described
the carol as a wonderful and
worthwhile venture, having such a
large number sing praises to God,
recalling that the first time she
watched, she was thrilled and
thanked God for Akpabio for such a
good sight of getting us to sing
praises to God.
Essien, Associate Professor of
Sociology of Religion in the
university, congratulated Akpabio on
his foresightedness in bringing about
the programme and called for
sustenance of the event by successive
administrations in the state, inviting
people from other states to join in
heralding the event, because praises
could move mountains and barriers.
Dr. Johnson Akpakpan, a lecturer in
the Department of Music in the
university, described the programme
as a great innovation and a good feat
by the people of Akwa Ibom State,
saying from the music perspective, it
is not quite different even though 100
people sing together, but when 9,999
people sing together in one singular
performance, the result is that the
intensity of sound will be quite
different from having 200 or 500
people singing together.
Director of Protocol to the Governor,
Aniekpeno Mkpanang, hinted that his
team has raised a 200-man band
Ibom Choral and Orchestra
comprising a 100-man classical
mass choir, a 50-man orchestra
choir, 35 singers, 10 instrumentalists
and 10 lead singers as well as Akwa
Ibom Voices to sing as ensemble
comprising Aity Dennis Inyang,
Pastor Goody Goody, Folake Umosen,
Linda Etukudoh, Fadabasi, Freke
Umoh and Nathaniel Bassey. Others
are AKSG Choir and Unity Brass
Band.
Also expected, include national and
international music stars such as
Israel Houghton, a US internationally
recognised worship leader, recording
artiste, song writer, producer and a
five-time Grammy Award winner and
Lionel Peterson, a world renowned
South African Gospel legend famous
for mega gospel hits, will sing at the
event.
Others are Sinach, an international
worship leader of Pastor Chris
Oyakhilome’s Believers Love-World
Incorporated, also known as Christ
Embassy International, notable for
over 200 songs; Frank Edwards, a
Nigerian exceptional, versatile and
multiple award-winning gospel rock
artiste and one of the music
ambassadors of Christ Embassy
International Church as well as
National Choir of the Federation of St.
Kitts and Nevis and Guest
appearance from West Indies.
http://dailyindependentnig.com/2013/11/akpabio-invites-oyedepo-for-christmas-carol-night/

Nice one....

Na we dey carry first for religion and I sure say na we go carry first for hell fire population alongside India. Having said that, I will expect Akpabio to dress in Santa Clause attire and start giving out cash and vehicles like he was already doing before christmas.

I prefer gentle Pastor Chris in this kind of event. I dislike shouting all in the name of preaching and declarations

Nice one to see that akwa ibom is at the fore front of spirituality and infrastructural development.much still needs to be done.