A 600-seater capacity Church was recently donated to the people of Inele-Ugoh in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Gabriel Onoja, founder of Enemona Josh Foundation, who built and furnished the church in a space of three months, disclosed that the entire community once ganged up against his father to kill him over a matter he knew nothing about.
The 37-year-old Gabriel Enemona Onoja, speaking shortly after the official commissioning of the United Evangelical Church (formerly known as Qua Iboe Church) building and formal inauguration ceremony and N50,000,000 Charity fund raising of Enemona Humanitarian Foundation by the Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, pointed out that the ugly incident between his family and the community has since been dusted out from his family.
“As a young man, who was struggling to make ends meet, I
incurred the wrath of my Kinsman, who sought after my life but God helping me, I escaped and got blessed by God. Today, I feel extremely grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to immortalise myself while I am still alive through the completion of this N60 million Church project, which is so dear to my heart and my entire family.
“It’s unfortunate that one area that Nigeria is divided across, outside politics and ethnicity is religion, hence my keying into creating inter-religious desk within the Enemona Foundation.
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“My desire is that anyone who steps into this church will pray for the peace, unity, development and socio-economic progress of Kogi and Nigeria at large,” the president prayed.
Gabriel Onoja equally pointed out that he knew what it means to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoners, provide for orphans and widows and the poorest of the poor amongst others, having “passed through well refined and sophisticated sufferings and first-class hunger while growing up.”
He commended the Kogi State government, especially Governor Yahaya Bello and his Deputy, Edward Onoja for their unalloyed support to him as a person and the Enemona- Josh Humanitarian Foundation.
The Deputy Governor, who commissioned the Church, commended the philanthropist for the initiative and magnanimity displayed in building a worship centre for the community within just three months, and charged the people to take advantage of the church to draw near to God and worship Him for His visitation and blessings upon the communities, the state and the nation in general.
Yahousha Burrell, a US-based Co-founder of Enemona Foundation, who also spoke at the event, said: ”Because you have done this, God will in turn handsomely reward you.”
Burrell called on other wealthy individuals in Kogi and Nigeria to join Enemona-Onoja in the mission to touch lives, especially the orphans, widows and the poorest of the poor in society.
Anthony Okoliko, a cleric, in his sermon, ‘Because you have done this’ said: “God will surely reward you for not just building a house for Him in a community like this but millions of lives you have touched.”
He said: “Abraham gave to God and King Solomon built a house for God and were blessed beyond their imaginations. Therefore, this your act of love, will definitely not go in vain but will witness God’s visitation and blessings beyond measures. ”
An 87-year-old Mama Merlyn Borotha-Johnson, another Co- founder from the United Kingdom (UK), described Enemona Onoja as “a gift to his generation” that needed to be supported by all to continue with the good humanitarian work.
