Seun Emmanuel
Nigerian international musical celebrity, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has donated the sum of N150 million to Christ Embassy Church, Benin City, Edo State.
The Edo-born musician was in the state for the celebration of Edo@33 and performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the 6,000-capacity Edo Dome and a musical concert at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium at the invitation of the state government.
Rema, who donated to the Edo Regional Headquarters of the church, located at Erediauwa Street off Ekenwa Road, said it was in appreciation of the church’s support for his family during a difficult period in his childhood.
The international musical artist, who was at the church for a thanksgiving service, recounted the role the church played in his family’s life after the loss of his father when he was just eight years old.
According to him: “I am not here to give myself any form of accolades or glory but to give to God the glory. And, I felt it was important to give back to the church that has embraced me, prayed for me and kept me very consistent with my spirit.
“When I was eight years old when I lost my dad, we felt very lost and abandoned.
“All that we had were taken from us and we felt alone, and I remember at the time Pastor Joy and Pastor Thomas, the pastors of this church; they opened a shop for my mum, and that was what she managed to take care of and feed us.”
He said, in the spirit of giving in appreciation of what the church did for his family, he donated the sum of N150 million to the church.
“Firstly, I want to give a pledge of N40 million to the infrastructural development of the church, N20 million to the Rhapsody of Realities publication, and, being a fact that I came from the teen church, I also like to pledge N25 million to the church.
“And just to add to that, if there is any widow in church today, I am pledging N20 million to assist all the widows in attendance,” he added.
