BREAKING: Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, 6 Others Bag Royal Order Of Iwere Award

By Daniel Dafe

Warri kingdom in Delta State on Saturday conferred the Royal Order of Iwere Award on Pastor Ayodele Joseph Oritsegbubemi Oritsejafor, popularly known as Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, and six other distinguished sons and daughters of the kingdom, on Saturday.

This took place at Aghofen (Olu of Warri Palace), Warri, Delta State, as part of activities lined up to celebrate the fourth coronation anniversary of the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse, the 21st Olu of Warri.

The monarch, in his remarks at the colourful ceremony, said he was happy to see prominent Itsekiri sons and daughters, who were relatively unknown in the kingdom, now identifying with the ethnic nationality.

He further reiterated his appeal to all Itsekiri sons and daughters in the diaspora yet to retrace their steps back home to do so, stressing that he would continue to accord recognition to Itsekiri sons and daughters doing great in their various fields.

His words: “People I mistook to be from other tribes are now coming to identify with the Itsekiri nation. We reiterate the call again on all our sons and daughters to come back home, God helping us to make giant strides.

“The ROI is special to me. Itsekiri have always been known for excellence, pioneering excellence. Everything that comes from this palace will demonstrate excellence. And we will be celebrating people whose achievements are worth celebrating. I congratulate all five recipients present today.

The monarch also spoke glowingly of Pastor Oritsejafor, founder of Word of Life Bible Church, recalling how excited his father, Olu of Warri Ogiame Atuwatse II, was when Ayo emerged President of CAN and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).

He prayed for the cleric to finish strong in his missionary journey.

The Olu of Warri also congratulated other awardees and thanked those who were conferred with the honour last year, who attended the event.

Among them were the Publisher and Chairman of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka, and former President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick.

He said: ”Culture determines so much in not just the identity, but also the destiny of the people. And as Africans, traditionally, the king and his palace, as custodians of culture, are critical to shaping not just the values, but also the trajectory of his people. We are what we celebrate. For most of our existence, in our own society, we have celebrated and honored people by elevating them into opens of power, around governance and leadership. While that has had its merits, we have long overlooked our greatest and most important resource, our common people. In lwere land, near any African society, not everyone can be achieved.”

Speaking after his conferment, Oritsejafor, expressed gratitude to the traditional ruler, describing the honour as a generous award.

The cleric who quoted from Psalms 133, noted the unity in the kingdom, just as he prayed for more blessings on the kingdom.

Ayodele Joseph Oritsegbubemi Oritsejafor (often referred to as “Papa Ayo”) became a born-again Christian during an evangelical crusade in Sapele in1972. He studied at All Nations for Christ Bible Institute (Benin City) and Nigerian Baptist Seminary (Ogbomosho). In 1979, he pursued further training at Morris Cerullo’s School of Ministry in San Diego, California. He founded Word of Life Bible Church (WLBC) in November 1987 in Warri, a mega church with weekly attendance around 30,000 and over 70 branches globally

He founded the African Broadcasting Network (ABN)-a Christian satellite channel broadcasting from London to over 75 countries. Papa Ayo served as National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) from February 2007 to 2013. He also served as the 5th President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) from July 2010 to July 2016-the first Pentecostal leader to hold the position

He advocates for social justice, good governance, and empowerment of the underprivileged, offers scholarships to students across educational levels, irrespective of faith or ethnicity; also partners with Flight Micro Finance Bank for annual community empowerment programs

Papa Ayo was awarded Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in December 2008.

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Others who were honoured alongside the cleric are Dr. Ebi Omatsola, Director of Con Oil Plc, Mr. Oti Ikomi, Dr. (Mrs.) Helen Boyo-Ekwueme, Mrs. Eva Omaghomi, Mrs. Tara Fela-Durotoye and Hon. (Dr.) Godwin Ebosa.

The Royal Order of Iwere is a prestigious award in the Kingdom of Warri (also known as lwere Kingdom), second only to chieftaincy conferment.

It was established on August 24, 2024, by royal proclamation.

Recipients of the award become members of the Royal Iwere Society, helping to screen future nominees.

The awards recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the nation and who exemplify values like integrity, hard work, and redemption.

Purpose:
The Royal Order of Iwere recognizes and celebrates distinguished Itsekiri individuals for their achievements and contributions to the nation.

Membership:
Recipients of the award automatically become members of the Royal Iwere Society.

Selection Process:
The society plays a role in screening future nominees and recipients of the award.

Significance:
The award is considered a high honor, second only to chieftaincy titles within the Kingdom.

Values:
The awards highlight and celebrate values such as education, hard work, integrity and positive societal impact.

Community Impact:
The Royal Iwere Society aims to be a.platform for dynamic initiatives,elevating the society to global prominence and positioning Warri as a leading socio-cultural and economic hub.

Inauguration:
The Royal Order of Iwere was inaugurated during the 3rd Coronation Anniversary celebrations of the Olu of Warri, where ten distinguished individuals were decorated.

Past recipients include prominent figures such as Mr. Amuka-Pemu, Mr. Pinnick, Mr. Julius Dediare Rone, CEO of UTM Energy Limited, Dr. Mrs. Ajoritsedere Awosika, a distinguished personality, Master Eworitsewarami Justin Wilbert, recognized for academic excellence.