Dele Momodu@60: You will begin to experience divine intervention like never before – Pastor Tunde Bakare

Posted on by Mike Boss
Well Bob Dee, I just want to thank God for your life. I have heard so many things listening to  people, saying wonderful things about you. I want to say, I have not found a single lie or exaggeration in all that has been spoken.
Our parts crossed many years ago in London, England, when you first interviewed me. I remember clearly that Ovation was still black and white then. Thereafter, I began to see you grow in leaps and bounds and I am eternally grateful to God.
I want to say a few things, before I pray. Many people do not know that you are a bridge builder, you have built bridges for people to cross to places where  they could not even envisage that they would get to. You have been a blessing to a countless number of people that we know.
You have been good to me too. I have many instances. How can I forget the birthday tribute you wrote when I turned 50 some years ago. I still glaze it because it always brings warmth to me to encourage me when I face challenges and vicissitudes of life. It is not by accident that you are the only product of your father and mother, so am I. And we began from more or less the same spot in life. I was born into a declining wealth and raised in abject poverty.
Your life is an inspiration and it has been an inspiration to so many people. But there are three things I want to say today about you.
Number 1 is what the Yorubas say Eni se oju bi ose, bi eni ti o seyin. I have seen you standing  shoulder above your generation. I cannot count how many times you have held the torch to pay attention to the sacrifices of MKO Abiola. You would  do it with such vigour like you are his first son. You will go to the extent of celebrating him again and again.
And I remember the large coverage you gave to late Chief Deinde Fernandez, but a time came when Chief Deinde Fernandez was not at the cutting age of so many things, at his funeral, you left everything to fly into Belgium where I had the privilege of preaching and where we had conversation about the departed one. That is the manner of person you are, to be there for people, whether in their presence or behind their back, long after they have gone, you  still say good things about them. That is very rare in our world.Many people eat and forget.
How I can thank you enough, many people thought I must have paid you millions of naira or thousands of dollars for the coverage you gave to my mother’s funeral. The Ovation TV and Ovation magazine, someone asked me jokingly that you must have paid lots of money for this. Like I have said before and I am saying it again, you did it unto the Lord, you  did not take a dime from me, and that is why Ovation will not die.It will outlast you, it will grow in leaps and bounds as you grow from glory to glory.
You know that you are one of my favourite columnists, I have read you this morning, and I would always call you to say wow, I agree with this. When you said accurate things even though they look negative to some people about the present government and President Buhari, I called you to say, I stand with everything you have said in that publication because it is the truth.
I want to thank you for making the difference in your generation, and my prayer for you, I am taking from Psalm 60 for your 60th birthday. I read this morning, where you wrote about the angels that God has send to your life.
I will read from Psalm 60 vs 2.”
2.You o Lord have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; Heal its breaches, for it is shaking.
3 You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion.
4 You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth.
5 That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and hear me.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic,  beyond it, the Lord will preserve you, the Lord will protect you, the Lord will lift his banner over you, your business will not go down the drain, you will not lack any support in this day and age, in the name of Jesus.
11 Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.
12 Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
In the mighty name of Jesus, the Lord will set a table before you in the presence of your enemies, He would anoint your head with oil and your cup will runneth over. Those who helped you in the past will not regret helping you, He will raise you. You will begin to experience divine intervention like never before, in your businesses, that  you will sit back and say this is God doing it. From this day forward, you testimony will be this is not the work of  any man, it is the work of God. It is well with your spirit, it is well with your soul, it  well with the whole of your body. Thank you for being who you are and may God take you to higher grounds beyond your wildest imagination. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.Happy Birthday my dear brother and friend.

Tribute to the love of my life! -Mrs Bolaji Momodu

Posted on by Mike Boss
Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship. It is not how we care in the beginning but how much we care till the very end.
The journey to becoming Mrs Dele Momodu wasn’t particularly a ‘smooth’ one.
Dele was (and still is) a very good looking, charming, silver-tongued and bubbly young man then but wasn’t my ‘type’ of man (or so I thought) as I had my spec.  that he didn’t quite meet. This made all his efforts ( including flaunting his celeb friends) at dating me, futile. He spent over 13 months chasing me all around the university of Ife campus and even employed the services of my close friends( Buki Ayoola in particular )to achieve his mission but he also failed. He became very close to my siblings at a point in time  in order to win their hearts and ultimately, mine. He succeeded in winning theirs but not mine. He did everything, gave up for a few months only to re-surface but I still had my reservations.
Then, on this fateful afternoon in March 1990, a visitor came knocking at my door. It was Sir Dogzy (as we fondly call Kabiyesi Aroyinkeye, Oba Adedokun Abolarin). He had come to speak to and convince me about his dear friend, Dele Momodu. He did a damn good job. I had never before then, seen a man speak so passionately about and highly of his friend like Kabiyesi did on that day. ‘’Blajo, my friend is a very good man and he wants you as his wife. He is madly in love with you. Pls give him a chance for just a week and if you still don’t like him, you can end the relationship’’,Kabiyesi had said. I felt the sincerity in his words and I decided immediately to give it a go. The rest, like they say, is now history.
Kabiyesi was very right. I found a very good and responsible man in Dele. His love for me is genuine (and I don’t joke with my words).He will unarguably be one of the very few good husbands and Fathers around.
Dele has a very unique and unusual personality, imitate his actions at your own peril. I consider myself extra ordinary to have been able to live with him successfully for almost 30 years. He does his things his own ways, most times not conforming to the norm. Dele also views life as an adventure and lives it as such. He believes that great things are possible and lives an abundant and happy life. He enjoys what he does and looks forward to what is to come. He is a true testament to what living a passionate and satisfying life is all about. He never dwells on the past (and hates it when you do so) neither does he begrudge anyone, little wonder he sleeps effortlessly and like a baby.
I recently concluded that one or more of his ancestors must have done something in the past to impress the Almighty God so much so that God, in return has decided to bless their descendants. Or how  else can one explain this love of God for Dele.
Dele is simply a blessed man. God’s grace and favour upon him  is so strong and so undeserving.
No one,(not even me) had expected him to have a stable family, a happy home, a good wife (Yeah! Me!) and the best children that anyone would pray for.  He is hardly at home and yet, it never felt like it. God really loves him. I know this and he knows it too.
Dele was about 30 years old or so when I met him and now at  60 (sounds so huge), I can only marvel at how Great God’s mercy towards us is.
I look back to the day I first met this man and I know that there must have been an angel by my side that fateful day, something heavenly must have led me to him and built a bridge straight to his heart. I can’t but be grateful to God for the gift in Dele. God has been good to us as a family. He believes he chose the right partner for himself and believe I made the right decision marrying him.  People search a lifetime to find what we have. God has been faithful all the way. His unending love is overwhelming. I am eternally grateful to Him.
Ajani temi ni kan, Ajanaku ti n mi igbo Bolaji kijikiji, Olori owo mi, Okunrin ogun, omo aroti we bi ojo, thank you for all that you do to and for me. I know you put in a lot of efforts (even more than I do) into making sure our marriage is successful. Thank you for being a good father to the boys. Wa a kuku je’re won. You are a good man indeed. You go way beyond the boundaries of duty to make sure your children and I are happy. You have reduced your lifestyle by over 95% just to accommodate the boys’ gargantuan school fees. You give us your best always. Thank you! Thank you!
On this day that you are celebrating your 60th birthday, I pray that the good Lord will grant you dozens more fruitful and glorious years, prosperity, good health and sound mind.
May you spend the next phase following God more nearly, knowing Him more deeply, seeing Him more clearly, loving Him more dearly and above all, serving Him with all your hearts.
Yes! I am looking forward to spending the rest of my lifetime with you.
Happy Happy Birthday Ajani mi! !! !!!

He’s Paid His Dues To Our Continent And The World-HE John Dramani Mahama, Former, Ghanaian President

Posted on by Mike Boss
My name is a John Dramani Mahama, former President of the Republic of Ghana, today is a special day. It is the birthday of my friend and comrade, Dele Momodu, I consider Dele not only a comrade and friend but also a brother, I call him Dele Momodu of Africa because his activities truly transcends our continent and reaches every part of the globe.
What do you want in a friend? The first quality you want in a friend is loyalty. And I can say well and truly that you cannot have a more loyal friend than Dele. He has paid his dues for his country, he has paid his dues to his country, he’s paid his dues to our continent, he’s paid his dues to the world. And on the occasion when he is celebrating his 60th birthday, which is a very important milestone in a persons life, we wish to celebrate him.
I wish on this occasion, to extend my warmest compliments to him. And to wish my brother, Dele Momodu well, many more years of prosperity, many more years of good health, many more years of happiness. And all of us who are your friends, want to express today that we truly appreciate you and urge you to just continue being who you are.
You tell us as it is even if it is bitter or sweet, you are frank. So just keep being yourself and we wish you well. May God bless you, may God bless your family, your children and all the people related to you. May God bless you country Nigeria and may God bless my country, Ghana and  bless our sub-region, West Africa and indeed our continent of Africa. I wish you a very happy birthday, enjoy your day.

Dele Pulled Me Out Of Deep Depression and Despair-HE Jewel Howard-Taylor, Vice President of Liberia

Posted on by Mike Boss
I am Jewel Howard-Taylor, Vice President of the Republic of Liberia and a sister to Bashorun Dele Momodu. As we celebrate his 60th anniversary today, I cannot but reflect on the kind of person, Chief Dele Momodu is, the impact he has made and the way he has provided opportunities for many of his friends including me. I really lack words as to how to start but I want to wish him a happy 60th birthday.
60 years, some trials, some tribulations, some triumphs. For any one who has had the opportunity to celebrate 60 years, that person must be grateful to God.In the midst of all he has gone through, he is still alive, he is well and still impacting his generation.
I met Dele more than 22 years ago, after I left being First Lady of Liberia and in exile in Accra, Ghana by a stroke of fate we met. It was a very low time in my life but I met this young gentleman who was effervescent, and the whole embodiment of how he greeted and hosted me for a few hours brought a new life to my life.
We had a conversation of what had happened over the 6 years, and what my intentions were.I believed that like every First Lady, especially after coming from a crisis situation like we did, my only thought at that point was how I could hide in a corner and live out the rest of my life. I was  still quite young in my 30s, we had a conversation about what life was, and how we needed to be resilient.
He said to me during those conversations that I wasn’t finished, and in fact, that those who were at the lowest points of their lives were those that God will find a way to rejuvenate.And I  listened to him like Sarah in the Bible, I said you are right.My thought was,  I was no longer First Lady, how do I remain engaged with my country and the people I have served.
So he wanted to find out what my passions were, and I told him that I believe that Liberia needed an icon that they could follow, that could be a part of their lives. And he said to me, that could be a platform for you to begin work. Truly as he said that day, that he felt I have many many things to do and indeed my life was not finished.
As I looked across the spectrum of my life, minus my parents, Dele came across as one of those people who pulled me out of deep depression and despair and moved me to a new platform.
He has introduced me to many many people. I have got to know many rich, poor, influential, spiritual people and all of those contacts have influenced my life in many ways. I had hoped that we would be in Lagos,celebrating Dele’s 60th birthday, all of us together, howbeit, this is the  time and the season that we have and I am happy that through the internet, a lot of us will be paying our tribute. So I say Happy Birthday to my brother Dele, to my Adviser, to my friend, I want to say a very happy 60th birthday to you. It is my prayer that you will live longer than you can imagine and that the next part of your life will be bigger and better than what has passed. And that you will live to see some of the dreams that you have, and some of the dreams of your friend, come to pass. I want to thank you for your love, thank you Dele for you commitment.Thank you Dele for your friendship, thank you Dele for your advise, you are a treasure to me. I love you very much, may God bless you, may God grant you the favour that you need to take you beyond where you are now and may you continue to just be the Dele that you are.Happy Birthday.

You Helped Me Make My Dream Come True-Isha Johansen, Former Chairman, Sierra Leone FA

Posted on by Mike Boss
Greetings from Freetown, Sierra leone. To my big brother, my big friend, my mentor, my very own guru, Chief Dele Momodu. Sorry I cannot be with you in Lagos. We  have known each for 22, 23 years and I remember the first day we met like yesterday, through a mutual friend. You had your big dreams about your magazine and had my own very big dreams, we were both in hiding in London, we were both running from political pressure.
And that was the instinctive pull that bound us and that was what made you my mentor. You celebrated with me, you mentored me, you encouraged me. I watched you grow from having very little, except your big dreams, and you also watched me grow from having very little  but my massive dreams.
We have travelled together, you went ahead to make your big dreams become a reality, celebrating greatness not with pomp and grandeur but with humility.You celebrated others who struggled that had big dreams, you helped them make those dreams come true and helped me make my dreams come true and that is why, when Ovation started becoming the big publication it was destined to become, you came to The Gambia.
I was a refugee, I did not know any better, but we both chased the dream, we were there with Yahya Jammeh, in his house, in his office, everybody who was any body, we captured their success stories together.
You came to Sierra Leone just after our war and you met all the Presidents and  met all the big achievers too, those were the dreams you had, indeed, you are dream chaser.
Dele, I want take this opportunity to thank you for being a big inspiration. Apart from my father, who is my oldest and longest best friend, you are my big mentor, my brother. Thank you for all those days, I wake you up at two in the morning crying, not knowing what to do. Thank you for telling me off, and putting me in my place at times. May God give you many more years, I hope in 10 years time, we can look back at today and celebrate, in 20 years time, too we can celebrate again. Bless you and have a very happy birthday.

Greg Uanseru Applauds Dele Momodu At 60 Says “Your Doggedness is Exemplary”

Posted on by Mike Boss

The Chairman, GCA Energy, Mr Greg Unaseru and his family have sent a congratulatory message to Ovation Chairman, Chief Dele Momodu on his 60th birthday celebration.

His message reads ”

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY
It is indeed a great honour to pay tribute to  my dear brother, Dele Momodu, on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
As you celebrate today, remember with pride and gratitude to God that your success in business and doggedness occupies a pride of place in Nigeria and indeed the African continent. Your story will surely serve as a pointer for those countless, budding and upcoming ones that if you could start from nothing to the peak where your Ovation International Magazine has reached today, then, they too can do it.
Dele, as a proud son of Edo State like you, I say, welcome to the club! I pray that you will spend the rest of your life in good health, peace, love and joy. Congratulations my brother. Happy Birthday!
From Greg Uanseru and family

OLORI ADESOLAMI ANIFALAJE CELEBRATES 70TH BIRTHDAY IN GRAND STYLE

Posted on by Boma Al
Friends, family members, colleagues and well wishers  gathered at the All Souls Anglican Church, Bodija, Ibadan to celebrate the goodness of God in the life of Olori Adesolabomi Olufemi Anifalaje as she joined the septuagenarian club in grand style.
The well attended event was an admixture of testimonies, songs, thanksgivings and outright wining and dining.
Fondly called Olori, the very agile woman, who defied age to dance her heart out in happiness, was full of gratitude to God, her children and friends alike for the opportunity to celebrate such a glorious event.
In his message, the Officiating Minister, Venerable B. B. O. Obaweya, praised the outstanding virtues of the celebrant, and prayed she continues to serve in the vineyard of the Lord.
With the thanksgiving service over, guests moved to the Civic Centre, in the heart of Ibadan, for a classy one-in-town reception and were treated to the best of food and drinks.

THE OKOYAS HONOUR PARENTS WITH SPECIAL FIDAU PRAYERS

Posted on by Boma Al
Biillionaire businessman and Aare of Lagos, Chief Rasak Okoya has honoured his parents big time.
Chief Okoya who is Chairman, Eleganza Group joined by his siblings, Alhaji Tajudeen Okoya and Mrs Wosilat Seriki hosted a fidua prayer session in memory of their parents: Alhaji Tiamiyu Ayinde Okoya and Alhaja Idiyat Abeke Okoya.
Held at Chief Okoya’s imposing Oluwanisola Estate home in Lekki, Lagos, the event which featured koranic recitation and prayers by various islamic clerics saw Chief Missioner, Ansar-ud-deen Society Of Nigeria, Shiekh Abdur-Rahman Olanrewaju Ahmad delivering the sermon.
Sheikh Ahmad harped on the need for children to honour their parents, respect them, love them, pray for them and never abandon them.
He stated that no matter how rich children are they must serve their parents till they die.
He praised Chief Okoya and his siblings for inviting everyone to pray for their parents and prayed for their continued success
In his remarks, Chief Okoya stated that his father died when he was 25 years old and he had to grow up fast, taking care of his siblings and mother.
He noted that despite having established his own business, he was compelled by his mother to work in his father’s outfit till he died, noting that the remembrance was to show that he appreciated their impact on his life.
The prayers over, the venue exploded into a classy party venue with loads to eat and drink.
As usual for Chief Okoya’s events, the prayer session was attended by the cream of Lagos society including the Governor, Mr Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat with their wives.

THE SPECTACULAR FUNERAL OF MADAM BEATRICE OKONMAH IN DELTA STATE

Posted on by Boma Al

It was a bitter-sweet experience for the family, friends and associates of Mrs Beatrice Ogugua Okonmah (Nee Okwedinbu) when she was honoured with a most befitting burial in the ancient town of Ibusa, Delta State.

The amiable matriarch’s passing elicited bitterness because she impacted so many people during her life time and her death has left a gap in their lives while they expressed joy while reminiscing on her worthy life as a committed Christian which invariably meant that she will be spending eternity in heaven.
Madam Okonmah who died at the ripe old age of 81 years began her final journey to the great beyond with a wake keep mass at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in Ibusa.
The pastoral team that day included Rev. Father Stanley Aseigbu-Parish Priest, Rev. Father Paulinus Ukabiala and Rev. Father Azubuike Ikemenka.
It was with the popular hymn, “The Solid Rock” which begins with the verses “ My hope is built on nothing else than Jesus blood and righteousness” that the service began. It was a very apt hymn for the occasion because it encapsulated the life and times of the late Mrs Okonmah whose faith was anchored on Christ and worked in the vineyard of the Lord till he last breath.
The solemn ceremony also witnessed prayers and readings from such Bible passages as Daniel 12: 1-3. Psalm 42: 2 and Romans 5: 5-11 and was rounded off with the recessional hymn “I’m Going Home At last.
The day after, the funeral service for the deceased took place at the same Church in Ibusa, Delta State and this was where the clout and connection of the family came to fore.
Indeed, the whole town literally stood still as guests poured in from all over the globe, her last daughter, Dr. Wendy Uzolo Uwaje who flew in from her base in the United States was supported by many of her friends from way back and they formed a strong support system throughout the occasion.
The church ceremony kicked off as soon as her remains were brought to the front of the church, by the pallbearers. At the entrance, the Officiating Priest offered some prayers before her casket was ferried into the church.