The remains of late Primate Emmanuel Omolaja Olorunwo, the Spiritual Head and Founder of Olorunwo Cherubim & Seraphim Church Organisation Worldwide was laid to rest on Friday 17th September 2021 inside his Olorunwo Cathedral Church, Gbagada. Below are the details of the tributes of prominent Nigerians who paid tribute to him.
FORMER OGUN 1ST LADY, MRS. AMOSUN
In his lifetime, former Ogun 1st Lady, Dr. Mrs. Olufunso Amosun was one of those who were close to the late Primate (Dr.) Emmanuel Omolaja Olorunwo and his wife.
He used to calls her My Daughter or at times, Moremi, her title.
She still saw him a few days before Papa passed on, as she wrote in her short tribute in honour of Baba Olorunwo. Read the full text of her tribute: A Tribute To Primate (Dr.) Emmanuel Omolaja Olorunwo.
This tribute is one that I did not expect to write at this time, and so, it is with mixed feelings that I write these few words on the passage of Primate (Dr.) Emmanuel Omolaja Olorunwo, who answered the call on Thursday, 2nd September 2021, precisely four days after he celebrated his 85th birthday.
Baba Olorunwo, as I fondly called him, welcomed me warmly on Sunday, 29th August 2021, when I joined the Olorunwo family for a special thanksgiving service to commemorate the 85th birthday of Primate Olorunwo. I never knew that the occasion would be my last encounter with Baba Olorunwo. I still recall every bit of his activities on the day of thanksgiving, I did not know that the Primate was using the occasion to bid all of us present a farewell.
Since our paths crossed many years ago, Baba Olorunwo had proven to be a true father. His kindness and unfettered love for me and my husband were unparalleled. We will miss his prayers, counselling, mentorship, and fatherly disposition.
May God comfort Mama, the children and other family members that he left behind. May the good Lord also grant Baba Olorunwo eternal rest.
Dr. Mrs. Olufunso Amosun.
CHIEF OBASANJO
I do appreciate the immense pain that the unfortunate death of the late Primate Omolaja Olorunwo has caused his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the entire members of Olorunwo Cathedral Church of Cherubim & Seraphim of Nigeria who must be grieving at the demise of the Primate. Primate Olorunwo was, undoubtedly, a very eminent citizen and his death will be felt not only by his people but indeed, the entire nation. We can, nevertheless, be consoled from knowing that he has gone to rest in the bosom of his Maker and left behind him a good name and worthy legacy.
The late Primate was a patriotic and highly respected Pastor, Teacher, Preacher, Intercessor and Field Commander of the Lord’s Army. He symbolised one of our finest examples of how a life truly dedicated to our Saviour Jesus Christ can make a difference. He had been a difference-maker for his family, his friends, his flock, his community, the church and, indeed, the nation.
Over the years, Primate Olorunwo had shown focused, credible, bold, sensitive and purposeful leadership not just to members of the Olorunwo Cathedral Church of Cherubim & Seraphim of Nigeria but to all Nigerians. He had been part of building and strenthening the Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church in Nigeria and its eminent place in the church system in Nigeria today is not unrelated to his selfless service and leadership. He was acknowledged as a leader among his peers and contemporaries. The Lord was with him and used him mightily to support and supplement his flock. He was an unparalleled visioner within the movement.
It is unfortunate that his death will surely deprive us of the benefit of his experience and patriotism in Nigeria’s quest for a better deal for all her people. We need more of him as great mobilisers of change at a time when our nation is in great need of a moral renewal and spirit-driven leadership.
Primate Olorunwo’s journey to meet his ancestors means an irreplaceable loss to his family, his people, the church and, indeed, Nigeria. For those of us who knew him closely for many years, the good times we shared, the successes we achieved together and the lessons we learned are as consoling as the legacy he left behind.
On behalf of my family and on my own behalf, I extend heartfelt condolence on the final transition of Primate Olorunwo and pray that the Almighty God grant you all the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
May the soul of the dear departed rest in perfect peace.
Olusegun Obasanjo
GBENGA DANIEL
I received the news of the passage of Primate Olorunwo with mixed feelings. On the one hand I was greatly saddened that we lost such a man of God at a time when our country is going through a revival and needs all the prayers from men of God.
But we are greatly consoled that he died at a ripe old age, and he left a legacy of righteousness and resilience.
Primate Olorunwo’s resilience is clearly defined by over 55 years of the nurture of the Olorunwo Cathedral Church of C &. S. For a trained Architect with a good job to abandon his professional calling to shepherd in the Vineyard of God speaks to the doggedness of this man of God.
I share in the pains of the family of the Ba’adura of Egbaland and the entire members of the Olorunwo Cathedral Church.
I pray that his soul finds eternal peace with his Maker.
His Excellency, Otunba (Engr.) Gbenga Daniel, FNSE, FNAEng,
Asiwaju of Remo Christians, Governor of Ogun State (2003-2011)
CHIEF OLANIYAN PAYS TRIBUTE TO A RELIABLE FRIEND OF 52 YEARS
I came in contact with the young man of God in his early 30s, I was then about 40. I needed prayer and God’s intervention to make a success of the venture I had then embarked upon. I was then the Principal of a prime secondary school – Oriwu College, Ikorodu; but I was determined to establish my own secondary school – The Victory High School at Abule Onigbagbo, Ikeja with problems on land and financial capital, I met him at this critical period. He not only assisted me in prayers with fasting but also in counselling me not to be discouraged in spite of all odds against me. Since there is no impossibility with God, everything came out well.
Some of the qualities I discovered in him over the years – first, was his tenacity, doggedness and perseverance.
This his present place of worship – named Olorunwo Cathedral Church of C&S is his third site. The first was a small one at EB, it was maliciously demolished by the Lagos Town Planning people.
The second also at the mainland was waterlogged and abandoned; but he doggedly held on singularly in determination to have a befitting place for the worship of God, whom he so tenaciously believed in and worshipped.
He accomplished his vow and put up this elegant and prestigious place of worship as a lasting legacy to upcoming generations yet to be born.
I also admired his integrity and total love for all his friends. I was not at all his only friend but I just happened to be his closest. And I as a psychologist I saw early and identified these sterling qualities in him. So we moved on together since them.
He was also brutally frank to a fault. Sometimes I would be correcting him not to be too blunt and should bring some diplomacy into his discussion. Many a time he would say he was “OWU”, while I am “Oyo”. But that is not to say that he could reject my counsel wholesale, not at all. He took most of my advice on many issues. Another quality is: He also totally loved his wife and children. He was overprotective of his wife, sometimes affecting her liberty which I also used to point out but his defence was that he would not want any harm come her way, since she was very young and tender. They were always together, rain or shine.
I as an educationist, love people or parents who rate highly education of their children, Primate Olorunwo did that to the best of his ability and with all his God-given talent.
He made sure that all his children had University Education. He would not just throw them into the universities but would be monitoring them to find out how they were behaving there. So you would not find any of them misbehaving by joining cults and other forms of malpractices common in our institutions of Higher Learning. This is the way to go and I recommend it to all parents and guardians to invest more quality time in their children’s education so that they would become assets and not liabilities in future.
Now you could see them – Lawyers and magistrates, etc officiating in the house of God, unlike their colleagues who even when they are children of clergymen, would not even attend church because there was no parental guidance of discipline. Primate Olorunwo has diligently planned for his future and left a very rich legacy for his children.
One other quality I admired in him is his love for cleanliness. Even when he was living in a single room he would keep the place very clean and tidy. We all could see how beautiful and elegant the place of worship and surroundings are including his residence. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. So let us copy him and always keep our environment clean.
Many may not know that he loved music both church and local ones. He loved dancing a lot in his younger days when we used to hold parties. He exhibited this trait in the place of worship just as the Biblical David loved music and dancing before the altar of God; so he also did.
Just as his youngest son, Venerable Omotayo Olorunwo preached last Sunday, August 5, we should not mourn but thank God that he has lived a really fulfilled life in the service of God and humanity. And without doubt, he has left behind a worthy legacy.
At age 85 years he has not gone too early. He has left us at God’s appointed time even though his departure is painful. Surely, he has joined the Saints Triumphant, which he richly deserved.
He has come, seen and conquered. Glory be to God. Amen.
Adieu!
Chief (Dr.) CFI Olaniyan (JP)
ALAKE OF EGBALAND
A vicegerent, who had paid his dues and flew away triumphantly to paradise.
We join members of the Trustee of the Olorunwo Cathedral Church of the Cherubim & Seraphim, Incorporated; the Olorunwo family, elders and members of the church and the admirers of the late Primate.
We specially condole the Egba nation for the demise of the great spiritual and an iconic Egba Patriot, the Ba’Adura Egbaland, Archbishop Emmanuel Omolaja Aremu Olorunwo.
We wish to quickly add that, all of us should be consoled and rejoice in the Lord that Alagba Primate Emmanuel Omolaja Aremu Olorunwo lived an accomplished spiritual life of a “Vicegerent”, who had spiritually touched lives and had fulfilled reports of his mission of earth.
We have known Archbishop Emmanuel Omolaja Aremu Olorunwo all our lives and bear testimony that he loved and worked for the unity of Egbaland and the spirituality of humanity.
We have known him all our lives and attended many of his annual Carol of the 9 lessons especially from 2005, when it pleased the Lord to put us as the apex of the Egba Traditional leadership. The last of which was the 35th Edition of the exercise last year.
We are pleased to disclose that his wife is my Mother In Isreal and his children are my aburo’s.
We are happy to also recall that, who is who in Egbaland had been attending his Christmas Carols of the 9 lessons. Such Egba compatriots included Chiefs MKO Abiola, Olusegun Obasanjo, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, our former First Lady of Ogun State, Dr. Olufunso Amosun and many others.
The patriarch strong and rightly believed in the efficacy of prayers, which worked wonders for many.
We are totally satisfied that his call to the Vineyard from a most lucrative and successful profession of architecture in a world-renowned Oil Company, is an eloquent testimony that his mission was to win souls for Christ, not for material gains.
The Egba nation, the leadership and membership of his church and humanity shall miss him…but his legacy shall endure as this great and true Vicegerent had gone back to our creator, a fully fulfilled man.
Adieu, Papa Omolaja Olorunwo!
AdieU the unapologetic and untainted Egbaman, Adieu!
Chief Layi Labode
Aare Baaroyin Egba,
For: HRM Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, CFR,
Okukenu IV
The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland
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