Chaplaincy decorates two officers, promote others

Emeka Ibemere

Solution have been suggested as a panacea for the incessant killings in the country following the serial attacks by the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists on Nigerians, especially in North-East and West of Nigeria.

Commandant General of Universal Chaplain Corps and Rescue Mission, UCCRM, in Nigeria, who doubled as the President of the International Association of West African Chaplain, a Para-military organisation which is into moral, social and religious advocacy in both Nigeria and West African region, Chaplain General Tunde Olanrewaju Bankole has suggested that Chaplaincy organisation holds the keys for solving insurgency in Nigeria and peace in the crisis-engulfed global world.

Speaking at the decoration, promotion and awards of various categories to its officers, on weekend, Olanrewaju Bankole said the event was an important gathering in the history of UCCRM, as it marks their official decoration of one of their patrons adding that they are happy that their gusts were around to recognise one of their friends who is being awarded the patron of the organisation, because of his immense contribution to service to God and humanity in Lagos in particular and Nigeria in general.

UCCRM, have its office in Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra-lone and United Kingdom. It works with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, POLICE, and National Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, other Para-military agencies, government agencies, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, and the National Human Rights Commission.  

“We work hand in hand with Nigerian Army, Police, Navy, Customs and others through their Chaplaincy Units or departments, like most of the programmes we do here, we have being inviting the heads of the Chaplaincy of the police. He has been coming and giving us some training and attends some of our programmes as we continue to look and develop more things we can be able to do together,” Bankole stated.

“The role of the Chaplaincy is to correct the abnormalities in the polity where laws and orders are no longer respected and as freedom fighters, we preach peace and peace is our vehicle of change and violence-free society”,

You cannot use gun to stop the menace. When you want to maintain peace and you are holding gun, you want to stop man holding gun, you are passing a message to the man with gun that you are also coming for war. So, the only thing we are to use is not violence; but to sensitise and re-orientate the people and going by the kind of philosophical views they hold, they believe that what they are doing is right”

So, you have to have superior philosophy to counter their own opinion and know when you have the kind of organisation like this, bringing the two religious group together under one organisation, you are bound to make it. the basics by which this organisation comes to be is to build a structure where the two religion can be infused together and have new orientation with a purpose to build a brand new Nigeria and that is why our name is the Universal Chaplain Corps. We also want to see a kind of Chaplain that has a passion for life”.

According to Commandant General, this year’s installation, promotion and decoration of officers, is a grand one because the receiver of the award is going to be the second person to be awarded the title having done the first one in Sierra-Leone, last year.

He recalled that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo is the grand patron of the organisation.

“The award is the second Nigerian to receive the award in the history of the award since its inception. The glorious thing is that no civilian has received the award. The list is a major in the Sierra-Leone Army. The first civilian to receive this award is Chaplain Chief Amoo Nureni Olagunola. And what we are doing today doesn’t end here; it’s the same message everywhere and in the United Kingdom”, he added.

“One thing that is lacking globally is peace. There is no peace anywhere, so we need ambassador of peace who will go there and make peace on our behalf, somebody will go out there and preach the gospel of peace.

And I throw this open to all of us no matter the capacity you may find yourself; to always preach peace to people. We are to send out the message of peace not a message that frustrates the heart of men but the one that will bring peace. From 2004 to now 11 people have received the awards”.

Bankole stated that the award was to initially take place in Sierra-Leone but because of huge costs and global insecurity, the UCCRM decided to give the award in Nigeria without flying the awardees to sierra-Leone. He reminded the recipient of the Chaplain Ambassador for Peace, of UCCRM 2015 award to know that the patron is like father to the organisation. According to him, the newly appointed patron has been helpful to the organisation and his community through his humanitarian service. Others who receive awards and promotions are Chaplain Dr. Godwin Osamor, was decorated as Chaplain Superintendant and Chaplain Joseph Ajibola was decorated as Chaplain Assistant Commandant-General, while Chaplain Dr. Israel CN Oseafiana, Assistant Commandant-General is the National Secretary, UCCRM.

In his opening remarks, Commandant General said the UCCRM looked at the role the awardees in their communities before giving them the awards. He said their service to humanity and their contribution to community development earned them the awards.

“We looked at what they have been able to do, their goodwill to the society and how they have been able to assist humanity in all the endeavours. It’s about their philanthropic gestures over the years within their neighbourhood, community, state and even development in their own little ways,” Bankole quipped.

“We considered all these things before we give them the award. What are expected them to do as patron and ambassadors is that the awards are call to service or duty. We want them to serve their community more, serve their nation, state and even families.”

“Its not for intimidate, harass, or indulge in crimes, its a call to serve, make peace, community development and assist in the building of peace by being involve in campaigns against terrorism, violence, drug abuse, trafficking, electoral violence, election malpractices, disorderliness in the society, encourage people to engage in governance and help in attitudinal change and fight against other vices”.

According to him, there were months of screening of the recipients, through conducting of personal interviews on them and going as far as investigating their lifestyles.

“We collected their Curriculum Vitae, went through it and going through people who know them and we discovered that they are men of credibility before giving them the awards. We are confident with the personalities we have given these awards and its annual thing, it’s once every year and it’s not only in Nigeria but across the continent. We had a lot of nominees but we just settled at these two, who met our criteria”.

Chief Amoo Nureni Olagunola, newly inducted patron of UCCRM, speaking on his award said he is very happy and thanked the Commandant General for the award, promising that he would be good ambassador of the organisation. “I feel so happy because I never expected this kind of gesture and I’m excited about the award. As a good citizen of Nigeria, I have to try all my best to do good things for this country and the Lagos State”, he said.

“I will try and help in the community development and help the voiceless to be heard by making sure that their rights were never subdued. I will try and make peace and create enabling enviroment for peace and violence-free society,” Olagunola said.

David Ayodeji, who received UCCRM service award also showered encomiums on the organisation’s leadership and service to humanity and said he is more equipped now than before to do more work for humanity and God. “I’m very happy today and I promised that by God’s grace, I will put more effort to anything good that I can be able to do to move Nigeria and Lagos State forward.”