The common saying within the religious circle that, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness,” was on Saturday, November 23, 2019, demonstrated by the Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG), when members of the sanitation team of the church visited the Ayangbure palace in Ikorodu to engage in a voluntary marathon sanitation activities.
More than hundred (100) male and female members of the church stormed the palace around 7a.m in a Uniform Customized T-shirts, which carries the inscription, “RCCG Sanitation Team”. They were received by the palace aides, who conveyed them round the palace environment during the cleaning exercise. The team, led by the Assistant Pastor Olabisi Olusada, the Regional Coordinator of RCCG Sanitation Team, immediately got down to work as members were divided into groups with each group given the task to be accomplished. Apart from sweeping, picking of litters, dusting, mopping of floor and removing of cobwebs in and around the palace premises, the sanitation team also desilted the drainages located within the palace environment for easy flow of water during rainfall.
Some residents of the area, who were passing by when Oriwu Sun Crew was inspecting the drainages, expressed their delight over the way the drainages were completely cleared of debris, and commended the RCCG members for a job well done while also stating that the Hon. Wasiu Adesina led Ikorodu Local Government had failed in its responsibility of clearing blocked drainages across Ikorodu Community. After about four hours of aggressive cleaning exercise, the members of the Sanitation Teams assembled at the frontage of the palace pavilion to hold a brief praise worship, during which they danced and sang various praise songs to thank God for enabling them to successfully accomplish their mission at the palace.
After a short while, information came that Olori Kudirat Shotobi, the wife of Oba Kabir Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, who was out of town on that day, was ready to receive the members of the Sanitation Team and they immediately moved towards the new palace extension building, where she was already seated in the company of the palace aides. After greeting her, the duo of Deaconess Ojedokun Dara and Deacon Ogunesan G. Adeola were invited to pray for the royal family and members of the Sanitation Team respectively.
Assistant Pastor Olabisi Olusada, while addressing Olori Kudirat on behalf of her team, thanked Oba Shotobi for giving speedy approval to their request to embark on the cleaning of the palace. She explained that the cleaning exercise is the RCCG way of appreciating Oba Shotobi for the development, which Ikorodu has witnessed under his reign. Pastor Olusada prayed that God will continue to guide and protect the Monarch and his family and also grant him more wisdom and good health so that he would continue to lead Ikorodu and its residents to greater heights.
In her brief response, Olori Kudirat expressed her gratitude to the member of the RCCG’s Sanitation Team for voluntarily embarking on the cleaning of the palace and prayed that God will reward them handsomely. She told the team that her husband was very impressed when he was informed last year that they visited the palace to carry out the same exercise and assured that the palace would continue to pray for their success.
Meanwhile, in a brief interview with Oriwu Sun, Pastor Olabisi Olusada said that the cleaning exercise is an annual programme of the RCCG Region 26, under the directive of the Regional Pastor, Pastor Nath Ade Adejuwon. She explained that the sanitation exercise was inspired by the RCCG’s resolve to positively impact its host communities through cleanliness because of their belief that cleanness is next to Godliness. Aside the Ayangbure’s palace, Pastor Olusada stated that her team had taken the cleaning exercise to other places around Ikorodu community, among which were Sabo market, Sabo road, Ajina market and Ikorodu Garage Roundabout.
A member of the sanitation team, Mr. Temitope Oluwayemi, while also briefly speaking with our reporters, said that the cleaning exercise is part of the social responsibilities of the RCCG to the society. He also stated that RCCG is using the exercise to inform the public that the issue of cleanliness of the environment is not the responsibility of the government alone, but a collective task of everyone in order to have an environment that is safe and free of diseases.