Taiwo Olanrewaju was at this year's Tabieorar grand finale on Wednesday, 22nd August. Her report.THE Tabieorar celebration is an annual event which could be likened to the annual Shiloh celebration in the Bible and which brings together members of The Church of the Lord Aladura Worldwide (TCLAW) from all over the world.The service, a vigil, which begins at 4p.m. usually ends at 4a.m, while this year's did not end until about 6a.m. Between 4p.m and 7.30p.m, the church's youth ministry, music ministry and the evangelical ministry led the congregation in praise worship and prayer while a short drama was also staged.In a chat with the Nigerian Tribune, Akin Atere and Agboola Odesanya from the Ikorodu Diocese in Lagos State, said the Tabieorar night was one they always looked forward to and which they made sure they never missed. 'It is an opportunity for us to thank God for His blessings in the past year, pay our vows, make new vows, give testimonies when we have and receive the 13 blessings', they explained.Corroborating them, a photojournalist with a popular media house in Lagos, who simply identified himself as Dayo said, 'The Tabieorar ground', at kilometre 60, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ogere Remo, Ogun State, 'is a place where you will find youths and elders from different churches, even Muslims. Though we attend or belong to various denominations now, by marriage or whatever, but most people who were either born or had attended Tabieorar since their younger days, still come back to Tabieorar every August 22 of the year.'Not as a routine mind you, but because we believe that God is here and He answers us. The testimonies given annually are enough to prove that God is here. I believe especially in the prayer of the 13 blessings', which include the forgiveness of sins, God's cleansing, God's mercies, God's blessings, perfect peace, God's good children, victory, salvation, God's healing, God's joy, God's favour, mighty power of the Holy Spirit and steadfastness.The prayer of the 13 blessings was said with all seriousness while members of the church, most of who were in white garments, clutched lit candles in their hands as they prayed steadfastly.This year's Tabieorar celebration was however unique as, on the band stand was, Chief Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, who dazzled the congregation with gospel songs while earlier on, on Tuesday, 21st August, Evangelist Bola Are, had ministered at the Halleluyah Night programme. The prophet in Chief Ebenezer Obey came to the fore as, while singing, he prophesied into the lives of the barren and students seeking admission.In a chat with the press, Chief Obey admonished all gospel musicians and ministers of God to be focused and know Jesus Christ as the truth and the light.Tabieorar 2012's official colour was peach and lemon while the Primate, The Most Rev Dr Rufus Okikiola Olubiyi Ositelu, who wore white and lemon said, God told him that whoever obeyed God this year would have a lot of testimonies, hence Tabieorar's theme, Testimony Galore.In his sermon, Primate Ositelu urged all Christians to have a good relationship with God and be closer to Him because God wants a man after His heart and that in spite of man's inadequacies, God is always ready to forgive, restore and bless His people.The man of God urged all Christians to intercede for political leaders against sudden assassination while he challenged the leaders to perform their duties with Godly fear as there should be sincerity of purpose and courage in all they do.The Primate however noted that poverty and corruption had become Siamese twins in Nigeria, saying 'this should not be,' adding that if the nation was properly administered, there would be competition for the uplift of the nation. Nigerians, he said, were tired of lies and infrastructural decay even as he said that the Benin-Ore expressway would have been completed if it was handled by the state government.Ositelu, who wanted poverty, corruption, insecurity, wastage and unemployment stamped out of Nigeria, said that the spirit of being above the law and doing whatever people wished had permeated the nation, even as he reminded the congregation that Nigeria needed prayers against insecurity in the land.The primate, who noted that the military and the police could not tame the insurgence in the land, said the challenge going on in the country needed collective prayers even as he frowned at the killing of corps members in the North.'Corps members should serve in their states of origin,' the man of God opined, expressing his disappointment over the abuse of human rights going on in the country as he condemned the inability of the judiciary to stand on its own.Earlier, the Media Relations Officer of the Church, Pastor Mrs Badejo, had welcomed the congregation to this year's Tabieorar in diverse languages, ranging from Yoruba dialects of Remo, Ijebu, Egba, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo to other languages, Hausa, Igbo, English, French and Spanish.Representing the Ogun State governor was the state commissioner for Education, Science and Technology; Mr John Olusegun Odubela, who said the administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun believed that prayer could do everything and solve all problems including the Boko Haram insurgence, hence his presence, though for the first time, at the Tabieorar grand finale, to felicitate with the body of Christ and join in praying for peace in the nation and in the world.Odubela, however, urged the people of Ogun State to support the government of the day and together, rebuild and take the state to loftier heights.Corroborating him, the chairman, Ikenne Local Government, Mr Tajudeen Salako, noted that the Tabieorar celebration had a tradition which dated back to several decades ago and which had always been beneficial to the people of the local government and the state; adding that the prayers offered at the Tabieorar ground had contributed in no small measure to the peace abiding in the state.In attendance to partake of the annual Tabieorar blessings were dignitaries from all walks of life including kabiyesi, the Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Sunday Ajiboye.
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