Last week, the cleric told journalists of his plans to hold a first-of-its-kind crusade in the Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, where he would distribute relief materials to the locals.
On Tuesday, Matthew Ashimolowo, the founder and senior pastor of Kingsway International Christian Centre, provided foodstuffs, clothing, books, and essentials during his ongoing crusade.
Last week, the cleric told journalists of his plans to hold a first-of-its-kind crusade in the Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, where he would be distributing relief materials to the locals at the crusade tagged 'Christ Compassion for Rural World' (CCRW).
On Tuesday, he fulfilled his promises as multitudes converged on the Igbogbo Stadium, Ikorodu, where the commencement of the distribution of foodstuffs, clothing, books, and essential relief materials was held.
Pastor Ashimolowo and his team had stored 75,000 pieces of clothing, 15,000 Ankara garments, 60,000 other items, 201,000 cartons of Minimie Noodles, 50,000 packs of rice, beans and garri, 10,000 sachets of salt and sugar
Additionally, 30,000 bars of soap, 24,000 notebooks for children, and other essentials were stored in a warehouse.
On the first distribution day (Tuesday), Pastor Ashimolowo and his CCRW team distributed cartoons of noddles, clothing items and other essentials to 3,000 households in Igbogbo, Ikorudo.
The distribution of essential materials, which would continue throughout the week-long crusade, is part of the CCRW activities in Igbogbo Ikorodu.
The crusade activities also include surgeries, evening crusades, pastor's empowerment seminars and conferences, and medical outreach.
Furthermore, the pastor's conference would empower 2,000 pastors with Bibles, study materials, and small megaphones for village evangelists.
Surgical Operations
As part of the crusade activities in Ikorodu, 300 surgeries were scheduled.
A temporary surgical facility was set up at the General Hospital Ikorodu, where surgeries were carried out.
Olalekan Ajayi, a surgeon, addressed journalists who visited the hospital and said the CCRW gathered a team of surgeons to carry out operations on hernias and various body and face lumps.
Mr Ajayi said, "We are a set of surgeons organised to come and give surgical service to the less privileged in Ikorodu and its environs. People who have been unable to have their conditions treated strictly because of money, not because they don't want it done, but because they cannot afford it, and so, this is an opportunity for a lot of them to get those conditions treated."
"There is a 16-year-old boy who has been carrying a condition which would have been corrected while he was a child, but he just came, and we have just corrected it. He is 16 now; in other words, he is practically an adult. These are people who could have been treated earlier. So, for many people, this is an opportunity to get rid of a condition that, if money had not been the problem, would have been sorted out long ago."
Mr Ajayi also commended the Lagos State Government for partnering with CCRW.
Esther Ajayi, head pharmacist of the CCRW Crusade 2023, said the medical outreach covers not just the corrective surgeries but also all the post-operation drugs the patients, and about 15 surgeries have been carried out.
A teacher, Ruth Nwamaka, was one of the beneficiaries of the surgery; she had a breast lump for 11 years which was operated on.
She said, "Thank you very much to CCRW, and if not for Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, I wouldn't have done this operation. God will continue to bless him and enlarge his coast, and the grace of God will never cease from him."
Crusade
The crusade, held in the evening, has attracted a multitude to the Ikorodu Stadium at Igbogbo.
The Oba of Ikorudo Kingdom, Kabiru Shotobi, The Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, the Semiudeen Kasali, the chairman of Igbogbo/ Bayeku Local Government Development Area (LCDA) and other dignitaries joined the renowned cleric at the crusade.
Other clerics who attended the crusade were Mensa Otabil, Poju Oyemade, Jerry Eze, Festus Adeyeye and Steve Mensah.
There were also ministrations from Gospel artistes like Nathaniel Bassey, Tope Alabi and Bee Jay Sax.
Remarks
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pastor Ashimolowo shared his astonishment at the success of CCRW. The turnout exceeded all expectations, with 3,000 households receiving much-needed relief materials and 2,000 individuals repenting on the first day of the crusade.
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He said, "The outcome has been overwhelming. We were shocked on the first day, the opening night, by two things: the environment, I mean, the heavens opened; the waters poured, but the shock was the level of response from the people in the villages. The palace was packed with people who refused to leave the rain; they worshipped and glorified God that God had visited Ikorodu Igbobo, and the atmosphere was electric.
"The power of God was here. Two thousand souls gave their lives to Christ during that rain. And this morning, I think we probably must have served between 20,000 to 30,000 people with items of clothing and food, and I think they just came to test the mic, if what we were saying was real, and then we ended with excess."
The Christ for Compassion Rural Outreach initiative convener also revealed that some attendees from France and the Ivory Coast flew into the country.
"We are here, our friends are here too, some have come from France, Ivoire Cost, 120 people from KICC London, and it is such a great joy to be able to, in a microcosm, touch Nigeria through the Compassion of Christ," he said.
