Yesterday, 12th March 2018 made it 20 years since the highly revered Archbishop Benson Idahosa popularly called papa; founder of Church of God Mission International Incorporated passed on to glory.

On Thursday, the 12th March 1998, Idahosa had, like any other person, started the day as busy as always. In his office, he asked for a cup of tea which he did not drink up. He told one of his staff members; ‘’I am going home’’. This was not strange except that he repeated it unnecessarily. There was a reason to suspect the unusual but no notice was taken of it. Later that afternoon, at lunch with his guests, he spoke about heaven. He asked them whether they believed it was possible for one to walk to heaven like Elijah did? He said he would prefer to be translated like Enoch and Elijah.

Shortly after he had spoken instructing a deaconess on what the guests should eat for dinner, he began to repeat the words ‘Thank you Jesus’ then suddenly threw his head back on the easy chair and gave up the ghost. Professor Don Petri did not immediately understand until he saw the body slumping off the chair then Don Petri rushed at him calling for help and laying him on the rug. He tried all the resuscitation techniques that he knew but to no avail, they called for help from the Faith MediPlex but the doctors testified that from the moment he hissed that sigh of relief, he had clearly departed. His going was an air of finality which the doctors knew but could not admit. He was not sick. He never had high blood pressure. He was never down. Even the doctors were surprised that he died because he was not sick at all”.

However, even in death, Benson Idahosa speaks even loudly; honoured worldwide on several platforms and most importantly, his messages still being referred too in many Christian circles till date.

In celebration of the life and times of the Archbishop who should not even be referred to as “late”; his son, Faith Emmanuel Benson Idahosa made a post on Instagram. One that accurately defines who Papa Benson was; a man who believed in the efficacy of prayers and believed much more that Prayers and Action are not mutually exclusive hence, they can also be employed as diverse situations present themselves.

In the video, Idahosa has made an illustration of needing water from a jug why praying, binding and casting would be very irrelevant and useless compared to just taking outright action and requesting that someone helped you with it or in the least, reach out yourself.

Papa has, no doubt lived a life; a life that he still lives in our hearts and in the church culture that we now have as a people in Nigeria.