The General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere has rededicated and renamed its free restaurant after the tone Dapchi Schoolgirl in Boko Haram captivity, Little Miss Leah Sharibu.
Speaking during the rededication and renaming of the OPM Free Restaurant at Rumuagholu, in Port Harcourt, last Friday, the cleric charged Rivers State youth involved in criminal activities including kidnapping and prostitution, among other negative vices to desist and emulate the faith of little Sharibu.
The Tide reports that Leah is the only Dapchi Schoolgirl, among the 110 others, abducted by Boko Haram this year in Yobe State, who is still being held for refusing to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ.
“We decided to rename this OPM Free Restaurant, which has been in existence for the past five years, in honour of our beloved Sister, Leah Sharibu in solidarity with the exceptional faith she showed to the world that Jesus Christ was the only answer to all human problems, no matter the pressure. Surely, God said ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning’.”
Chinyere reminded the congregation that they must hold on to their faith no matter the challenges of life just as little Leah did not to renounce Jesus Christ, but rather stood firm as did the three Hebrew brothers, Daniel, Shedrach and Abednigo, despite their sufferings by Satan, adding that Miss Sharibu stands as a symbol, hero and an icon of faith to all in the world, especially those that would come into the restaurant to eat.
He restated his resolve to offer free scholarship to the highest level of education to Leah, once she regains freedom, adding that construction work was already ongoing on a three bedroom flat he promised her parents, noting that in the soonest Leah would be set free by her abductors as the body of Christ was praying fervently for her release.
He charged other churches to emulate the free-spirit driving the 11-year old OPM’s success in transforming lives positively, frowned that many churches were not impacting lives positively with their huge offerings, tithes, and seeds of faith due to greed and corruption that have beclouded many men of God.
“When Jesus Christ came to spread the gospel and the people were hungry, He gave them both physical and spiritual foods to eat. This is why I make it a point of duty to ensure that every Sunday, we have food for those who need it, and are able to come to church.
The man of God emphasized that apart from the skills acquisition training, rehabilitation of militants, giving of physical foods to the hungry, over 30 ex-militants have also been assisted to gain meaningful employment the church also embarks on other charitable works.
He further listed them to include eight different estates built donated to less privileged persons, extending alms to prisoners by availing them opportunity to acquire computer and tailoring skills while in prison, so they could be useful to themselves and society after life in prisons, opening of businesses for their wives, providing platform for educating their children in schools, among others.
In his remarks, President, OPM Divine Distributors, Chief Matt Offeh extolled the worthy contributions of Chinyere’s to peace and social stability in the state through his selfless services, affirming that in OPM, there was no social stratification on the basis of class or tribe.
Offeh stressed that OPM’s mission was to bring salvation to the needy, rather than Christians, through the provision of economic and spiritual foods to sinners who were hungry for Christ’s love and care.
OPM’s Welfare Director, Mrs Maureen Chukwu stated that the Leah Sharibu Free Restaurant was mainly to reduce the high level of hardship if not alleviating completely and specifically dedicated to the less privileged, the widows, widowers, orphans and the down-trodden in the society, while calling on the government and other well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of the down-trodden in the society that need food to be strengthened and move on in life.
In his testimony, one of the repentant cultists, Nnabuife Emmanuel said OPM has demonstrated that a church was not only a place where sermons were preached, but also where spiritual blends with material foods to salvage the sinners, thereby returning them to Christ, while also expressing gratitude to the servant of God for giving a new meaning and focus to their lives.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana