Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has charged newlywed couples to build their marriages on the virtues of love and submission as taught in the Word of God.
\nProf. Odu gave the charge at the wedding ceremony of Amblessed Favour Sunny-Cookey and Samson Jesuganji at Lifegate Power Ministries, Dominion Cathedral, in Port Harcourt on Saturday, 16th May 2026.
\nThe Deputy Governor congratulated the couple on beginning a new phase of life together and prayed for God\u2019s blessings upon their union, noting that the couple had been raised by godly parents and encouraged them to uphold the Christian values instilled in them.
\nReferring to the sermon delivered during the ceremony, Prof. Odu emphasized that the principles of love and submission remain fundamental to a successful marriage.
\nAccording to her, genuine love reflects the nature of God, stressing that love should remain the foundation of the couple\u2019s relationship as they journey through life together.
\nProf. Odu further prayed for enduring peace, happiness, and progress in the home, expressing confidence that the marriage would continue to flourish under God\u2019s guidance.
\nThe Deputy Governor also commended the families of the couple for their support and upbringing, while urging the newlyweds to always remember the significance of the day and the commitment they had made before God and witnesses.
\nIn his sermon at the wedding, the Founder and Presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, stated that marriage did not originate from Western culture, traditions, or human ideas, but from God, whom he described as the \u201cmanufacturer\u201d of marriage.
\nAccording to the cleric, couples seeking lasting and peaceful homes must rely on biblical principles rather than societal trends or assumptions.
\nHe explained that many marital crises and rising divorce rates stem from ignorance and failure to apply scriptural teachings in family life.
\nDrawing from the biblical parable of building a house on a rock, Pastor Ibiyeomie said the Word of God remains the only solid foundation capable of sustaining marriages through challenges and difficult times.
\nHe noted that marriage naturally comes with unexpected realities and pressures, stressing that religious ceremonies or cultural practices alone are not enough to sustain a home without proper understanding of God\u2019s instructions.
\nThe pastor further warned that ignorance of scripture remains one of the greatest weapons against believers, urging Christians to study and practice the Word of God rather than merely attending church services.
\nIt would be recalled that the bride is the daughter of Pastor Sunny Cookey the Founder and Presiding Pastor of Lifegate Ministries. The Ceremony had lots of Ministers in attendance which includes Apostle Zilly Aggrey, Pastor George Izunwa, and Bishop Winston Iwo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has charged newlywed couples to build their marriages on the virtues of love and submission as taught in the Word of God. Prof. Odu gave the charge at the wedding ceremony of Amblessed Favour Sunny-Cookey and Samson Jesuganji at Lifegate Power Ministries, Dominion Cathedral, in Port Harcourt […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67315,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-355544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/67315"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=355544"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":355555,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355544\/revisions\/355555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=355544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=355544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=355544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}