A thanksgiving Service was on Sunday held for the patriarch of the Obaseki family and retired Supreme Court Judge, late Justice Andrews Otutu Obaseki at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Benin City, the Edo State Capital.
Delivering a sermon titled: “Entering the kingdom of God through our works” the Bishop, Anglican Diocese of Benin, Rt. Revd. Peter Imasuen, taking his reading from Mathew 25: 1-34, called on the congregation to live fulfilled lives that will affect those around them positively, knowing that their works will be tried on the last day by God who is the Judge of all Judges.
He called on Christians to be ambassadors of Christ, live disciplined lives and make heaven their focus, as these are the sure ways of inheriting the kingdom of God, which is the final destination for all Christians.
He added that Christians don’t pass away but pass on to another realm, noting that the late Justice Obaseki has therefore passed on to glory.
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who led other members of the Obaseki family to the thanksgiving, said the patriarch of the family, late Justice Obaseki, lived a life worth emulating as he represented the essence of the Obaseki’s family.
He explained that the essence of the Obaseki family is justice, truth, discipline, fairness, education, hard work and the fear of God.
The governor expressed profound gratitude to God Almighty for giving the entire family the opportunity to honour their father.
Governor Obaseki said the late Justice was active in the society after retiring from the Supreme Court in 1991 and was relevant until he died.
“After retiring as a judge from the Supreme Court, he took on the responsibility of training judges at the National Judicial Institute (NJI). He later returned home and played a very active role in the palace of the Oba of Benin as the Obaseki of Benin Kingdom,” Obaseki said.
The governor noted that the late justice was a very prayerful man and served as a cloud that covered him, stressing that he will be greatly missed by the entire family.
“He was very prayerful; he waited for me to win at the Supreme Court and died two days after and for me that is profound,” Obaseki noted.
Speaking about immortalizing the late Justice, the governor said apart from the scholarship the Obaseki family instituted at St. Peter’s Anglican Church to immortalize him, he had already been immortalized in several ways like the auditorium of the National Judicial Institute that is named after him.
He added that the Oba of Benin honoured him with a hereditary title: “the Obaseki of Benin Kingdom”, stressing that he will be remembered for so many things.
The eldest son of the late Justice, Mr. Edosa Obaseki, said the shoes left by his father will be too big to fill but assured that he will do his best to unite the family and ensure his father’s legacies live on.
“I will do my best to maintain my father’s legacy of personal integrity which to me is one of his most important legacies. He lived a fulfilled life and we never wanted him to go no matter his age. He was a man of wisdom always ready to share with people around him,” he said.
Dignitaries at the event included Edo State Head of Service, Mrs. Gladys Idahor, Justice Adah N. Ehigiamusoe (who represented the Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Esohe Ikponmwen), Hon. Justice Pat Elumeze, Hon. Justice Okeaya-Inneh, the Majority leader of Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), Hon. Asoro Roland, member EDHA Hon. Lawani Damian.
Others were top Palace Chiefs including the Esogban of Benin, Chief (Dr.) David Edebiri, the Edobayokhae of Benin, Chief Osemwegie Ero, the Uwayeoba of Benin, Chief (Dr.) Solomon Ogbewe, the Obasogie of Benin, Chief Eduwu Ekhator Obasogie, the Nobabor of Benin, Chief K.O. Oteghekpen and the Obobaifo of Benin, Chief Esosa Eghobamien, amongst others.
PHOTO CAPTION
R-L: Eldest Son of the late Justice Andrews Otutu Obaseki, Mr. Edosa Obaseki; his wife Beverly; Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki; Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State; Ikponmwosa Obaseki; first daughter of the late justice, Hon Justice Osat Obaseki-Osaghae and her husband Mr. Bob Osaghae at the funeral thanksgiving service of the late Supreme Court justice in Benin City on Sunday, 20th August, 2017.
