by crossriverwatch admin
Cross River State Deputy Governor, Barrister Efiok Cobham, Wife of the Cross River State Governor, Mrs. Obioma Liyel Imoke, Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Larry Odey, Sir A. Ubulom, representative of Governor Akpabio, Mrs. Nela Andem Rabana, First and only senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN were some of the dignitaries that graced the wedding ceremony of Pastor Oku Ita Andrew and the first daughter of Calabar-based tele-evangelist, First Emmah Isong on July 13, 2013.
The wedding was a day the cream de la cream including over 50 renowned men of God, top government functionaries and Calabar socialites gathered at the Christian Central Chapel International along Ikot Eneobong, in Calabar Metropolis to witness the nuptial bliss of Bishop and Mrs. Emmah Gospel Isong’s daughter, First Emmah Isong, to her heartthrob, Pastor Oku Ita Andrew.
In his wedlock ministration tagged “sustainable marriage” Bishop N. E. Moses of the Overcomers Bible Church Lagos, draw his teaching from the book of Genesis Chapter 2 verses 18.
Bishop Moses said, “Man alone is deficient, without a woman life has no meaning and cannot be complete. So, He gave him a wife to think deep. And in taking the wife, man needs not be in a haste to avoid mistakes,” adding that “a man who is careful will get your gift from God.
“A man can inherit everything from the father or relatives but a woman is a gift from God and also stands as the bone and flesh of the flesh of his husband,” he emphasized.
Admonishing the couple on the ethics of marriage, he said “marriage is not a temporary thing, but a permanent affair made up of bone and flesh of both; a thing that is interwoven and cannot be separated.”
He advised the bride and groom to embrace love be transparent to each other as it is the sure way to sustain the marriage.
Also ministering, Bishop Godwin Okafor congratulated the couple for the bold step taken so far, saying “I appreciate the favor God has given to you to come together as husband and wife as the word of the Lord says if a man find a wife he has found a good thing and obtains favor from God.”
Bishop Okafor, based in Port Harcourt, administered the marriage oath and advised the couple to live as one and respect one another so that the marriage can flourish.
Advising the couple, Rev. Nick Eze revealed secrets to sustainable marriage to the groom.
Eze said, “It is your duty to design every patterns of your marriage life style you want to introduce to your wife, if you do that your marriage would stand a test of time.”
Advising further, Arch Bishop Archibong Archibong, the Cross River state Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, congratulated the couple and prayed for God’s provision of their needs, protection and projection.
“Man should be good to the wife because she has left the parents’ house to come and eat your money. It is the responsibility of both couple to pray for each other and to always apologies to one another when offended”.
Archibong said this is the time to imbibe the spirit of “service, saying I am sorry; showing love and saying thank you.”
On his part, the Speaker Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Larry Odey, advised the couple to evolve their own character in their marriage life by being original and truthful to each other.
In his remark, the Chairman of the occasion and Permanent Secretary in SSG’s office in Akwa Ibom State, Elder George
Akpabio, thanked the church for honoring the newly wedded couple.
“I thank the church leaders for the necessary advice given to our newly wedded couple, I believe this advice would nurture them and make the marriage blossom” he said.
Asked why he gave her daughter out in marriage to one of his pastor (Oku Ita Andrew), Bishop Isong, the founder and president of Christian Central Chapel International, CCCI, Calabar said “the marriage is divine by God and cannot be opposed by man”, adding that “Pastor Oku has searched and found his bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.”
Speaking, the groom expressed joy for the successful wedding, saying “it is the peak of my fulfillment, the joy in my heart is unquantifiable. I am really happy because I married my best friend, sister and my daughter in Christ”.
On why he got interested to marry his overseer daughter, Pastor Oku, heading the Abuja branch of CCCI, said “her spirit is exceptional, she is a goal-getter and with that both of them would get through the journey, right to the peak where God wants them to get to.”
On her part, the bride, Mrs. First Oku Ita, said “I am very happy to God that I found a true husband who has all the qualities needed in a man.”
Also present to witness the blissful matrimony, described by watchers as a gathering of clergymen from different parts of the country, included Arch Bishop Archibong Archibong, Cross River state Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, Elder George Akpabio, Permanent Secretary SSG office, Akwa Ibom State, Bishops E. N. Moses of OverComers, Lagos, Godwin Oka, Port Harcourt; Tunde Adeleye, Anglican Communion, Calabar; Enobong Affia, Arch. Bishop Mboho, Abak; Apostle Helen Ukpabio; Rev. Prof. and Mrs. Aniefiok Akpabio and Rev. Nick Eze.
The ceremony featured group dance presentation including precious wing dance crew, Gospel unit, FOFA all-stars amongst others.
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