By Joy Odor Abuja, Nigeria – 2 December 2025
In a moment steeped in emotion, institutional pride, and the weight of history, the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) witnessed a rare convergence of its past and present leadership as Pioneer Executive Secretary, Prof. John Kennedy Opara, led a high-powered delegation to condole with the Commission’s current helmsman, Bishop Professor Stephen Adegbite, over the death of his father, Chief Moses Adegbite, aged 86.
The visit, held at the NCPC headquarters in Abuja, read like a chapter from the Commission’s living history one where respect, continuity, and shared faith shaped a poignant encounter between two of its most influential figures.
Bishop Adegbite, visibly moved, described Prof. Opara as “a living saint whose legacy will outlive him,” praising the pioneer Executive Secretary’s decades of public service and leadership.
He emphasized the value of celebrating role models while they are alive, noting that Opara’s character and achievements have earned him admiration across Nigeria’s religious and administrative circles.
The NCPC boss, still mourning but resolute, added a tone of national reflection: “Peace will prevail in this country. Nigeria will move forward.”
Prof. Opara, speaking with the gravity of a man who helped build the Commission from the ground up, expressed deep sympathy to the Adegbite family and paid tribute to both the late Chief Moses Adegbite and late Archbishop Numel Baba, a former NCPC Board member.
“It is with a deep sense of loss but gratitude to God that I come to condole you,” he said. Drawing from Scripture Romans 14:7-8 he reminded the gathering that life and death remain firmly in God’s hands: “If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord.”
He celebrated Chief Adegbite as “a gift to Nigeria,” urging the family to draw strength from the patriarch’s fulfilled life and unwavering faith.
He prayed for God’s guidance upon Bishop Adegbite, expressing hope that he would finish his tenure “strong and even greater” than his predecessors.
Prof. Opara, now Chairman of CSS Global Integrated Farms in Gora, Nasarawa State, arrived with members of his management team, including the organisation’s General Manager, Dr. Ifeoma Unachukwu, underscoring the significance of the visit.
As the delegation departed, the corridor of the NCPC bore the unmistakable imprint of two eras united in grief, anchored by faith, and strengthened by an enduring legacy of service to Nigeria’s Christian community.
