The Itsekiri people on Friday converged on the palace of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, to commence the 28th Coronation Anniversary of the monarch.
They gathered at the Four Square Gospel Church Aghofen, inside the Olu Palace in Warri South, to offer praises to God for sparing their lives and that of the monarch.
Senior pastor in the church, Sam Aboyeji, counseled the people to always appreciate the goodness of God in their lives.
Mr. Aboyeji, in his sermon, which was taken from the book of Psalms 21:1, Deuteronomy 7:6 among others, said, “All God wants is the heart of appreciation.
“The Itsekiri people need to appreciate God because they have not been conquered by the enemies around them.
“If we deny God his worship and praise, then will we be as bad as the nine lepers in the Bible”.
The clergy likened the Itsekiris to the Israelites in the Bible, who had enjoyed God’s divine blessings, increase, power, favour and wealth, urging them to sustain their faith in Christ.
Meanwhile, a 50-year old woman, Mary Okorodudu, thanked the Olu of Warri for his magnanimity to his subjects.
”I suffered sight defect for three years but I regained my sight after a successful operation put together by the monarch in conjunction with the Ugbajo Itsekiri in the United Kingdom”, she said.
“This was shortly after the 27th anniversary of the Olu”, Okorodudu added.
The doctor, who performed the eye operation, Mogba Eyeoyibo urged Itsekiri indigenes to take advantage of the free medical services to improve on their health condition.