Nigerian international musical star, Divine Ikubor, widely known as Rema, has made a generous donation of N105 million to Christ Embassy Church in Benin City, Edo State.
The donation was made during a thanksgiving service at the church, where Rema expressed his gratitude for the support his family received during a challenging period in his childhood.
Rema, who was in Edo State to celebrate Edo@33, also performed at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 6,000-capacity Edo Dome and participated in a musical concert at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, all at the invitation of the state government.
The Edo-born artiste, addressing the congregation at the Edo Regional Headquarters of the church on Erediauwa Street off Ekenwa Road, shared his personal connection to the church.
He recounted how, after the loss of his father at the age of eight, the church, under the leadership of Pastor Joy and Pastor Thomas, played a huge role in supporting his family.
The church opened a shop for his mother, which became the lifeline for their survival during that difficult time.
“I am not here to give myself any form of accolades or glory but to give God the glory,” Rema said. “I felt it was important to give back to the church that has embraced me, prayed for me, and kept me very consistent with my spirit. When I lost my dad, we felt lost and abandoned. All that we had was taken from us, and we felt alone. But the church stood by us.”
Rema announced his donation, pledging N40 million towards the church’s infrastructural development, N20 million to support the Rhapsody of Realities publication, and an additional N25 million to the church’s teen ministry, from which he had once benefited. He also pledged N20 million to assist widows in the congregation.