 After months of preparations, the 108 Nigerian Baptist Convention commenced on Saturday, 24 April 2021, with members and attenders across the country. The convention, which took place for the first time in newly-built 37,000 auditorium at the campsite along Legosi Badun Espresway, was dedicated by the church leadership. It is good to us to give all the place and power to bring the completion of this auditorium to this stage. We stand in this holy place and before its presence to dedicate this building to Him, to the glory of God our Father, from whom comes every good and perfect grip. To the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our Redeemer and our King. To the praise of the Holy Spirit, our source of light and light. The Lord is strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your hands so you get. Be lifted up all ancient doors. Who is He, the King of Glory? Therefore, in conjunction with the Chamber of the Convention and our wives, on the very flag of the dedication of these Baptists International Auditorium are the Baptists International Convention Center. Today, 24 April 2021, in the presence of the Congregation of God's people In the name of God, the Father, Amen. Vice President in charge of finance could not hide his excitement on the stage the campsite has gotten to just like the president also narrated the orders his administration had crossed to be quit this legacy. This is only one God, only one God who is able to do all things. For him alone be all the glory. I did a privilege to serve the people of God. I came here by divine revelation and by divine heart and I serve at his bidding. So his presence in everything has made the difficult job easy. I give him the glory, no challenging womanly speaking, but made easy by the power of his presence and by his wisdom. Here we see that we have not finished completely, but we have reached over 75 percent completion of the auditorium. We we we trust the Lord that has taken this work this far to help us complete it. Some of the women leaders shared their thoughts on the role Christian women play in shaping the nation. We will not stop as parents to pray for them as parents to continue to encourage them to to cancel them to not give up on them who will not give up. We continue to show them by example, we continue to plead with them onto the sea that the way they are living is not proper. We will not abandon them. We visit them not only when they are in nursery school but even when they are in the university. We pay them visit when they don't know we are coming and we ensure that they follow the moral values that they have been taught at home. Women wing has been on for the past 102 years ago. Two, three days ago we celebrated our 102nd annual conversion at Shepardin Baptist Church and the Baptist woman has always been there. It is also the conversion Herodine, a new president that would take over from Reverend Dr Ola Shu Mo Ayokule, who also doubles as president of Christian Association of Nigeria. It is day two. Against the expectation of having vice president on the final day, Professor Yemio Shibajo, out of his tight schedule, decided to grace the occasion. Typical of Reverend Dr Sam Sin Ayokule, where he always speaks truth to power, chose not to spare his guest but assured him of moral and spiritual support. We know that you have on your shoulders very intimidating assignments and at this time, I have never seen a time most trying in deletion than this one. Even men are just rising everywhere. Up to now we don't know who really offended them but they are just rising with the spirit of wickedness, killing, maiming, vandalizing, troubling the entire nation. He lost book to me and said that they are the Egyptians of our time. Are the Egyptians buried in the sea for stubbornness? The stubborn one among them who will not repent will drown in the ocean of God's wrath in the name of Jesus. He is living with his reputation omblemished. He is living at a point where he is also one of the most respected leaders of the Christian faith in Nigeria and there are more victories ahead. So I join the members of the Baptist family in Nigeria and worldwide and all the children of God to congratulate this man of exceptional character, a man of great wisdom, great achievements. There is a promise of God that this nation, this nation Nigeria will prosper, that this nation will be the epicenter of the outstanding economic and scientific developments of the 21st century that we will create here in this country an oasis of peace, prosperity and security, such as has never been seen before on this continent and beyond. Another major event was a valedictory and commendation service for the retiring president Reverend Samson Ayokuli. The atmosphere was ecstatic as the clergyman thanked God for the leadership achievements recorded and leaving office a fulfilled man. During the course of the valedictory service was the arrival of some prominent Nigerian top political office holders, including former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Ulusegu Obasanjo, Yogun State Governor Dabo Abiodun, Oyo State Governor Shayimaki Nde, the senator representing Adamawa North Unitarian District Senator Ishaku Abo, some top clergymen and traditional rulers who have gathered to celebrate the outgoing president on his 10 years of excellent service to the Baptist Convention. Dr. Reverend, we thank God for your life. You have come, you have seen, and you have planted and the plant and what you have planted is growing in your own eyes. I and my brothers felicitate with you and your dear family and we wish you well. My prayer is that God will give you a new energy because you are at the end of one assignment and at the beginning of another. I'm particularly happy about the progress that the Baptist Convention is making in Nigeria. 1964, when we celebrated 50th anniversary of the Baptist Convention, it was a big thing. Then we celebrated the centenary, a bigger thing. Today, we are celebrating 108th, it's yet a bigger thing. And I will say to all family, to all Baptist family, Baptist Convention family that we should work as hard as cooperatively with the incoming president, Reverend Dr. Kangee. Dr. Adene, you are focused consistent, dedicated, upright, a moral compass. You just appointed an ambassador for gender justice. That speaks volumes. You are indeed, you are indeed a shining example of a shepherd of God. I want to once again congratulate you and I want by the same being congratulate the incoming president, Reverend Dr. Israel Kangee. I pray that the God Almighty will grant him the wisdom and all that we're with all for a successful tenure. Once again, I want to congratulate the entire Nigerian Baptist family on the successful hosting of this 108th session of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. After serving as the president of the Nigerian Baptist Convention for 10 years, well, you know, for us politicians, you can only have four staff and then second town, totally eight years and then you have to go. But for him, he served for 10 years. So excellence is closely related to completeness and this is linked to that number 10. Reverend Iokule has rendered excellent service to the Baptist Convention. So I want to congratulate you on the achievement and I do this on behalf of myself, my family, the government and the good people of your state. Well, just as you have achieved excellence in service here and I can see that you're not tired and you're returning back to Ibadah shortly, we want you to continue to be of service to our country and to our state. They also spoke on the roles of the church in tackling the challenges the country is faced with. The role of the church is simple, the Lord is our shepherd, we shall know one, the book of Psalm 23 will continue to pray and then we'll continue to be careful. Somebody was making a statement, he said whatever thing you see mentioned, don't keep quiet if you suspect anything, let people in the authority know and then we'll continue to pray. In the contemporary Nigeria of today, the church, more especially the Baptist and indeed the church generally has a big role to play, number one in speaking the truth in love to people in authority. Nigeria is facing its worst security and indeed economic crisis since the Nigerian civil war. We have never had this bad, it is so bad, it is so bad, it is the worst since the civil war of Nigeria. The church have to pray, support the leaders and at the same time speak to leaders and I am calling one day the church to call leaders to action. I think the leadership in the country have to wake up. There were series of other celebration activities, prison worship, testimonies, seed offering, scripture reading and message, administrations. The last day of the convention as early as 7 a.m. on Thursday April 29, 2021 started off with the Royal Ambassador's Century Parade as part of the activities to end the convention and the pulling out of the outgoing president. As our special squad are planning to form up their vows for this centenary celebration, we are giving best to and it is a great honor to see them celebrate this centenary celebration. Reverend Ayo Kuli received the parades in warm appreciation. We celebrate you, we honor your seal, your passion for the kingdom of Christ and we pray that you will continue to build it in the midst of the challenges that we are having in the name of the law we declare by the authority of the recent Christ that the church will prevail against insurgency, against mandatory, against kidnapping and all forms of insecurity that we have today. We are going to prevail in the name of the law. After the parade, it's back to the convention hall where the day sessions kicked off with hesitation and administrations with Reverend Dr. Paul Genfa giving a charge on faith practicing. Possessing your possessions by faiths. Those who are too faiths. Number three, possessing your possession through positive confession. God don't think you should be saying that about your life. Don't say it again. Say something positive. There were also activities like discussion of all reports, resolutions and communicate and words and recognition. Towards the evening section was the entrance of the new president, Reverend Dr. Isru Adelani Akonji, who was received by the Overjoyed Congregation. While at the altar with his new team of administration, the ex-president gave his admonitions and prayers. Beloved, do not take this grace in vain. Do not take any actions without where consulting go. What God has used to help me is not about what I have taught myself, but what I will take to this throne room. I say, God deliver me from error. Thank you for counting this one's worthy. Be glorified, eternal father, in the name of Jesus Christ. We are glad that they are workers with you. That assures us that you will not abandon them. You will not leave them alone at the assignment. Therefore, living father, I pray, as you cast your spirit to enter us all, immediately it was anointed king. Let your spirit overwhelmingly come upon these ones in the name of Jesus. After the admonition comes the new president's acceptance speech. Continuity. As a people who have been on ground for over a century, almost two centuries, so much ground has been captured for the kingdom of God. I am not called to be a founder of a denomination, but to lead a family-founded one to higher grounds for God's great glory. For this reason, there will be a lot of things that must continue. In fact, there are some things which might need to be revived in order to continue them. In view of this, I hereby accept the call of God to serve as the president of our great Nigerian Baptist Convention in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Towards the ending of the convention, some of the parishioners and senior pastors spoke on their take-home messages about the success of the convention, what they wish for the former president and the advice for the new administration. As we are rejoicing and celebrating for the first time here, indeed it is very marvelous and we thank God for that. The lessons we have learned is one, to be focused in anything we are doing, then to work towards it assiduously, and to know that the eternal home is what we should aspire to get to. As we are serving God and running the race, at the same time there is another joy over there, even after the race. We have heard the message that when you come in to move forward, we have a race and the race is to make it happen. That is the ultimate. I wish the outgoing president, in person of Reverend Dr. Samson Ola Shukuadinii Ayokule, the best in life. He should know that though his living office, he carries the anointing that has not expired, so he should continue doing the work of ministry. My advice for the man whom the Lord has chosen for us this time, Dr. Israel Adilaniakonji, is for him to be focused, to know who has brought him into this office and to face him squarely, and to remember he will give account to him. This is the first time in the history of the Najaba's conversion that we have in a national annual conversion session in a property that we hold ourselves called a camp. This is the first time. It is a success because we were able to get the structure ready before the session. The delegates arrived here safely. We were thinking we would not be able to register up to 5000 delegates. We have more than 5000 delegates, about 5000 delegates registered, and we have more than 5000 people gathered here. As the new era of leadership begins for Baptist family, it is hoped that maximum cooperation will be given, especially as a conversion goes through another phase of development.