Ebenezer Obey gives back to his roots

In case you didn’t know this, the coming of Evangelist Obey Fabbiyi into this world wasn’t an easy one. In fact, it’s the classical case of any child coming to the world to excel will have a very hard time getting into the world. His mother, Abigail Oyindamola Fabiyi, went through tough and rough times. She was barren for about two decades as a married woman. She went everywhere and did everything in search of children but she was unlucky. Eventually, she was evicted from her matrimonial home by the counsel of members of her former husband’s family. This devastated for a long time until she was advised to go to Idogo village away from the face of agony and despair. Incidentally, it was around the time Nathaniel Olasewo Fabiyi moved from Abeokuta to Idogo in order to practice his carpentry alongside with cocoa farming. On the ticket of fate, she met Nathaniel and got married to him. Not too long after, she got pregnant for the first time in over two decades as a wife. However, the bundle of joy lived only three months and ushered in another season of sorrow. She did not lose hope. She took in again and had a baby girl who survived. She was named Grace Olasunbo Amoke (Keyede). Again, God turned her sorrow to joy and her mourning into dancing. She had a boy that was named Ebenezer Olasupo Remilekun Aremu Fabiyi. The name Ebenezer was taken from 1st Samuel 7 verse 12 in the Bible, and it literarily means ‘Rock of help’ and contextually means ‘This marks the place where God helped us.’ The name Remilekun given means ‘The Lord has put end to my cry’ or simply ‘The Lord has comforted me’ while Olasupo means ‘Affluence has clustered up for me’ or ‘Bundle of affluence’ and Aremu is a traditional panegyric name. Ebenezer began to exhibit his singing talent right from the moment he could truly express himself as a little lad in Idogo. He would sing in-between errands to cover the distance. He took fun in singing about his little observation on people, places, event and things. He would turn virtually everything into song, even his feelings. Really, the musical gift in Ebenezer got much expansion in the Church, thanks to his mum who enrolled him in the church choir. As a member of the choir, he had the opportunity to learn the practical ideals of music and singing. The practical and public singing all started in a small Methodist Church at Idogo. Today, the church of over hundred years where Ebenezer started his music career has been redesigned and reconstructed by him and dedicated by the Archbishop of Methodist Church, Most Reverend Luke Odubanjo. Hear him: “What we are witnessing today started sometimes in the year 2009 as we were preparing for the Idogo and Oja Odan crusades. I remember that my brother, Elder Olufemi Toriola, called me on phone that he will like to see me on a matter of urgent importance. We agreed on phone and he came to meet me in Abeokuta where he told me about the collapse of the roofing of the church. “I was deeply touched by the sad news and I asked myself how could we be holding crusades when our family church where we all grew up was in bad shape? I then told my brother that in a few days time, I would be at Idogo for the crusade and when I came, we all visited the church to evaluate the extent of the damage. It was after this visit that God started the work on the reconstruction of the old church structure to its present magnificent outlook. “But while this was going on, a wild storm happened here in Idogo which destroyed a lot of properties and the Methodist Primary School, my alma mater was also badly affected and ever since, the school children had to be moved out to the town hall as the classrooms and the school building were no longer habitable and conducive for learning, hence the reconstruction of the primary school.” Speaking further, he said, “I started my elementary school here in the Methodist School which was then a mission school owned by the Church. Everything about Ebenezer Obey started in this school and in the Methodist Church. The gift of music and drumming all began here at Idogo. The name Obey which has now become part of my surname was given to me in this school. I also remember that standards one and two classes were moved right into the church when I was in standard two. It was in this church and school that God prepared me for what I am today.” No doubt, his mother’s wish, which is on record that one of her foremost requests to Ebenezer Obey is that he should never abandon Idogo is gradually being fulfilled, as this is not the first project by him to be commissioned for the town. It would be recalled that the town hall of the community which was abandoned for over thirty-one years was also reconstructed and dedicated by the juju maestro.