The Catholic Church honors DG NIS Shuaibu

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Comrade Philip Shaibu, on Friday received a special award during the 25th National Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Nigeria Catholic Men’s Organization (CMO), Ecclesiastical Province of Benin, held at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre, Airport Road, Benin City.

The award was presented to Shaibu by the Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Benin, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubueze, in recognition of his contribution to humanity, service to God and commitment to society.

The event, themed “Walking with Christ: Reflections on a 25-Year Journey of Faith,” attracted faithful Catholics, dignitaries, community leaders and organizational members from across the province.

Speaking during his speech at the ceremony, Shaibu said two main factors continued to guide him throughout his life and in his public service: his service to God and his background in political activism dating back to his school days.

According to him, his faith and activism shaped his resilience and courage in the face of political challenges and persecution.

Shaibu also spoke out about his political crisis with former Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, describing some of the actions taken against him as petty and vindictive.

He noted that the former governor revoked his properties in Benin City and his house in Jattu just a month before the end of the Obaseki administration in Edo State without his knowledge.

The former deputy governor further alleged that just six days before leaving office, Obaseki proceeded to allocate the said Benin property to some of his Lebanese associates.

“This tells you how evil he was. We must be wary of people who are evil in their hearts but pretend to be good on the outside,” Shaibu said.

Despite the challenges, Shaibu expressed gratitude to the individuals, religious groups and supporters who stood by his side in prayers during the political turmoil.

He launched an appeal for continued prayer, underlining that the crisis is not over yet.

“I want to sincerely thank everyone who stood by me in prayers during difficult times. I still need your prayers because the crisis is not over yet,” he added.

The Silver Jubilee celebration marked 25 years of the Catholic Men Organization’s journey of faith and service to the Church and humanity within the ecclesiastical province of Benin.