A few days ago, the news broke that Evangelist Ebenezer Obey lost his son, Olayinka Olalekan Obey-Fabiyi at the age of 48. It came as sad news to the music icon who just celebrated his 80th birthday.
Shortly after the news broke on social media, the family promptly issued a statement explaining what happened. This was followed by a full-page statement in one of the daily newspapers further explaining what happened. This was signed by Evang. (Prof) Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi himself. It was this public announcement that revealed the formation of the Freedom From Alcoholism & Drug Addiction Ministry (FADAM). He said the initiative was to help turn the pains of the death of his son into a solution ministry to parents and families of such children and youths passing through the same experience.
Last Friday, City People went to talk to Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey at his Lagos home and we found him in a sober mood. Although he tried to fight back his emotions, he looked dull. He revealed that since the incident happened, he has not had time to rest as a series of calls kept coming in to commiserate with him.
How did he take the sad news, we asked? “Just like you said, it was a very, very, sad one indeed, and very very painful,” he explained. “I don’t pray that anyone, anybody, in life, any parent should pass through that experience, it is a very, very bad experience.” How did he feel when doctors told him that death was inevitable? “Hmmmmm! For the first few days, I was unable to sleep. I was unable to eat. I was not myself. I was awake all night, thinking about the whole incident. It’s so sad. It is not a good thing for a father, to hear that from a doctor, telling you that your son is having less than 6 months more to live. I could not take it. It affected my concentration. I was feeling so sad. When people are talking to me they think I am listening to them, but they don’t know I am off.”
“When I saw all these happening, I now had to go to the Holy Spirit in prayers because the Lord Jesus said, let not your heart be troubled. In my father’s house, there are mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back…Where I am you shall be there also.” Then he said, “I will send you a Comforter. The Comforter that I will send you will relieve you of all the pains. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter”. In John 16, when the disciples said we don’t want you to go. He said No, it is important for me to go. If I don’t, go, the Holy Spirit will not come. When I go, I will send him to you and he will abide with you. He will live with you”. And that is what I have been doing all my life. I have passed through the different phases of life, I have swam in deep waters that were not palatable. But each time I get such an experience, I am not left alone. I don’t have any other person than God that can help me out. And I have known how to work with the Holy Spirit. I always ask the Holy Spirit to teach me what to do.
And in a few days, the answer came. The answer the Holy Spirit gave me is that I must turn the pain and sadness of Yinka’s death into a solution-Ministry, to the parents of such people, who are into Alcoholism. Let me also quickly say that my late son, Yinka, did not take drugs. His own was Alcoholism.
But the Holy Spirit taught me not to limit it alone to Alcoholism, that I should reach out to those who are also into Drugs. The Holy Spirit taught me to establish FADAM, Freedom From Alcoholism & Drugs Ministry. He gave me the name. Already, I have the name, I have everything. It is not a Foundation where you are seeking money, money, money. You don’t use the passing into the glory of one’s son, to ask for money but to relieve the pain of the parents of our youths who are passing through that. That is the reason. And that is what I am doing. That is why we launched FADAM in Abeokuta last weekend.” Last Saturday was 8 days that Yinka was buried. That is why I sent an announcement out”.
What is Evangelist Ebenezer Obey’s message and advice to all our young ones concerning their handling of alcohol and substances like Drugs? “To the youths, hmmm”, he paused. “Hmmm! I want to appeal to the youths to take life easy. This is because the youths of today are the leaders of tomorrow. The future belongs to the youth. That is why I want to appeal to them to get prepared, to take over the baton from the older ones, and to take over the baton of leadership from elders. If we are going to have a better country and a better future, we must prepare the youths of today. That is what I want to start doing now, to prepare our youths so that they need to start seeing themselves as future leaders, and to start to prepare themselves by making sure that they desist from all those things that are not good. They should be law-abiding and abandon all those things that cannot help the youth. They should shun alcohol. They should shun drugs and get ready for Leadership.”
How about their parents? What is Evangelist Obey’s message and advice for parents? “I want to advise the parents that they should continue to make sure they follow up on their children, not minding the situation of things in the country.
At the last moment, when Yinka was ready to change, it was too late. He saw all his mistakes and when the Doctor told me his verdict, he also told Yinka himself. It was then he felt bad. He called me and was begging me not to be angry and not to be embarrassed. I told him I am not angry with him. The only thing is that you sentenced yourself to death. I told him, I said well, I know that God performs miracles. And his miracle can take care of you. His miracle can save you. I put you under God’s care and Miracle. If God’s miracle happens to you, then turn that into a positive thing. Don’t touch Alcohol at all again and you too will now be testifying, that it was until when you got to the point of death, that God did a miracle to save your life. I said that is the only thing that can save him.
So, he was sorry, but it was too late for him. If he had listened to me all these years, maybe what happened wouldn’t have happened. But saying sorry was even painful. We thank God for everything. God wants us to use this as an inspiration to parents who are passing through the same experience.”
What was the name of the health challenge that he had? “They said the alcohol intake had affected his liver. His liver had packed up because of Alcoholism”.
What are the lessons this has taught us? “It has taught us a lot of lessons,” he explained. “It is for the youths of today to abstain from the use of Alcohol and drugs. If to say he had listened to me, this wouldn’t have happened to him. Anything alcohol is bad. That is my message to all the youths”.
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