User:Racheal Idibie

Biography of Late Pa Johnson Oritseweyinmi Akpovwa

Pa Johnson Oritseweyinmi Akpovwa was born on April 3rd, 1927 at Eku in Delta State, to warrior and trader parents; Late Pa Thompson and Mrs Titi Akpovwa. He passed on the early hour of the 4th day of January, 2020. At the age of 93.

He attended Baptist Primary School, Eku, where he obtained a Standard Six Certificate in 1944. He proceeded to Abbot Commercial Secondary School in Sapele.

He was extremely diligent, detailed and an excellent fellow. This undoubtedly earned him the position of the first indigenous Secretary/Accountant of the Eku Baptist Hospital being run by Foreign Missionaries at the time.

He married his heartthrob and wife of his youth; Late Snr Deaconess Grace Okogeni, in 1953, who passed away in the year 2011. That marriage was blessed with noble sons and daughters.

He was very daring and a determined young man, with lofty and unrivalled dreams. This made him to venture into business. He got into motor spare parts and scrap business and thrived in it. He got his first building at Amagiya road, Sapele, at the age of twenty seven (27) working for himself. He never ran out of business ideas. Along the line, in the company of his loyal wife, Grace, he moved to Owo in Ondo State, in quest for holy grail. He found undoubtedly and in good measure at that. He later delved into timber business and got good success. He busied himself transversing the forests of the mid- west region, successfully trading timber and sawn wood. While he procured the wood from the forest, his late wife,  Grace, was in charge of the sales. His nature is to give his best to whatever he chose to do, even at old age. Owing to this diligent diligent disposition, the family's timber business grew and rose financially to the third biggest in the region after African Timber & Plywood Company (AT&P), Sapele and the Nigerian Hardwood Company, Obiaruku, owning three (3) locally built trucks, popularly known as agbegi, at the time. The success realized from this venture in the days of timber boom, gave birth to his storey building at New road, Sapele, built within five months and three weeks from block moulding to painting.

He further went into bakery business. The bread label was "Royal Family Bread", with his ever consistent motto; "Our God is Able". All of his properties bore (or bear) this motto even until his demise.

Tireless! He was the real meaning of 'hardwork'. He went into large scale subsistence farming at Ugbakele along the Benin Rivers.

A well spring of business ideas Papa was. He further went into large scale poultry. There were days, the spirit of death possessed the greater percentage of the birds, but Papa stayed persistent. He was a fighter!

His fish farm was a sight to behold. He knew the names of every single specie of fish in his ponds and the dates they were hatched. He had a hatchery, staff and even industrial trainees from Tertiary institutions within and around the state.

Late Pa Johnson Akpovwa was a devout Christian. He got converted alongside his wife, Grace, into St. Joseph's Chosen Church of God in 1967. He was baptized by the late Elect of God, Apostle Joseph Ikechukwu. He later moved with his family to Christ's Chosen Church of God and became the first senior elder of New Road branch when it was created, while his wife, Grace, was the senior Deaconess. At some point, he returned to St. Joseph's Chosen Church of God, where he served faithfully as elder and even Regional Father General until his demise.

He was an eagle-eyed visionary, dreamer and prophet. He was an intercessor and evangelist. He was a great listener and counsellor. He was a chest of wisdom. His insight was always divine. A focused man who repelled mediocrity. A very neat man; no stale meals, no untidy environment, no noise, no reckless speeches, no shabby dressing, no wanton friends, no wandering, no idling, in fact, he was an organized man.