Rev. Joseph Osarogie Akioya (Dr.)

There are many ways to measure a life well lived. I believe that the best is on impact. No matter the measure used, Daddy Akioya lived life to the fullest. His dedication to ministry, love for others, proven integrity and faith are some of the virtues that stood him out and for which we celebrate him.

We will always remember you Daddy Akioya. Thank you for the legacy you left for us.

Adieu sir.

Papa Akioya as we fondly called Dr. Joseph Osarogie Akioya was a devoted Christian and diligent worker in Faith Arena and was the Head of the Marriage Counselling Committee of the Church when I met him. He counselled my husband and I before our wedding in Faith Arena along side his wife, Rev. Mrs. Deborah Akioya and Dr and Deaconess Akporerho. He gifted us some of his books. Since them , himself and his dear wife have been our mentors, role models and friends.
Daddy Akioya lived a good life, served God and positively impacted many lives.
He has gone to his reward. May his gentle soul rest in peace and may the Holy Spirit comfort his wife, children and entire family, Amen 🙏

I remember you as a gentle man of God, a father of peace and love. Rest well sir in the bosom of our lord God. Amen 🙏

Elder Akioya—that’s how I always knew him.
To me, he was the embodiment of wisdom, gentleness, and grace. If I had to choose just three words to describe him, those would be it. Growing up, I often thought he was the wisest person in our church, blessed with a wisdom reminiscent of Solomon himself.
Solomon once wrote in Proverbs 3:2 that “getting wisdom will prolong your life and bring you peace and prosperity.” Elder Akioya truly lived out these words. His wisdom was evident in every interaction, and he led a life that was both fulfilled and fulfilling to others.
Thank you, Elder Akioya, for being a pillar of wisdom in my life. Thank you for your generosity—especially the free and discounted chewing gums and egg rolls from the Word of Faith Shop at the gate! Your kindness, leadership, and unwavering support have left a lasting mark on me and so many others.
May God bless you richly. I am confident we will meet again on the other side. Adieu, my very first Elder.

Rev. Dr. Joseph Akioya has gone ahead of the Rapture .
He lived to be admired and emulated. From the day, he experienced new Faith in Christ from being an Anglican, he remained steadfast and served in different capacities in Church of God Mission International Ministry, from Iyaro to Faith Arena. He was a generous Father and fellow pilgrim, almost to a fault. He shared wheat Bread to assist brethren in healthy food intake. I recall how he tried hard to get my uncle to apply a herbal supplement to relieve him of a terminal ailment. He was full of concern.
Rev. Akioya was also very politically aware. He listened to news regularly and very articulate in current affairs, even to his later years. Each time I visited him at home, he would discuss political issues with great enthusiasm praying for better days in Nigeria and Edo State.

Many couples in Church of God Mission would always remember him for his counsel and guidance towards Christian marriage / wedding preparation. He earned the title of "Grand Commander off Marriage" for his Legacy and roles in Marriage Counselling.
Adieu Great General !!
Till the Resurrection Morning !!

We honour a remarkable man whose life was a testament to faith and devotion. You were not only a loving father but also a dedicated teacher of word of God. Growing up, many of us were blessed your Bible study teachings, where your wisdom, patience, and deep faith left an indelible mark on our hearts. You lived by the lessons you shared, embodying love, kindness, and unwavering trust in the Lord. Your legacy of faith will continue to inspire all who knew you, and your memory will forever be cherished. Though you have transitioned to glory, the spirit and the seeds of faith you inplanted will remain with us always. Rest on, Pa Akioya.

🌹 A Heartfelt Tribute to a Great Father and Leader 🌹

It’s not every day you meet someone who changes your life in such a special way. For me, that person is you sir, my boss, my pastor, and a true father figure.I remember how you call my name JECINTA come and do this,it is so hard to believe you have gone Daddy,You have been more than just a leader at work. You’ve been a father, a friend, and a guide. You correct with love, you teach with patience, and you lead with a heart full of kindness. You never make anyone feel less than they are, instead you lift people up and help them see the best in themselves.
As a pastor, your life is a message on its own. You don’t just preach the Word, you live it. The way you care for people, the way you pray, the way you go out of your way to help others,it shows the kind of heart you have. Through you, we’ve seen what it truly means to serve God and love people.
To me personally, you have been like a father. You’ve guided me, advised me, I remember the day I was loss in thought thinking about my child who was sick and I was at work,you called me ask what is wrong because I was down that day, you advise me, pray for me and my child,told me to go home and take care of my child ,then after you prayed for him and i went home then i became calm and happy again and You have stood by me in times when I needed strength. You’ve believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. You’ve shown me that greatness is not in how much you have, but in how much you give.
Sir, you are a good man,humble, honest, and full of wisdom. You have touched so many lives, including mine, and I thank God every day for bringing you into my life. ‎
Continue to Rest well our Great Daddy and father AKioya ‎

Well done, great soldier of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have fought a good fight. You have won the race .There awaits you a crown of glory. The grand commander of marriage. The work you and my Bishop V. I. Iyawe did in CGMI for marriages ( one of many other sacrifices) continue to strengthen marriages and build solid homes. How many can we say. You were a pillar of strength, faith, and encouragement to many in the church. You were one of the financial pillars of CGMi at the early stage of the Miracle Centre. You laboured.
I remember as a young lady, you were one of those always been called to launch the Redemption magazine, etc.
Your memories are blessed because you are a righteous man.
Rest in perfect peace, Daddy Rev Akioya. God's General

Please accept our heartfelt condolences on the passing of Papa, We celebrate his life of service and impact. We thank God for the legacy for Faith that continues in His lineage, his testimony continues to the Glory of God! 🙏🏾
“I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT

I feel honored to write this little piece here about a man I have always admired from when I was a little boy. A man of simplicity , sincerity and hard work. I remember when I would come to the house to wait for Nosa in our days at Asoro primary school, he would sit with his family at the dinning table finishing breakfast and then hands me a cup of fruit juice ( treetop) and toast bread urging us to hurry on to school so as no to be late. Ofcourse, I remember the stickers from Josandy Enterprises with bibles quotes and verses which provided me with the earliest opportunity to memorize Bible verses. Your impact in the lives of prople will forever live with many of us.

Where can I start from? Its a whole lot if I have to talk about Daddy. I grew up as a kid knowing him even more than blood relatives. Many people thought The Akioyas and us were blood relatives on Osasere street as our house was just opposite his house. From taking us to and fro school (Living Spring ) on Oni street, Ihama road, to giving my Dad his second car for every and any service we need to attend on any service day, coming straight to anointing us at home very early in the morning every new month after the morning devotion at Miracle Centre when its was the cgmi headqtrs back then, to making sure he buys Nosakhare bread for us every weekend as he buys for his family. Daddy Akioya cared about our family like were his direct children. He would discuss with me even as I was a teenager back then like he was discussing with an adult. A calm, wise and cheerful father he was. There is a lot to be said and a lot I learned from him personally. Daddy, I know you are in heaven having completed your assignment on earth, the angels have welcomed you after a life well lived and work well done. Your impact in my family can never and will never be forgotten. I also pray those of us left can also learn from your exemplary life and follow suit. Uvbiese Daddy.

Ikhuiwurefe Pretty

Tribute in Honour of a Man of Generational Impact: Rev Joseph Osarogie AKIOYA

By Rev. Prof. Mark Ighile

If ministry is all about exemplary leadership, enviable family lifestyle, sound doctrine and dissemination of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ through various publications, then, Rev. Joseph Akioya was more than just a minister, he was a true and worthy ambassador of Christ.

My first attraction to him was his mature and calm disposition to issues. He was always a point of wisdom reference at Church of God Mission International Headquarters, Faith Arena, Benin City, where we worshipped and ministered together.

He was an advocate of sound doctrine. As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Mission, the tenets of the ministry were at his fingertips. He was not just a Bible concordance; he was a repository of the rules and ethical standards of the church.

Rev. J. O. Akioya was a phenomenal marriage counselor. His wife and he stood out as an enviable couple that should be emulated. The various books on marriage counseling and parenting he wrote remain indispensable materials for harmonious and crisis-free relationships.

Our relationship became very strategic about 10 years ago when my wife and I joined the Archbishop, the Presiding Bishop and other senior ministers, including him, on the Faith Arena altar. It was always a time of ministerial and spiritual refreshing, engaging him on several issues of Biblical interest.

Rev. Joseph Akioya was a rare breed. He was one of the few custodians of the history, ethos, and the multifaceted dimensions and implications of the ministry. He could answer any question, not only on the Bible, but also on CGMI.

When I became the Resident Pastor of Faith Arena in 2019, I strengthened my relationship with him. I recall going several times with some of the senior pastors in the church to visit him and fellowship with him.

Rev. Joseph Osarogie Akioya will always be remembered for the lives and the homes he touched positively. His books on relationships and other aspects of Christian living continue to speak loudly. And for the several souls won for the kingdom, eternal reward awaits him at the feet of the Master
.
Rest on, Daddy Akioya.

Rev. Mark Ighile, a Professor of Cultural Communication at Benson Idahosa University, and currently a Visiting Scholar at the University of Ibadan, is the immediate past Resident Pastor of CGMI, Faith Arena.

Rev Dr Joseph Akioya- The last of the Mohicans !In the sacred halls of Faith Arena, where the shadows of Archbishop B.A Idahosa flickers like eternal flames, stood Rev Dr Joseph Akioya—the hoary white-haired elder, forever etched upon the altar’s stone. At ninety-one years of steadfast vigil, he crossed the veil, leaving a legacy that outshines the golden years he so devotedly preserved. Oh, how the sanctuary sighs in his absence, for he was the Grand Commander of the Order of Marriage, a title forged in the fires of devotion and worn like a crown of thorns turned to laurels.In the fervent eighties and nineties, he was the last of the frontline elders, an iroko amid fallen giants, his voice a gentle thunder healing souls and harmonizing discord. Amid the turmoil of existential threats, he stood firm with our founding parents, Archbishops Benson and Margaret Idahosa, and stormed the gates of doubt with shields of faith. He was the last bastion—the unyielding oak in a forest felled by time. His voice, a resonant thunder softened by grace, commanded not armies, but souls; his counsel, a balm that healed generations, turning whispers of discord into symphonies of harmony.His passing seals the end of the stoic elders of Faith Arena’s good old days; Elders Akigbe, Ehigiator,Akporero,etc—steel-spined sentinels whose faiths mapped our paths. Yet we celebrate his enduring incense: lessons in fidelity, fortitude, and love as a lifelong forge. Dear friend,while we see him in Edosa, Aimua and all his biological progeny, in our hearts he will abide, eternal as the stars. We miss this gentle giant, the wise whisperer.In every renewed vow, his spirit endures, unputdownable, unbreakable, immortal. Rest well, Grand Commander— your arena awaits in glory.

Osas Obarisiagbon
Zonal Coordinator, Benin Zone v

Pa Akioya, you have ran your race.
You finished strong.
The crown of glory awaits you.
From
Rev Tobore Charles Jarikre and Family

Baba Akioya as we always call you was a man of great respect and a humble man of God. We know well that you are with your maker and Lord. Rest well sir

As a child then, I remember him as a diligent and peaceful man. Rest well Sir, until the resurrection morning.

We thank God for the life of Rev Joseph Osarogie Akioya.

For the seeds he has planted in our hearts, and for the eternal impact of his ministry.
Rest well, faithful servant.
Your work on earth is done,
And heaven rejoices at your home coming.

Daddy, thanks for your counselling during my pre-marital classes and kind words when I was made a pastor. They are part of what have shaped me today. I am glad you were steadfast in Christ till your transition to glory.

Our hearts 💕❤️ 💕filled with beautiful memories of a true father, leader, Godly role model, uncompromising marriage counsellor ,unwavering and resolute with Pure Godly advice .
A lover of nature's gift in diets .
A teacher and preacher of the undiluted true and full Gospel of Jesus Christ .
A life fully transparent reflecting Jesus in his wholeness..
Sir ,Rev. J. Akioya we celebrate, appreciate and emulate your indefatigable Christian exemplary walk from start to glory . 👏🏽Congratulations to your entire family.. 👏🏽

The world has lost a Christ like on earth , a leader and daily Godliness on open display .

We joyously join in to celebrate your trumpet filed transition 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 and your open arms "well done my faithful servant " to Glory. !!!
It is well ...

These are one of the fathers and men of God whose messages, teaching and dedication to God built us in the foundation of our faith in Christ Jesus in the 80s. We are who we are today by the teaching of our daddy who followed our father the Achbishop Benson Idahosa , we always look forward to hearing him speak in our conventions those days. Thank you sir for giving to the Lord and His people, rest on in bosom of our Lord and savour Jesus Christ! Adieu!! Adieu!!! Adieu sir!!!!

Elder, you lived a good life. You impacted positively on those who encountered you creating very fond memories. Your humility, dedication and service to God and his people will always be remembered. Rest well dear Soldier of Christ.

In Memory of Reverend Joseph Akioya (1934–2025)
“A life poured out for God’s people.”

I first met Reverend Akioya as a teenager — a season when I was still learning what faith, character, and purpose really meant. He carried an uncommon gentleness that drew people in, yet spoke truth with such clarity that you couldn’t help but grow.

He served as the Head of Marriage Counseling for many years, and those who passed through his sessions didn’t just receive advice — they encountered wisdom rooted in scripture and love. His voice carried peace, his eyes carried compassion, and his counsel carried the presence of God.

To me, he wasn’t just a minister; he was a father in the faith. He modeled what it meant to love faithfully, lead humbly, and finish well.


Reverend Akioya leaves behind a legacy that time cannot erase. Heaven has welcomed a faithful servant, and we will forever thank God for the gift of his life.

Rest well, Reverend. Your seed still speaks.

As a teenager in Faith Arena Benin City, I came in contact with you Sir and you changed my life. You are the definition of loyalty and commitment to a vision. You lived for Christ and I am satisfied that now you have returned to Him. You have gone to receive your crown of glory Rest now in the joy of the Lord. Rest Sir, until we meet to part no more.

REST ON GOD'S SERVANT CALLED TO HEAL MARRIAGES! INDEED, THE GRAND COMMANDER OF MARRIAGE!
REST ON PAPA, YOU FULFILLED YOUR COURSE!
AMEN AND AMEN 🙏🙏🙏!!!