1,100 Free Surgeries: Pastor Ashimolowo’s CCRW Takes Crusade to Port Harcourt, Fubara Shows Support
- The Christ Compassion to the Rural World (CCRW) has announced Port Harcourt, Rivers state, as the host city for its 2025 crusade
- The event, scheduled to take place from November 24-29 at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, will feature medical outreach, food distribution, and large-scale evangelism
- CCRW founder, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, commended Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for his cooperation and support ahead of the event
Port Harcourt, Rivers state - Christ Compassion to the Rural World (CCRW) has announced Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers state, as the next city to host the 2025 edition of its special crusade, which combines religious preaching with humanitarian intervention.
In a press briefing in Lagos on Monday, November 17, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, the founder of CCRW, said the choice of Port Harcourt, just like other previous editions, was based on divine vision.
Source: Original
The crusade, which includes a medical outreach, ministers’ conference and others, will combine free surgeries, medical intervention, food distribution and large-scale evangelism at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.
CCRW 2025: Ashimolowo shares details
Legit.ng recalls that the CCRW, whose 2025 edition is scheduled to take place at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Igwuruta, Port Harcourt, from November 24–29, 5:00 pm daily, kicked off in Ikorodu in 2023, and then moved to Ibadan in 2024.
Speaking with newsmen, Ashimolowo said the 2025 edition of the crusade is themed “Port Harcourt, This is Selfless Love”. According to him, the medical outreach part of the crusade is expected to run for three weeks across multiple hospitals in Rivers state, including the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
The cleric, who is also founder and Senior Pastor of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC), said that 1,130 surgical cases have already been screened, including over 300 thyroid cases, more than 200 fibroid cases and more than 300 cataract cases. He added that about 70,000 people will benefit from the medical outreach.
At least 100 doctors, 100 pharmacists, and 50 nurses have been engaged to treat up to 80,000 patients, including 25,000 kids to be dewormed.
His words:
“Port Harcourt is turning out to be the biggest so far, as 70,000 people would benefit from the medical treatments and services.”
CCRW 2025: People to get relief items
Speaking further, Pastor Ashimolowo listed food items to be distributed, including 150,000 bags of rice, 150,000 bags of beans, 150,000 packs of garri, 100,000 noodles, 20,000 packs of salt, sugar and cooking oil.
Other welfare items to be shared with indigent people include 20,000 bags of soap, 170,000 clothing items (10,000 Ankara wrappers for the elderly), 25,000 buckets and 1,000 mattresses for the elderly.
To ensure orderliness and avoid a stampede, the cleric explained that beneficiaries will be given coupons on Monday, November 24, which will make them eligible for all the relief items.
Pastor Ashimolowo added that the venue will be partitioned into sections for young men, young women, older men, older women, mothers with children and persons with disabilities to ensure orderliness.
Legit.ng gathers that over 9,000 volunteers are already on the ground, while over 100 buses have been arranged to convey people from rural communities. Several Christian campgrounds have also been rented to accommodate indigent visitors travelling from remote areas.
“We are expecting 30,000 souls targeted for salvation. Beyond the massive humanitarian effort, the core of CCRW is evangelism,” Pastor Ashimolowo said.
“We are preachers first. Our desire is to see over 30,000 people commit their lives to Christ. During the night crusades, there will be miracles, healings and deliverances.”
He added that 300 police officers and soldiers have been deployed to ensure security throughout the six-day crusade.
CCRW 2025: Ashimolowo lists pastors to attend
Pastor Ashimolowo also listed some prominent pastors to attend the crusade while emphasising that the programme thrives on collaboration among several church denominations.
Prominent pastors to attend the event, especially the ministers’ conference, include Pastor Poju Oyemade, Pastor Jerry Eze, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, Bishop Tudor Bismark (Zimbabwe), Rev. Steve Mensah and team (Ghana), Dr Festus Adeyeye (USA), and Jonathan Shuttlesworth (USA).
Part of the goals of the minister’s conference, Pastor Ashimolowo explained, is to foster unity among churches and strengthen pastoral leadership across the region, especially in the rural areas.
CCRW 2025: Ashimolowo commends Gov Fubara
Meanwhile, Pastor Ashimolow commended the Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for his cooperation regarding the crusade.
The cleric said the level of cooperation from the Rivers state government was unprecedented, especially in the deployment of hospitals and support staff.
Meanwhile, the Chief Operating Officer of CCRW, Mrs Nasara Katugwu-Washpam, spoke on the economic impacts of the crusade.
According to her, 2,520 one-kilogram bags of rice and beans were bought and transported from the northern part of the country to Port Harcourt.
She added that the outreach has positively impacted the hospitality, aviation, transportation and small-business sectors, with six hotels booked to accommodate volunteers and guests from Ghana, the UK and the United States.
Her words:
“Each day, we prepare to cater to between 60,000 and 70,000 attendees, supported by an army of volunteers. We are blessed to have over 9,000 registered volunteers serving in various capacities, including counselling, set-up and dismantling, crowd control, security, transportation, welfare, the ministers’ conference, among others.
“This crusade is not just an event or a gathering. It is a movement. The impact of this crusade will endure long after the programme concludes, because the works birthed from it will last forever.”
Source: Original
Land dispute: Pastor Ashimolowo warns against defamation
In another report, Pastor Ashimolowo denied allegations of illegally selling land belonging to Bluestone Garden City Limited.
The cleric, through his lawyers, clarified that the dispute is between Arch-View Investments Limited and Bluestone, not him as an individual.
The pastor's legal team, which released the details of the issue, including a mediation effort by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, warned against defamatory statements, urging that any disputes be resolved through legal channels.
Source: Legit.ng
