Odunayo Opayinka
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Entertainment: The Latest Female Drummer
News: Lagos-Ibadan Expressway To Complete The Ongoing Reconstruction Work Before Xmas
The Federal Government has ordered Bi-Courtney Highway Services Ltd.,
the concessionaire handling the rehabilitation of Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway, to complete the ongoing reconstruction work before
Christmas.
Mr Tunde Ekunsunmi, Director, Public-Private Partnership (PPP), Federal Ministry of Works, gave the order in response to journalists’ questions at the end of an inspection of the road.
The company was to carry out the reconstruction work from Kilometre 32 to 45 (around Redeemed camp to Shagamu interchange),
Mr Tunde Ekunsunmi, Director, Public-Private Partnership (PPP), Federal Ministry of Works, gave the order in response to journalists’ questions at the end of an inspection of the road.
The company was to carry out the reconstruction work from Kilometre 32 to 45 (around Redeemed camp to Shagamu interchange),
Job Vacancy: Area Manager @ Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria
Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria - Standard Chartered
Bank provides personal and business banking services such as loans and
mortgages, insurance and investment. We attract talented individuals.
Not only can they give you the benefit of their experience, they also
reveal a closer, more personal look at the wide range of global
opportunities we offer. At the core of the Group’s people strategy is
our focus on employee engagement.
Job Vacancy: Business Development Support @ Oando Nigeria Plc
Oando Plc is one of Africa’s largest integrated
energy solutions providers with a proud heritage. It has a primary
listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and a secondary listing on the
Johannesburg Stock Exchange with shared values of Teamwork, Respect,
Integrity, Passion and Professionalism (TRIPP), the Oando Group
comprises six companies who are leaders in their market
We are recruiting to fill the below position:
Job Vacancy: VHM Agency Services For Marketing/Business Development Officer (Ond).
Think VHM Agency Services is a company that relies on the proven skills of its Chief Business Architect and financial director in taking advantage of the growing need for Travel agency (airlines and major inter-city transport companies) as well as Courier agency services.
Job Title: Marketing/Business Development Officer
Job Qualification:
OND from any recognized institution.
Job Vacancies: MTN Job Vacancy For Team Lead, in Charging System Planning.
Job Title: Team Lead, in Charging System Planning
Department: Information Systems
Job Location: Lagos
Job Description:
Provide service capability for IN/Prepaid deployments
Supervise and justify the timely provisioning of Network capacity for all the IN, CS 5.0 Nodes, features, protocols
Supervise the IN/ Prepaid network architecture/topology planning to sustain growth of the IN in terms of traffic, subscribers and value added service capacity
Perform technical investigations into topics related to IN design and performance, such as new types of hardware, new design methodologies, charging impact of new technologies (GPRS, EDGE,WIMAX,SIGTRAN)
Department: Information Systems
Job Location: Lagos
Job Description:
Provide service capability for IN/Prepaid deployments
Supervise and justify the timely provisioning of Network capacity for all the IN, CS 5.0 Nodes, features, protocols
Supervise the IN/ Prepaid network architecture/topology planning to sustain growth of the IN in terms of traffic, subscribers and value added service capacity
Perform technical investigations into topics related to IN design and performance, such as new types of hardware, new design methodologies, charging impact of new technologies (GPRS, EDGE,WIMAX,SIGTRAN)
Job Vacancies: Discovery Circle Professionals For Renewable Energy Professional.
Discovery Cycle Professionals – We are a global network of experienced professionals, academics and consultants assembled to provide world-class knowledge-based services globally.
Discovery Cycle operates through its Global, National Partners and
Associate Consultants with diverse experiences across the six continents
within the Discovery Cycle Ecosystem
Discovery Cycle Professionals is recruiting to fill the below position:
Discovery Cycle Professionals is recruiting to fill the below position:
News: Scientists To Reduce The Risks Of Climate Change In Africa Says Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan in Lagos on Monday stressed the need for
African countries to key into global activities aimed at mitigating the
effects of climate change.
The president spoke at the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting of African Science Academies (AMASA 8) with the theme, : “ Climate Change in Africa: Using Science to Reduce Risks’’.
The president spoke at the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting of African Science Academies (AMASA 8) with the theme, : “ Climate Change in Africa: Using Science to Reduce Risks’’.
Job Vacancies: GVA Partners
The ideal candidate will be responsible for providing specialist desktop services support (i.e. maintenance, development and security) and also participate as a member of the Technical Services team to ensure the successful integration and delivery of IT services. The right candidate will possess a high skill level in supporting the environments at an enterprise level.
Job Vacancies: GCC ( Numerious Positions).
7GLOBAL COMMUNICATION CONNECTION Global Communication Connection (GCC)
is a major dealer to all network providers in Nigeria such as Airtel,
MTN, Globalcom, Visafone, Etisalat, Starcomm, Etisalate, Multilinks,
Rietel and Bulk SMS providers. We are expending our networking and
customer care to all door steps in other to meet the demand and satisfy
our numerous customers and sub-delears. We are opening an outlets in
major cities and areas in the South-West Nigeria like; Lagos area and
its environment, Epe area, Ibeju-lekki/Ajah area, Badagry area, Apapa
area, Ikeja area,Surulere area, Ikorodu area, Ipaja area, Shomolu area,
FESTAC area, Ketu/Alapere area, Mushin/Oshodi area, Ojodu/Barger area,
Agege/Ogba area, Iba/Ojo area, Iju/Isaga area, Ijebu-Igbo area,
Ijebu-ode area and its environment, Ibadan area and its environment,
Osogbo area and its environment, Oyo area and its environment, Ondo area
area and its environment, Akure area and its environment, and Shagamu
Area. We are currently recruiting the following
Job Vacancies: Portland Nigeria Limited (Various Positions)
Desired Course(s): Any discipline
Application Deadline: November 28, 2012
Experience: 0 -2 yrs
Job Status: fulltime
Location:Ibadan
Job Details
Portland Nigeria Limited, established since 1980, the company has been producing distinctively styled uniforms and workwear for both individuals and corporate organisations. With the recent procurement and installation of modern, automated ready-made garment-making machines, and the employment of highly experienced expatriate production and technical management personnel, our company now produces uniforms and workwear of international standard and quality.
Application Deadline: November 28, 2012
Experience: 0 -2 yrs
Job Status: fulltime
Location:Ibadan
Job Details
Portland Nigeria Limited, established since 1980, the company has been producing distinctively styled uniforms and workwear for both individuals and corporate organisations. With the recent procurement and installation of modern, automated ready-made garment-making machines, and the employment of highly experienced expatriate production and technical management personnel, our company now produces uniforms and workwear of international standard and quality.
News: Nigeria Should Prepare For Another Protests Says Bakare and others
Nigerians have been urged to prepare for another round of protests against corruption, greed and ineffective leadership.
Convener, Save Nigeria
Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare, former member of the House of
Representatives, Mr. Dino Melaye, and a former Minister of the Federal
Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, made the call on Monday at a
second State of the Nation Lecture organised by SNG in Lagos.
An Associate Professor
of Literature and African Studies, Pius Adesanmi, on the occasion, also
spoke on ‘Reparations: What Nigeria owes the Tortoise’
Monday, 12 November 2012
Entertainment: Akon Spotted With His New Girlfriend.
Akon was spotted with a beautiful chick identified as is new girlfriend in Vernice Itally.
NEWS: Police Backs Off As 15 Armed Robbers Attack Lekki Estate, Lagos With Sophisticated.
About 15 gunmen in the early hours of today attacked a
residential estate in Lekki, next to Goshen Estate and Elf Estate, in a
scene described by one resident as coming straight out of a movie script.
The police intervened soon after the robbery attempt began, and nobody was hurt.
The residents in the estate and surrounding neighborhoods awoke to the horrifying experience, which played out between the Second and Third Lekki Roundabouts, the gunmen arriving in two vehicles and storming their way into the estate.
The police intervened soon after the robbery attempt began, and nobody was hurt.
The residents in the estate and surrounding neighborhoods awoke to the horrifying experience, which played out between the Second and Third Lekki Roundabouts, the gunmen arriving in two vehicles and storming their way into the estate.
News: Gunmen Take Over Bauchi Police State
Gunmen killed a policeman and wounded another in a raid on a police station in Bauchi State, a police officer said, yesterday.
The gunmen launched the attack late Saturday in the town of Itas, about 200 kilometres (130 miles) from the state capital Bauchi, hurling explosives into the police station and opening fire on policemen, leading to an hour-long shootout.
The gunmen launched the attack late Saturday in the town of Itas, about 200 kilometres (130 miles) from the state capital Bauchi, hurling explosives into the police station and opening fire on policemen, leading to an hour-long shootout.
News: The Aims Of Political Parties Should Reduce in Nigeria.
AFTER independence, the aims of political parties were maintaining
and protecting the unity and sovereignty of Nigeria as one indivisible
and indissoluble nation among others.
The political parties that were formed after the ban on political activities was lifted on September 21, 1978, were National Party of Nigeria (NPN), The Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Nigeria Advance Party (NAP).
The political parties that were formed after the ban on political activities was lifted on September 21, 1978, were National Party of Nigeria (NPN), The Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Nigeria Advance Party (NAP).
News: Oyo Declares Seven-day Mourning For Lam's Death
Oyo State Government has declared a
seven-day mourning in honour of former governor of the state, Alhaji Lam
Adesina, who died on Sunday morning at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, at
73 years.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said this in a statement.
The statement read in part, “The state
government has declared a seven-day mourning for the departed elder
statesman and former teacher of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
Sunday, 11 November 2012
News: Jonathan Asked To Caution Soldiers Says Northern Elders
Northern elders have urged President
Goodluck Jonathan to investigate reports of the extrajudicial killings
and human rights abuses allegedly committed by the soldiers sent to halt
the Boko Haram insurgency.
The leaders of the region, who spoke
under the auspices of the Northern Elders Forum, said they had been
vindicated by the recent report of the Amnesty International, which
accused the army of gross human rights violations, adding that they were
planning to visit the President again on the issue.
News: We Need Ibadan State says Olubadan
The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Odulana
Odugade I, and the Central Council of Ibadan Indegenes have called for
the creation of Ibadan State and removal of immunity clause from the
constitution.
The Olubadan and the CCII, which is the
umbrella body of all socio-cultural organisations in Ibadan, spoke on
Saturday at the public hearing coordinated by the representative of
Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives,
Mr. Kayode Busari.
Among others, creation of new states and
local government councils, abolition of state electoral commissions,
removal of immunity clause, creation of state police, and terms of
office of president, governors and local government chairmen topped the
agenda of the Ibadan people.
The Olubadan who was represented by the
Ekarun Olubadan, Chief Eddy Oyewole, advised the various towns and
villages under Ibadan to stand by the resolution of Ibadan in the
ongoing public hearing.
He said, “Creation of states, removal or
reduction of immunity to the president, governors and local government
chairmen and the recognition of traditional institution are very
paramount to us as Ibadan people.
“Immunity is very good but has been
grossly abused by the elected office holders. Elected officials should
be ready to submit themselves for trials if charged for criminal
matters.”
Busari, who is a lawmaker on the
platform of the Accord Party, said the military designed the 1999
Constitution as the country’s guiding framework without proper
consultation and inputs from Nigerians.
He said, “We have all seen that the
constitution is due for a review. Many of us don’t even know when the
1999 Constitution was being put together. Our efforts at reviewing the
constitution through public hearing today is being replicated in 359
other federal constituencies across the country.”
News: New Private Jet For Oritsejafor
President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and founder of Word
of Life Bible Church, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has joined the league of
Nigerian Preachers that own private jets.
Oritsejafor’s jets, marked N431CB,was delivered to him,yesterday, at the celebration of his 40th year of being on the pulpit, which held at the Word of God Bible Church in Warri, Delta State.
Although,the aircraft was not flown to the venue of the occasion, the announcement of the USA manufactured 10-seater Bombadier/ Challenger 601 aircraft, at the occasion by one of the pastors,was greeted with loud ovation and applause.
The Challenger 601 is a heavy jet that sits up to 10 passengers and has a range of 3,900 nautical miles. It has a full enclosed lavatory and a flight attendant for additional comfort. The luxurious and spacious cabin of the Challenger 601 is perfect to conduct meetings or simply relax.
The jubilant congregation spent over 15 minutes congratulating one another even as the recipient did not make any comment on the jet said to have been purchased for him by the church.
What will say was the turning point in your life?
The turning point in my life was the day I gave my life to Christ which changed every thing. I believe that change begins from the inside. One of the reasons Nigeria is struggling today is because the transformation agenda we are talking about is not yet focused at per-sons and who they are from the inside.
The constitutional amend-ment they are currently talking about…I don’t believe that the problem of Nigeria is the constit-ution. You can amend it, but who will implement the new one? Is it not the same people who have being using the old one. Everything about chan-ge must begin from the inside.
If the man inside doesn’t change the man outside won’t change either. The turning point of my life was the day I took that decision in Sapele to give my life to Christ, because suddenly I saw myself the I way I really was. A clear picture came to me and I realized why I was living that way.
It’s because I was living my life without God. I was trying to live my life the best way I could without realizing that there is a better way. There is an invisible person that influences us as Christians even when you don’t see any-body. That was how the change in my life began because the places I used to go I stopped going there and the people I used to move with I stopped because the change on the inside did not agree with those kind of people. I bought a Bible and I started seeing life in a different light as my eyes opened to better possibilities.
Were these things pre-destined? Is it possible that God decided to take you through that route, ugly it was, in answer to an earlier prayer by your mother?
My mother became pregnant and had me because she desired to have a male child. She went to the First Baptist Church, Broad Street, Lagos which was pastor-ed by Dr. J.T. Ayorinde who later became the first Nigerian General Secretary of the Baptist Conference.
My mother went there to pray and challenged God; ‘if you give me a male child I will give him back to you’. That was the begin-ning of the beginning but you know that was the commitment made by another person on my behalf. I grew up and went my own way but God Who knew those commitments…you see it’s strange that Moses started life in the home of his enemy; he grew up there, understood the lives of his enemies, educated by them and got the best of every thing among them.
When I look back now, I can boldly say that a lot of these experiences, ugly as they are, actual-ly prepared me for what I am today. I have disco-vered that there is no experience that we go through in life that is wasted; good, bad, ugly. They are all useful. That is why the Bible says ‘all things work togeth-er for good…’ I am happy today because there is no way I could have learnt the things I learnt then if I didn’t go through that way. No experience is lost and I am grateful to God.
I cannot applaud myself for those experiences, but I thank God because I have gained a lot and continue to gain from them. While there are bad things in those ex-periences, yet there are some usefulness in them because one can learn, one has learnt and one continues to learn from the experiences.
Can you relive your experience at the Church of God Mission where the turning point actually started?
I will never forget Church of God Mission because that was where I became a Christian. I was in the Baptist Church but I knew nothing about God. I gave my life to Christ under the ministry of the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa and immediately became an active part of the church.
One thing I would be grateful to God for about that man was that he was able identify potentials in people. I knew him from the day I gave my life to Christ but the day I had the closest encounter with him that changed my entire life was during an evening service in Benin; the place was packed and he wanted a song and I jumped out to lead the song.
By the time I fin-ished that ministration, he asked me; “Who are you?” I told him my name and he said; “I know your mother. Tell your mother I want to see you. I want to see her too.” That was how a very close contact started and I started com-ing to his home and spending a few days there even when I had returned to Sapele.
He liked me. I became assist-ant pastor and very vi-brant but there were certain situations I don’t want to get into, that lead me to go to the Baptist seminary. He didn’t like it. However, when I re-turned, my heart was to start a church and I went on a seven-day fast. But on the day fifth day the Lord said to me: “Break the fast.
I have answered your prayer.” So, I had to break the fast and the very next day, I had a knock on my door and it was Archbishop Idahosa with three other persons. It was strange to me. He asked me what I wanted to do now, but I couldn’t answer him.
So he said, you must be a pastor in Church of God Mission. “You don’t have a choice. I didn’t come to ask you. I came to tell you.” The way he said it, there was no room for discussion. He added: “When I leave here, I am going to see your mother to tell her the same thing.”
The interesting aspect was that God spoke to me later: “That’s why I told you to break the fast that I have already answered your prayer.” That was how I came back to Church of God Mission where I was asked to start a church. In six months my branch in Sapele became the larg-est in CGM as a whole.
It grew so much, that in three months I gathered enough money to buy microphones, amplifiers and everything at a time when no other church except the Idahosa branch had a micro-phone. I went to Benin to tell him, I have the money and I wanted to buy these things, because I didn’t know where to buy these things and he was visibly shocked.
He took me in his car and drove to a shop in Benin and show-ed me what to buy and I paid before he took me to garage where I chartered a vehicle to Sapele. I didn’t ask him for any assistance and knowing him, he didn’t even vol-unteer any. He was excited and I could see something in his eyes saying; “I knew it. I know I made the right choice!”
Eventually, I moved to Warri and a lot of people thought that was a mistake. At the service this morning, I said; “when you submit to people they become res-ponsible for your mistakes and what have you.” Idahosa told me to move to Warri.
It didn’t make sense because at that point there were people who knew me as a friend to Reinhard Bonnke and many other heavyweights at that time. Some persons were not happy, wondering what I was going to do in Warri. However, I prayed and God said ‘go.’ Against all odds and advices, I obeyed and moved to Warri.
I had some ugly experiences when I came but it is part of my life that I am ever grateful for because it helped to mould me. If there was anybody I learnt anything from, it was the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa. I don’t care what anybody thinks of him, I think he was a hero as far as I am concerned. He was a great man; an incredible man. I thank God for all the exp-eriences I had in CGM.
But you left the place in not too pleasant circumstances…
It depends on the way you look at it. It wasn’t pleasant because I thought that was where I was going to be for life—especially after the fasting experience and the archbishop walking into my house and the confirmation I got from God—but what I didn’t realize, and most of us do, is that life comes in phases.
There are different levels and at every point when you have to move to another level, sometimes there could be frictions. It could be rough, tough. But all that is just a sign that you are about to move to another level. It was in November 1987.
The interesting thing about my life is that a lot of the very fundamental things in my life seem to always happen in November. I was born in November, got converted in November, I married my late wife in November; I met my present wife in November, Word of Life started in November and many more.
We went for the CGM convention which used to be in the first week of November and certain things began to happen on the platform which shouldn’t be. I tried to go from behind to sort out whatever it was, but what I discovered later was that there were certain people who were instigating crisis.
I didn’t know then, but now I know. I tried to sort out things but no; to the point where it became obvious that I could no longer remain there. There were pronouncements that were made publicly that it would be out of place for you to remain in a place where there were such public pronouncements about you; telling you to move on.
It was that bad that some foreign guest speakers had to stop by in my hotel room to say; ‘young man, you have to move on.’ I can’t even tell you some of the things they said. I tried all my best to contain it but to no avail. The whole country was tensed up be-cause of the incident and I was surprised that the events stirred up so much emotion across the country.
The very next week, my very good friend, Dr. Ezekiel came over to Warri here to see me and we sat together and I drafted a letter of apology to the late Archbishop; while I knew I didn’t do anything. Dr. Ezekiel took it and went to Benin and gave it to him. He waited till the late archbishop read the letter.
Dr. Ezekiel told him to pray for me, which he did in his presence. I wasn’t there. Later, I went on my own to see him and he prayed for me. Though he would still go out there, saying things about me in the media, but I never replied. It would have been very stupid of me to reply, because your father is always right.
Your father is never wrong! Never! It’s a foolish child that goes in public to compete with his father. That is my philosophy even till date. Throughout the period I didn’t make any defence, but I was sneaking in and out of his house and he would laugh. I never questioned him for anything he said, because I think he never meant those things he was saying about me.
The man loved me and I don’t believe he meant to hurt me when he said those things he said about me. When my late wife passed, he was one of the first people that came to my house. He came, sat with me and spent consider-able time with me, praying with me. I could see the tears in his eyes.
Before I got married to my new wife, I took her to him for his approval. He sat her down and threw some bombs at her apparently in his effort to get something out of her and at the end he took me out and told me to go ahead. He prayed with us.
Though I left the CGM but I was still there, in the sense that the connect-ion remained and we contin-ued to work together. For the last two, three years before he passed, I attended his conv-ention uninvited and quite naturally they would put me on the platform and all that. That probably was the most important part of my life in Church of God Mission be-cause after I left, my life was still connected to that great man.
That marked the beginning of Word of Life Bible Church. No doubt there would have been some experiences either pleasant or not. What would you say such experiences were?
When I got saved God ministered to me, saying that at a time I would go back to my beginning. I was born in Lagos where I started my early life. So, my thinking immed-iately I left Church of God Mission, was that I would go back to Lagos. I didn’t un-derstand that my beginning was right here.
My plan was to move to Lagos because that was home or so I thought. But in my usual way of doing things I had to pray just to get proper clearance from God. I prayed and He said: “Son, you are not going anywhere.” I was discouraged because all my things were already packed.
I prayed again but God still said ‘this is home. You are not going anywhere. This is the beginning.’ That was one experience I will never forget. So, I had to start Word of Life Bible Church. It was rough, because I had nobody that I could call my own. There were just one or two people that I could send a message.
To find money to rent a place…..look it was rough! I didn’t have anything. There were those who were just laughing at me, saying ‘you are crazy. You are stupid.’ But I took the risk because this was God’s mind for me. After I prayed, I settled it. I fixed the date.
At that time, being a military era, you couldn’t preach on TV. I couldn’t go on TV, so I couldn’t even make any announcement of TV. Radio and TV stations would not accept any religious advertisement. So what I did was to hire a microphone and one horn speaker and mount-ed them on a rickety vehicle with one of cousins who likes talking inside the vehicle.
While the vehicle was driving round Warri, she was announ-cing the beginning of Word of Life Bible Church. Do you know that even at that I was afraid of what was going to happen on the inaugural day which was a Sunday. I in-tentionally fixed it on a Sunday because I know it was a day of worship and those who want to come would come.
I left my house late that day because of fear, but to my greatest surprise there were people there and I spent most of the service weeping; not out of sorrow as such rather it was joy. I didn’t know that people would turn up but they did. I immediately announced a two-week prayer seminar, which started the next day, Monday. Pastor John Ahre of Life Christian Centre in Ughelli sang for me that day a song he reckoned I loved so much; “Lean on me.”
The next day, I started the prayer seminar and whatever offering we gathered we used to make one or two chairs. I just carpenters around who were coming to our aid. Small small we gradually developed until we moved here.
How has the 40-year journ-ey been?
Trying but exciting. Un-certain but today I can say fulfilling. Adventurous but today, I can say I can see clearly now. I am grateful to God. One thing I would say to young people, don’t do anything if you are not sure, it’s God. The way I see people getting into ministry today, is very troubling to me. As a leader of Christians in this country, I am very troubled. As a leader of the youngest move of God, which is the Pente-costal Movement, I am very troubled.
We are almost an uncontrollable group of people and the way it is, is because we have had an experience which is called the Holy Spirit experience; which is good. The problem that has come out of that is that when people cough, they say its the Holy Spirit. They talk nonsense, they say its the Holy Spirit.
How do challenge a man who says he’s motivated by the Holy Spirit? This is what we have done to the Pentecostal Movement and it very painful. The consolation God gave me is that for every move of God had had its own teething and trying periods beginning with the great Roman Catholic Church to the Protestatant, the Anglican, Lutheran, Method-ist, to the Presbytarian, Baptist and so on. There are trials, problems that happened so long ago that people today don’t really know.
Oritsejafor’s jets, marked N431CB,was delivered to him,yesterday, at the celebration of his 40th year of being on the pulpit, which held at the Word of God Bible Church in Warri, Delta State.
Although,the aircraft was not flown to the venue of the occasion, the announcement of the USA manufactured 10-seater Bombadier/ Challenger 601 aircraft, at the occasion by one of the pastors,was greeted with loud ovation and applause.
The Challenger 601 is a heavy jet that sits up to 10 passengers and has a range of 3,900 nautical miles. It has a full enclosed lavatory and a flight attendant for additional comfort. The luxurious and spacious cabin of the Challenger 601 is perfect to conduct meetings or simply relax.
The jubilant congregation spent over 15 minutes congratulating one another even as the recipient did not make any comment on the jet said to have been purchased for him by the church.
Why I left Church of God Mission
As part of a multiple jubilee celebration, the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Joseph Ayodele Oritsejafor, for the first time, spoke on the controversy that trailed his exit from the Church of God Mission, CGM where he started his spiritual voyage 40 years ago. According to him, “after I have left my life was still connected to that great man” (Archbishop Idahosa). He spoke with SAM EYOBOKA. Excerpts….What will say was the turning point in your life?
The turning point in my life was the day I gave my life to Christ which changed every thing. I believe that change begins from the inside. One of the reasons Nigeria is struggling today is because the transformation agenda we are talking about is not yet focused at per-sons and who they are from the inside.
The constitutional amend-ment they are currently talking about…I don’t believe that the problem of Nigeria is the constit-ution. You can amend it, but who will implement the new one? Is it not the same people who have being using the old one. Everything about chan-ge must begin from the inside.
If the man inside doesn’t change the man outside won’t change either. The turning point of my life was the day I took that decision in Sapele to give my life to Christ, because suddenly I saw myself the I way I really was. A clear picture came to me and I realized why I was living that way.
It’s because I was living my life without God. I was trying to live my life the best way I could without realizing that there is a better way. There is an invisible person that influences us as Christians even when you don’t see any-body. That was how the change in my life began because the places I used to go I stopped going there and the people I used to move with I stopped because the change on the inside did not agree with those kind of people. I bought a Bible and I started seeing life in a different light as my eyes opened to better possibilities.
Were these things pre-destined? Is it possible that God decided to take you through that route, ugly it was, in answer to an earlier prayer by your mother?
My mother became pregnant and had me because she desired to have a male child. She went to the First Baptist Church, Broad Street, Lagos which was pastor-ed by Dr. J.T. Ayorinde who later became the first Nigerian General Secretary of the Baptist Conference.
My mother went there to pray and challenged God; ‘if you give me a male child I will give him back to you’. That was the begin-ning of the beginning but you know that was the commitment made by another person on my behalf. I grew up and went my own way but God Who knew those commitments…you see it’s strange that Moses started life in the home of his enemy; he grew up there, understood the lives of his enemies, educated by them and got the best of every thing among them.
When I look back now, I can boldly say that a lot of these experiences, ugly as they are, actual-ly prepared me for what I am today. I have disco-vered that there is no experience that we go through in life that is wasted; good, bad, ugly. They are all useful. That is why the Bible says ‘all things work togeth-er for good…’ I am happy today because there is no way I could have learnt the things I learnt then if I didn’t go through that way. No experience is lost and I am grateful to God.
I cannot applaud myself for those experiences, but I thank God because I have gained a lot and continue to gain from them. While there are bad things in those ex-periences, yet there are some usefulness in them because one can learn, one has learnt and one continues to learn from the experiences.
Pastor Oritsejafor, CAN president
I will never forget Church of God Mission because that was where I became a Christian. I was in the Baptist Church but I knew nothing about God. I gave my life to Christ under the ministry of the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa and immediately became an active part of the church.
One thing I would be grateful to God for about that man was that he was able identify potentials in people. I knew him from the day I gave my life to Christ but the day I had the closest encounter with him that changed my entire life was during an evening service in Benin; the place was packed and he wanted a song and I jumped out to lead the song.
By the time I fin-ished that ministration, he asked me; “Who are you?” I told him my name and he said; “I know your mother. Tell your mother I want to see you. I want to see her too.” That was how a very close contact started and I started com-ing to his home and spending a few days there even when I had returned to Sapele.
He liked me. I became assist-ant pastor and very vi-brant but there were certain situations I don’t want to get into, that lead me to go to the Baptist seminary. He didn’t like it. However, when I re-turned, my heart was to start a church and I went on a seven-day fast. But on the day fifth day the Lord said to me: “Break the fast.
I have answered your prayer.” So, I had to break the fast and the very next day, I had a knock on my door and it was Archbishop Idahosa with three other persons. It was strange to me. He asked me what I wanted to do now, but I couldn’t answer him.
So he said, you must be a pastor in Church of God Mission. “You don’t have a choice. I didn’t come to ask you. I came to tell you.” The way he said it, there was no room for discussion. He added: “When I leave here, I am going to see your mother to tell her the same thing.”
The interesting aspect was that God spoke to me later: “That’s why I told you to break the fast that I have already answered your prayer.” That was how I came back to Church of God Mission where I was asked to start a church. In six months my branch in Sapele became the larg-est in CGM as a whole.
It grew so much, that in three months I gathered enough money to buy microphones, amplifiers and everything at a time when no other church except the Idahosa branch had a micro-phone. I went to Benin to tell him, I have the money and I wanted to buy these things, because I didn’t know where to buy these things and he was visibly shocked.
He took me in his car and drove to a shop in Benin and show-ed me what to buy and I paid before he took me to garage where I chartered a vehicle to Sapele. I didn’t ask him for any assistance and knowing him, he didn’t even vol-unteer any. He was excited and I could see something in his eyes saying; “I knew it. I know I made the right choice!”
Eventually, I moved to Warri and a lot of people thought that was a mistake. At the service this morning, I said; “when you submit to people they become res-ponsible for your mistakes and what have you.” Idahosa told me to move to Warri.
It didn’t make sense because at that point there were people who knew me as a friend to Reinhard Bonnke and many other heavyweights at that time. Some persons were not happy, wondering what I was going to do in Warri. However, I prayed and God said ‘go.’ Against all odds and advices, I obeyed and moved to Warri.
I had some ugly experiences when I came but it is part of my life that I am ever grateful for because it helped to mould me. If there was anybody I learnt anything from, it was the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa. I don’t care what anybody thinks of him, I think he was a hero as far as I am concerned. He was a great man; an incredible man. I thank God for all the exp-eriences I had in CGM.
But you left the place in not too pleasant circumstances…
It depends on the way you look at it. It wasn’t pleasant because I thought that was where I was going to be for life—especially after the fasting experience and the archbishop walking into my house and the confirmation I got from God—but what I didn’t realize, and most of us do, is that life comes in phases.
There are different levels and at every point when you have to move to another level, sometimes there could be frictions. It could be rough, tough. But all that is just a sign that you are about to move to another level. It was in November 1987.
The interesting thing about my life is that a lot of the very fundamental things in my life seem to always happen in November. I was born in November, got converted in November, I married my late wife in November; I met my present wife in November, Word of Life started in November and many more.
We went for the CGM convention which used to be in the first week of November and certain things began to happen on the platform which shouldn’t be. I tried to go from behind to sort out whatever it was, but what I discovered later was that there were certain people who were instigating crisis.
I didn’t know then, but now I know. I tried to sort out things but no; to the point where it became obvious that I could no longer remain there. There were pronouncements that were made publicly that it would be out of place for you to remain in a place where there were such public pronouncements about you; telling you to move on.
It was that bad that some foreign guest speakers had to stop by in my hotel room to say; ‘young man, you have to move on.’ I can’t even tell you some of the things they said. I tried all my best to contain it but to no avail. The whole country was tensed up be-cause of the incident and I was surprised that the events stirred up so much emotion across the country.
The very next week, my very good friend, Dr. Ezekiel came over to Warri here to see me and we sat together and I drafted a letter of apology to the late Archbishop; while I knew I didn’t do anything. Dr. Ezekiel took it and went to Benin and gave it to him. He waited till the late archbishop read the letter.
Dr. Ezekiel told him to pray for me, which he did in his presence. I wasn’t there. Later, I went on my own to see him and he prayed for me. Though he would still go out there, saying things about me in the media, but I never replied. It would have been very stupid of me to reply, because your father is always right.
Your father is never wrong! Never! It’s a foolish child that goes in public to compete with his father. That is my philosophy even till date. Throughout the period I didn’t make any defence, but I was sneaking in and out of his house and he would laugh. I never questioned him for anything he said, because I think he never meant those things he was saying about me.
The man loved me and I don’t believe he meant to hurt me when he said those things he said about me. When my late wife passed, he was one of the first people that came to my house. He came, sat with me and spent consider-able time with me, praying with me. I could see the tears in his eyes.
Before I got married to my new wife, I took her to him for his approval. He sat her down and threw some bombs at her apparently in his effort to get something out of her and at the end he took me out and told me to go ahead. He prayed with us.
Though I left the CGM but I was still there, in the sense that the connect-ion remained and we contin-ued to work together. For the last two, three years before he passed, I attended his conv-ention uninvited and quite naturally they would put me on the platform and all that. That probably was the most important part of my life in Church of God Mission be-cause after I left, my life was still connected to that great man.
That marked the beginning of Word of Life Bible Church. No doubt there would have been some experiences either pleasant or not. What would you say such experiences were?
When I got saved God ministered to me, saying that at a time I would go back to my beginning. I was born in Lagos where I started my early life. So, my thinking immed-iately I left Church of God Mission, was that I would go back to Lagos. I didn’t un-derstand that my beginning was right here.
My plan was to move to Lagos because that was home or so I thought. But in my usual way of doing things I had to pray just to get proper clearance from God. I prayed and He said: “Son, you are not going anywhere.” I was discouraged because all my things were already packed.
I prayed again but God still said ‘this is home. You are not going anywhere. This is the beginning.’ That was one experience I will never forget. So, I had to start Word of Life Bible Church. It was rough, because I had nobody that I could call my own. There were just one or two people that I could send a message.
To find money to rent a place…..look it was rough! I didn’t have anything. There were those who were just laughing at me, saying ‘you are crazy. You are stupid.’ But I took the risk because this was God’s mind for me. After I prayed, I settled it. I fixed the date.
At that time, being a military era, you couldn’t preach on TV. I couldn’t go on TV, so I couldn’t even make any announcement of TV. Radio and TV stations would not accept any religious advertisement. So what I did was to hire a microphone and one horn speaker and mount-ed them on a rickety vehicle with one of cousins who likes talking inside the vehicle.
While the vehicle was driving round Warri, she was announ-cing the beginning of Word of Life Bible Church. Do you know that even at that I was afraid of what was going to happen on the inaugural day which was a Sunday. I in-tentionally fixed it on a Sunday because I know it was a day of worship and those who want to come would come.
I left my house late that day because of fear, but to my greatest surprise there were people there and I spent most of the service weeping; not out of sorrow as such rather it was joy. I didn’t know that people would turn up but they did. I immediately announced a two-week prayer seminar, which started the next day, Monday. Pastor John Ahre of Life Christian Centre in Ughelli sang for me that day a song he reckoned I loved so much; “Lean on me.”
The next day, I started the prayer seminar and whatever offering we gathered we used to make one or two chairs. I just carpenters around who were coming to our aid. Small small we gradually developed until we moved here.
How has the 40-year journ-ey been?
Trying but exciting. Un-certain but today I can say fulfilling. Adventurous but today, I can say I can see clearly now. I am grateful to God. One thing I would say to young people, don’t do anything if you are not sure, it’s God. The way I see people getting into ministry today, is very troubling to me. As a leader of Christians in this country, I am very troubled. As a leader of the youngest move of God, which is the Pente-costal Movement, I am very troubled.
We are almost an uncontrollable group of people and the way it is, is because we have had an experience which is called the Holy Spirit experience; which is good. The problem that has come out of that is that when people cough, they say its the Holy Spirit. They talk nonsense, they say its the Holy Spirit.
How do challenge a man who says he’s motivated by the Holy Spirit? This is what we have done to the Pentecostal Movement and it very painful. The consolation God gave me is that for every move of God had had its own teething and trying periods beginning with the great Roman Catholic Church to the Protestatant, the Anglican, Lutheran, Method-ist, to the Presbytarian, Baptist and so on. There are trials, problems that happened so long ago that people today don’t really know.
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