This is really not the best time to fall sick in Nigeria: Former Civilian governor of Borno state Muhammad Goni recently fell ill. He was tossed from one hospital to another until he died. Listen to his son Umar Goni: ” Our dad was sick around 9_10 pm, we rushed him to the Teaching Hospital, to mu surprise, we couldn’t find a single doctor. None of the consultants was around, once they tell them a patient is around, they run thinking he’s a Covid 19 patient. We couldn’t get a bed, we couldn’t get even first aid. “We had to rush him to a private hospital, when we got there, there were no facilities, we could only get a glucose drip to revive him. We couldn’t get oxygen and he needed oxygen. We went to another hospital where we got oxygen but the cylinder was leaking. ” We had to watch him….. the next day we called someone in government who called for a primary health care ambulance, brand new ambulance but no paramedic inside even for first aid, the second one came, there was oxygen cylinder but the top wasn’t there, the bed was broken, they then referred us again to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital with a referral note to admit him, for them to admit him, they refused. The state commissioner for health had to intervene, they were scared because they don’t have protective equipments. They didn’t have face masks. One of them even asked me if I had facemask. There is a problem, if somebody of my father’s status can not access primary health for first aid, then I pity the common man”_ Umar Goni.
I never actually planned for what happened. I left my residence at Ejigbo that very morning with only five hundred naira (for those who don’t know, Ejigbo’s in Lagos ). It’s the only island surrounded by bad roads in this part of the world ….No good road, no light, everybody there is quick to anger. I, Mr. Five, have always said it that, whoever that can survive Ejigbo, can survive hell fire …..
Deliverance is done with koboko there, the demons are as stubborn as crazy donkeys. Yet our local govt. chairman regularly wins the best performing chairman awards in Lagos.
The bus I took from Ejigbo needed almost two hours to get to Cele area, bcos of the usual hold up. When I got down at Cele express, I walked quickly to take another bus going to Mile 2. But suddenly, I remembered that the conductor of the bus that just brought me from Ejigbo did not give me my balance (change). I looked back at a distance and saw the bus going back to Ejigbo. Quickly, I jumped out of the Mile 2 bus and ran after the Ejigbo bus with all my energy….. Apparently bcos I jumped out from the Mile 2 bus like a rat that hot water was poured into its hole (that uncollected change was the last money I had), a man dressed in a suit, like a lawyer that specialises in adjournment of rape cases, holding a brief case, saw me running and joined me immediately in the race …. I actually thought he was helping me to get the bus, even though I never told anyone why I was running, but I noticed that he was more forceful in his race than me, like someone running from a lunatic holding matchet. Honestly not every body wearing a suit is normal! Another man saw us running and joined the race, before I could turn back to see what was happening, the whole of Cele was in complete disarray as people were running helter skelter in great panic ; it was like a mad people’s Olympic ! I still didn’t give a damn, bcos that five hundred was all I had both home and abroad.So I desperatelty chased after the bus for my change. And the man in suit was also still running after me with all his strength! Unfortunately, the chaos behind me over took me; people behind me were running towards me, those in front of me started running ahead of me without even knowing why they were running. Some people living around that area were running out of the way like goats that sensed dangerously, and instead of running into their houses, some people were running out of their houses….
Vehicles were reversing and driving back to where they come from. I later saw the bus I was chasing, parked at a distance, when I got to the it, all the doors were wide open, nobody was inside. The driver and conductor had vanished and abandoned the m bus. To my surprise even the LASTMA and the police men that were at Cele when I started running to get my change, suddenly overtook me and were running without looking back. One of the policemen removed his shirt as he ran, he even forgot to remove the beret on his head .Traders hawking things threw away their goods, as they ran. A cripple I use to see at Cele, who was always assisted by a little child to beg for alms, suddenly got up and ran more than the child helping him … It was a great miracle, he took steps of faith …. nothing built by faith like Osundu. One can jump the widest gutter without knowing! All I was hearing behind me was, “fire fire, fire. “ When I saw a fat woman shouting “fire, fire !”I asked her, “madam did you say fire? Where ? where? madam tell me na!” The woman shouted, “common leave the road if you don’t like your life. Must you see the fire first before you run? This is Lagos o!! Boko Haram don come Cele o!!”
As I heard “fire!fire!” I doubled my efforts. (After all a living private is better than a dead general). I saw a man park his car and run on foot. As he was running, I thought his tummy would fall down, bcos it was big (I believe his flat buttocks was running differently while his large tummy was running differently (the consequences of excessive Gulder and nkwobi)! He was shouting on his phone in Igbo language, “Mama Nkechi, Mama Nkechi, are you hearing me? Gather the children, there is fire at Cele, it seems Ndi Boko have landed in town o! Pack the things you can carry; stop asking me questions. What do you mean if I saw them? Something that is happening in my presence, many have died in my presence! I am coming.”
At that moment I saw the conductor that I was looking for! I asked him to give me my change there before I change my mind. The conductor said, “Ahh Oga,don’t you go to church ni!! So you still have the heart to ask for change, upon say Boko Haram don come Cele.” But when he looked at my eyes he knew that a hungry man is an angry man. He said, “take your change make you no kill me for night. No be only your grand mama be witch”. As I collected my change and relaxed from the race, the first man, in a suit, who ran after me got to me and was breathing like somebody that’d had marathon sex after taking Viagra. He said: “bros gist me, gist me what happened? Why where you running? I had to follow you when I suspected that you sensed danger, you know say Warri no dey carry last. “
I asked “which danger? I was running after the conductor that wants to eat my change … thank God I caught him just now.” The man shouted, “Jesus Christ! Oga, you mean you caused these pandamonium bcos of ordinary change? Did you see what you caused in Cele bcos of how much change? I feel like slapping myself for following you.. “ I asked him, “Are you mad? You mean you saw someone running, you never asked why, you joined to run. My brother you need help. Get well soon.” He said, “But oga see the chaos na. Is it fair? .” I told him to stay away from me or else I will abuse his sister; what nonsense! I left him before he could say I caused it.
It was later I heard that when we were running a vehicle mistakenly drove over an empty pure water sachet and it made a loud sound that aggravated things. And That was what generated the story that Boko Haram came to Cele. The following day, I saw a guy at Conoil filling station telling people how everything happened in his presence; that he saw twenty people killed by Boko Haram ….
Hnmmm . Eko Akete, city for the wise … na so e be for Lagos, una hear gbam!! na to 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃♀️
I know him quite well. I was the one who in 1981 brought him to the UN at his request as a member of the Nigerian delegation. He was then a senior lecturer at the ABU. In fact, the late Prof Audu, who was then Foreign Minister actually advised me against inviting him to the UN. But he had strong academic credentials which impressed me. He had obtained his first degree in political science from the LSE, and a doctorate from Colombia University in New York. We were looking for strong delegates to the UN General Assembly and I considered him the kind of delegate we were looking for. So I invited him as one of our delegates to the UN General Assembly. He was at the UN in New York with me. I gave him and his wife my city apartment which I was not using free for 3 months plus a car. I liked him and I was not seeking any favours from him. After 3 months he returned home and sent me a note thanking me for giving him the first opportunity to visit the UN as a delegate and giving him his first experience at multilateral diplomacy. However, he sent President Shagari a secret and private note that while he was at the UN he observed that I had not been attending the meeting of Islamic states at the UN. President Shagari sent the note to Prof Audu who forwarded it to me in New York. He didn’t even ask me for any comments on Gambari’s secret memo as Prof Audu fully understood that Nigeria had traditionally not been attending meetings of the Islamic states as we were not then a member of the Group. Gambari asked for a private meeting with President Shagari which Prof Audu advised against. I was shocked that someone I had helped so much turned round to betray me so blatantly. I did not tell him I knew about the secret letter he had sent to the UN. When Shagari was overthrown by Buhari, Gambari became Foreign Minister. When career ambassadors were being suddenly retired I was at first not on the list. But Gambari, now FM and Rafindadi, the head of the NSO who had worked under me in London, and was now head of the NSO worked together to secure my retirement. In fact, when I called him from New York to confirm from him news about my retirement he first denied it. Thereafter, he no longer took my calls. In fact, I remained at my post in New York for another 3 months during which the MFA tried to reverse the decision to retire me. I had done absolutely nothing wrong in my entire career in the diplomatic service and only got into trouble for helping a young academic who turned against me to fulfil his own personal ambition. Since then, he and I have only met twice in very difficult circumstances. First at a dinner by a mutual friend in New York several years after my retirement. He could barely look directly at me. He was clearly embarrassed. Then when Buhari won the elections in 2015 I headed a team that was set up to prepare a paper for him on our Foreign Policy. Subsequently, Alhaji Joda asked him to join the team. Last year, he suddenly called me to ask if I would kindly represent him at a public lecture he had agreed to chair. I told him I could not and that he should look for someone younger. He immediately hung up on me. Now, he may be the kind of person Buhari is looking for to succeed Abba Kyari as COS. They are very much alike but Gambari is more subtle and even more dangerous and will substitute the national interests for his own personal interests. I have no doubt about that. What I have written in this long piece is just some of my personal experience and encounter with him. Everything I have written here is in my memoirs ‘Lest I Forget ‘which he has seen and read. It is nothing new. But I think it important that the character of our top govt officials should be revealed and not covered up. We have, as a nation, paid dearly for supporting appointments to high office that are often detrimental to our nation. Enough is enough and this has to stop.
https://www.facebook.com/47904265/posts/10104634789402160/paper, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari’s choice as Buhari’s Chief of Staff is so far the regime’s most luminous appointment. Gambari is undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s most credentialed and globally visible citizens for whom the position of Chief of Staff to the President is actually a positional, even symbolic, downgrade.
Ordinarily, the office of the Chief of Staff to the President is informal, discretionary, and of no consequence. Its inconsequence is underscored by the fact that the constitution does no recognize it and does not require the president to appoint anyone to perform its duties. That was why Umar Musa Yar’adua didn’t have one.
The only reason the position of CoS to the President has become uncharacteristically visible in the last five years is that Buhari is both too cognitively incapacitated and too splendidly incompetent to function as president, so he needs a proxy or, as I pointed out in my April 22 status update, “a babysitter, a political and intellectual babysitter.”
As a military dictator, Tunde Idiagbon was Buhari’s political babysitter from 1983 to 1985. The late Salihijo Ahmad’s Afri-Projects Consortium (APC), was “the sole manager of the PTF projects,” according to Ray Ekpu’s June 5, 2018 article titled, “Petroleum Trust Fraud.” In other words, Buhari couldn’t even manage a government agency as small as the PTF without needing babysitting. Of course, most people know that since 2015 until his death, Abba Kyari was Buhari’s proxy.
Mamman Daura, on whom Buhari is intellectually and emotionally dependent, “created” Abba Kyari for Buhari but Kyari later grew into a Frankenstein that almost devoured his “creator.” Daura wants no repeat of that and sees a potentially dutiful factotum in Gambari who was Buhari’s external affairs minister from 1984 to 1985.
He seems like a person who would do a good job of concealing Buhari’s cognitive and mental infirmities from the public and from government officials, which is what the position of CoS to Buhari has now been reduced to.
Although Gambari has intimidatingly impressive academic and professional credentials, he has no reputation for lofty, high-minded principles, which explains why he would even accept this position, which relegates rather than elevates him.
He defended IBB’s ruinous invalidation of the June 12 presidential election, justified Abacha’s heartrending judicial murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists, and, according to the New York Times of Oct. 5, 1997, opposed something as innocuous as a planned renaming of a New York street after the late Kudirat Abiola who was murdered in cold blood by Abacha’s junta, which Gambari served.
He also evinces what I call the overzealousness of the identitarian periphery, by which I mean people who are on the margins of a desired identity tend to go overboard to assert their membership of that identity in order to impress people who are rhetorically constituted as the core of that identity.
Gambari is an Ilorin prince, but his middle name (and the name by which his close family members call him) is Agboola. “Ibrahim” is just for show. Although he traces patrilineal descent from the Fulani, he is culturally (and obviously genetically) Yoruba and doesn’t look anything like a Fulani man, yet Yoruba people won’t accept him as one of them.
He’s on the geographic, symbolic, and cultural fringes of western and northern Nigerian identities, but he identifies as, and indeed is, a northerner. People who know him say he works excessively, if quietly, hard to prove his “northernness” through exaggerated subnationalist gamesmanship of the kind that someone from Kano or Sokoto with a similar educational and experiential exposure as he would find a little too extreme.
People like that are often happy and willing tools of puppeteers who come from the identity they want to be seen as central to but to which they are marginal. My sense is that he won’t be nearly as powerful and as influential as Abba Kyari was for as long as Mamman Daura is alive.
The only silver lining I see is that he probably won’t be as lazy as Abba Kyari was. Kyari was an indolent, self-absorbed presidential gatekeeper who allowed files that required urgent presidential attention to gather dust and who attended only to issues that feathered his nest.
I hope Gambari would at least bring his considerable experience to help lubricate the rusty wheels of governance even while doing the bidding of his benefactor(s).
I wrote this article in 2005 against Prof. IBRAHIM Gambari, Buhari’s newly minted Chief of Staff. This is one of the most “devious and dangerous” (apologies to Ayo Turton) public servants NIGERIA has ever had. If the Abacha repressive regime were a soccer team, Professor Ibrahim Gambari would be one of the “1st eleven players” or at least a quarter back on the reserve bench in the government squad. Though Abacha didn’t play soccer, he certainly sat on a killer squad that faced down members of the opposition-all lovers of democracy, and ordinary Nigerians in and out of Nigeria-while his bestial reign lasted, in addition to Abacha Professor Gambari has served almost all the dictators that has scorched the piece of earth known as Nigeria. Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who some people claim is an intelligent man, used his ‘intelligence’ to defend the draconian policies of the Abacha regime while he was Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations. He was one of Abacha’s equivalents of the “goebel” representing the infamous dictator with vigor and a propensity that could only be found in fascist Italy of old. He was once quoted as saying, “Nigerians don’t need democracy because democracy is not food. It is not their priority now.” As more pressure mounted on the Abacha regime from all corners of the world, Professor Gambari became more notorious and ruthless in defending and deflecting attacks against the Abacha dictatorship. I remember his many appearances on cable news channels, especially after Abacha murdered environmentalist and author, Ken Saro-Wiwa following what can be described as a kangaroo trial. Professor Gambari stoically denied that the Abacha regime had committed a crime; he labeled Saro-Wiwa a “common criminal” who had engaged in the murder of some Ogoni elders. It was Gambari and Tom Ikimi who went all over the world to convince and blackmail governments of nations opposed to the killing of Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni 8. They tried in vain to convince the governments of some countries, but it was also clear that they might have succeeded in blackmailing some countries into silence or acquiescence. There are claims that Professor Ibrahim Gambari had access to the Nigerian treasury; he had limitless resources to do what ever he wanted in the name of protecting the Abacha regime, no wonder he was able to pay for the juicy properties sold by the Federal government in Ikoyi recntly. After the demise of Abacha, his other co-dictators and collaborators were put in their place: Call it the Nigerian Hall of Shame. Professor Ibrahim Gambari has not been touched; he has not been called to account. Unlike the Usenis, Mustapha, and Gwarzo, he did not appear before the hapless “Oputa Panel” to explain his ignominious role. Instead he was elevated by Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General, to the position of Under-Secretary and Special Adviser on Africa at the UN. The reasons are not far-fetched. Kofi Annan wasn’t too keen on democratization efforts in Nigeria; he was already in cahoots with the Abacha regime through his son, Kodjo, who was involved in the oil business in Nigeria. Kodjo lives a life of opulence in Lagos. There had been rumors Gambari was the link between Abacha, Annan and their businesses. Even after the death of Abacha, Kofi Annan’s visits to Nigeria were primarily to prevail on Chief M.K.O Abiola to forget about his June 12 mandate. He didn’t care about Abiola’s freedom so he quietly went to meet him in jail and asked him to ‘fuggetabutit.’ It is a known fact that Prof. Gambari had already briefed Annan adequately about the “real deal” and shortly after Kofi visited Abiola, Chief Anyaoku followed, then the Brits and then the Americans and the rest is now painful history. It is intriguing that Professor Gambari has now become a darling of so many Nigerian organizations. Honors are pouring in from everywhere and he is getting awards and making speeches all over the place. Recently a group named “World Congress of Afenifere” invited people to come toNewark, New Jersey to listen to a Gambari lecture. I didn’t know what to think, except the reminder that even the leader of the Yoruba race, Chief Abraham Adesanya, was in the company of General Abubakar when he came to commission the now defunct “AbubakarA. Abdusalami Lecture Series” at the Chicago State University in 2001. For this program General Abubakar had committed a lot of money described by the Chicago State University President, Dr. Elnora Daniel as”largesse”, this he gave from his ill-gotten wealth. Shortly after the Chicago imbroglio, Dr. Conteh, who was the brain behind the lecture series was relieved of his plum job at CSU and the “Abubakar Lecture Series” died a natural death. I am proud to say I was there at CSU with Lanre Banjo, Pete Sophie, Kayode Oladele, members of Amnesty International, USA, and many more Nigerians from all over the United States to protest the “beautification” of Abubakar. In the milieu that ensued Abubakar was served a court summons that accused him of human rights violations, and ever since he has not been seen parading US universities in search of a dubious legacy and undeserved honors. The case against Gen. Abubakar has advanced tremendously at the U.S. Appeals Court, Circuit Seven. The court reached a decision on the case between Abubakar, Enahoro, and others (case #03-3089 on May 23, 2005). The 31-page decision of the appellate court presided by Justices Cudahy, Kannes, and Evans concluded that the Abubakar case should be referred to trial. For Professor Ibrahim Gambari, he seems to have escaped justice both locally and internationally. He can always claim that he was just a diplomat doing his job. But, since the days of the Nuremberg trials such arguments no longer hold water. Professor Gambari is getting bolder by the day, and as such on June 12, 2005, Professor Gambari, according to sources at the UN, is going to make a speech at a weeklong event tagged “Medgar Week” being organized by the Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York according to the . It is not clear why the college has not put the information on its website as at press time. They know all too well that Professor Gambari is to Nigerians here in the US, the equivalent of what David Duke (a white supremacist) would mean to African Americans. It has become clear that the day, “June 12” has some sanctity to Nigerians everywhere in the world. I have no doubt that Medgar Wiley Evers a committed civil rights leader will be turning in his grave right now, certainly Abiola must be boiling with rage wherever he is and definitely the date “June 12” should never be the party day for shenanigans and collaborators.
If the Abacha repressive regime were a soccer team, Professor Ibrahim Gambari would be one of the “1st eleven players” or at least a quarter back on the reserve bench in the government squad. Though Abacha didn’t play soccer, he certainly sat on a killer squad that faced down members of the opposition-all lovers of democracy, and ordinary Nigerians in and out of Nigeria-while his bestial reign lasted, in addition to Abacha Professor Gambari has served almost all the dictators that has scorched the piece of earth known as Nigeria.
Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who some people claim is an intelligent man, used his ‘intelligence’ to defend the draconian policies of the Abacha regime while he was Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations. He was one of Abacha’s equivalents of the “goebel” representing the infamous dictator with vigor and a propensity that could only be found in fascist Italy of old. He was once quoted as saying, “Nigerians don’t need democracy because democracy is not food. It is not their priority now.” As more pressure mounted on the Abacha regime from all corners of the world, Professor Gambari became more notorious and ruthless in defending and deflecting attacks against the Abacha dictatorship.
I remember his many appearances on cable news channels, especially after Abacha murdered environmentalist and author, Ken Saro-Wiwa following what can be described as a kangaroo trial. Professor Gambari stoically denied that the Abacha regime had committed a crime; he labeled Saro-Wiwa a “common criminal” who had engaged in the murder of some Ogoni elders. It was Gambari and Tom Ikimi who went all over the world to convince and blackmail governments of nations opposed to the killing of Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni 8. They tried in vain to convince the governments of some countries, but it was also clear that they might have succeeded in blackmailing some countries into silence or acquiescence. There are claims that Professor Ibrahim Gambari had access to the Nigerian treasury; he had limitless resources to do what ever he wanted in the name of protecting the Abacha regime, no wonder he was able to pay for the juicy properties sold by the Federal government in Ikoyi recntly.
After the demise of Abacha, his other co-dictators and collaborators were put in their place: Call it the Nigerian Hall of Shame. Professor Ibrahim Gambari has not been touched; he has not been called to account. Unlike the Usenis, Mustapha, and Gwarzo, he did not appear before the hapless “Oputa Panel” to explain his ignominious role. Instead he was elevated by Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General, to the position of Under-Secretary and Special Adviser on Africa at the UN. The reasons are not far-fetched. Kofi Annan wasn’t too keen on democratization efforts in Nigeria; he was already in cahoots with the Abacha regime through his son, Kodjo, who was involved in the oil business in Nigeria. Kodjo lives a life of opulence in Lagos. There had been rumors Gambari was the link between Abacha, Annan and their businesses.
Even after the death of Abacha, Kofi Annan’s visits to Nigeria were primarily to prevail on Chief M.K.O Abiola to forget about his June 12 mandate. He didn’t care about Abiola’s freedom so he quietly went to meet him in jail and asked him to ‘fuggetabutit.’ It is a known fact that Prof. Gambari had already briefed Annan adequately about the “real deal” and shortly after Kofi visited Abiola, Chief Anyaoku followed, then the Brits and then the Americans and the rest is now painful history.
It is intriguing that Professor Gambari has now become a darling of so many Nigerian organizations. Honors are pouring in from everywhere and he is getting awards and making speeches all over the place. Recently a group named “World Congress of Afenifere” invited people to come toNewark, New Jersey to listen to a Gambari lecture. I didn’t know what to think, except the reminder that even the leader of the Yoruba race, Chief Abraham Adesanya, was in the company of General Abubakar when he came to commission the now defunct “AbubakarA. Abdusalami Lecture Series” at the Chicago State University in 2001. For this program General Abubakar had committed a lot of money described by the Chicago State University President, Dr. Elnora Daniel as”largesse”, this he gave from his ill-gotten wealth. Shortly after the Chicago imbroglio, Dr. Conteh, who was the brain behind the lecture series was relieved of his plum job at CSU and the “Abubakar Lecture Series” died a natural death. I am proud to say I was there at CSU with Lanre Banjo, Pete Sophie, Kayode Oladele, members of Amnesty International, USA, and many more Nigerians from all over the United States to protest the “beautification” of Abubakar. In the milieu that ensued Abubakar was served a court summons that accused him of human rights violations, and ever since he has not been seen parading US universities in search of a dubious legacy and undeserved honors. The case against Gen. Abubakar has advanced tremendously at the U.S. Appeals Court, Circuit Seven. The court reached a decision on the case between Abubakar, Enahoro, and others (case #03-3089 on May 23, 2005). The 31-page decision of the appellate court presided by Justices Cudahy, Kannes, and Evans concluded that the Abubakar case should be referred to trial.
For Professor Ibrahim Gambari, he seems to have escaped justice both locally and internationally. He can always claim that he was just a diplomat doing his job. But, since the days of the Nuremberg trials such arguments no longer hold water.
Professor Gambari is getting bolder by the day, and as such on June 12, 2005, Professor Gambari, according to sources at the UN, is going to make a speech at a weeklong event tagged “Medgar Week” being organized by the Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York according to the . It is not clear why the college has not put the information on its website as at press time. They know all too well that Professor Gambari is to Nigerians here in the US, the equivalent of what David Duke (a white supremacist) would mean to African Americans.
It has become clear that the day, “June 12” has some sanctity to Nigerians everywhere in the world. I have no doubt that Medgar Wiley Evers a committed civil rights leader will be turning in his grave right now, certainly Abiola must be boiling with rage wherever he is and definitely the date “June 12” should never be the party day for shenanigans and collaborators.
FROM THE ARCHIVES AS THE LIBERATION MANDATE CLOCKS 39
“AT THE BASE OF THIS MINISTRY THERE WILL BE A ‘TENT’ THAT WILL SIT 50,000”! Prophecy of 10th April 1982
HOW THE MOST FOOLISH MOVE IN CHURCH GROWTH HISTORY BECAME ONE OF THE WISEST
*Remembering the Exodus to Canaanland *Almost 22 years on.
by Leke Beecroft
In ‘3 Easy Ways To Grow Your Church’ by Lena Kelly, ‘Accessibility to worshippers’ was named as a most strategic factor. Also, according to the Church of England in her journal, ‘Shaping Strategies for mission and growth in rural multi-church groups’ “The geographical location of the church parish has a significant impact on growth or decline…”
The Iyana Ipaja road was bursting to the seams during 5 morning services every Sunday and 2 evening services each on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The junction leading to Ipaja through Gowon Estate up to ‘Winners’ bus stop’ and down to Olorun Adaba bus stop all the way to Egbeda was worst hit. This is coupled with the fact that Lagos, Nigeria is already unique for heavy traffic. The Church which bought over a few brothels along Raji Oba road had grown strong over the few years since it was established in Lagos with 300 people in July 1989 and was slowly becoming a public nuisance. This was despite the building of a 3,000 capacity auditorium as well as a L Shaped structure and special canopies from South Africa that could take up 7,000 more people at once. The brothels had disappeared, however, new businesses of all kinds had filled the area, Bible sellers, other Christian literature and tapes as well as refreshments of all kinds. A notable popcorn vendor and university graduate had testified in the church how his popcorn business had thrived during services until he bought a new car. During services, gutters and rooftop of adjoining houses were filled with worshippers. In the event of an emergency or any incident that would require immediate evacuation, the consequences would be catastrophic. A move out of this area by Winners’ Chapel had become of utmost necessity.
Shortly before the dedication of the new Winners’ facility on 30th December 1995 by Archbishop Benson Idahosa, the Presiding Bishop, Dr David Oyedepo revealed that God had spoken to him on the 12th of the same month “I will yet relocate you to your Rehoboth (Place of enlargement and flourishing).
No sooner had the Church facility been dedicated than she sent pastors to begin to search for a new place. By the end of 1997, a possible new location was discovered. As Bishop David Oyedepo got on the ride from Iyana Ipaja in a long convoy, he soon discovered after about 20km and one hour on the decrepit road that they had crossed the old Ota Toll gate and were now bound for the Idi Iroko border of Nigeria and Benin Republic. He got upset. “Where are you taking us to” he fumed and scolded. “Are we joking here? What were you thinking” he asked his pastors who had no response as the mood was not right for one. But for the confusion that would be caused by turning around in the middle of the trip, he almost stopped the trip. However, he decided to continue and see the location as a matter of courtesy and then to show gratitude to those who had been in search for a while. The convoy soon arrived the area and after a very brief survey, Bishop Oyedepo called everybody to just give God thanks for the effort so far. At that moment, he heard clearly from God in his heart ‘THIS IS THE PLACE’.
Shortly before that and in another instance, he had received a separate instruction to ‘Pastor this one church and I will make the whole world your branches’ thus, a church located in the suburbs of a little town in Ota, Ogun State and 40 km from the centre of Lagos became the Lagos Church. It was clearly a move in the wrong direction and negated all wise principles of church growth.
On 29 August 1998, we thronged the venue of the foundation laying event at the new camp. It was a bit easy to relate to the concept as the Enoch Adeboye led Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) had set the pace with the ‘Redemption Camp’ back in 1983. The energetic 44 year old Bishop Oyedepo and his wife resplendent in their red matching suits with Mummy Faith spotting white sneakers led the throng. Sunny Okosun was present to minister while a number of people especially some non members who had come to see for themselves kept asking-will it be as big as RCCG Camp? David Oyedepo eventually came up to minister and his first words rang loud ‘We are NOT in a competition, we are in a Commission (The great commission). He went on to reveal the project’s 12 year plan. The Y shaped church building would be-Shiloh or ‘Faith Tabernacle’, the secondary school would be ‘Moriah’, pastors’ accommodation would be ‘Ramoth’ (Remember the biblical Ramoth-Gilead, home of Prophet Samuel) Hebron -birthplace of Kings and Queens would be the proposed university grounds (the Nigerian military Government had just announced new laws for the establishment of private universities). A skyscraper would also serve as the church secretariat. The whole 530 acreage was to be known as ‘CANAANLAND’. I imagined how all these would happen by 2010.
My Dad and I decided to visit a village nearby after the foundation laying to see our cousins. In his conversation with them, he announced something big was coming to their environment. They looked knowingly but disappointingly and nodded in the direction of the proposed Federal Government project. No, my Dad declared with a tone of finality. It’s a big church project. My cousins worshipped in a white garment church. It obviously did not make sense that a church would handle a project bigger than the federal government.
A little over 12 months later, the Faith Tabernacle built at the cost of about N900 million ($9 million) was announced on the world stage. Global statisticians rated her as the 13th largest in the world with 50,000 worshippers in terms of Sunday worship attendance thus launching her into global prominence.
All over the world, churches strive to gain access to the strategic City Centre to become more visible and consequently grow. This little church was doing the exact opposite.A concerned pastor approached Bishop Oyedepo and asked, what happens to those who cannot relocate to Ota from Iyana Ipaja? ‘They will find another church’, responded the Bishop, the cloud has moved to Canaanland. A family friend muttered to my hearing ‘Winners are going to lose many members’. His statement was very logical; why should a relatively young church move from the Centre of the city to the bush near the border? Who will follow them? A few days later, a 35 km trip from Canaanland by 6pm ended at Ikosi -Ketu at exactly 12 midnight. This was a most fatal mistake that would have severe consequences on the Church.
Coincidentally, the August 1998 foundation laying had happened a few months after the departure of Archbishop Idahosa and before the RCCG’s estimated 7 million gathering at Lekki 98. It was the same year Deeper Life and Mountain of Fire began moving to their present Conference Centre and Prayer City. Canaanland’s initial 530 acres was procured at N200 million ($2.7 million). These moves beginning with the Ota exodus had consequences for the growth of the gospel in Nigeria.
CONSEQUENCES OF THE MOVE TO OTA
Evangelism The move to Canaanland necessitated the need for Evangelism on a much larger scale than the Church ever experienced. Street Evangelism has taken a new dimension since the relocation.
Signs and Wonders Yoruba land is known among other things for the presence of the supernatural such as witches and wizards. Ota however is referred to as the headquarters of witches in yorubaland thus the common adage ‘o buru ju aje Ota’ which implies someone ‘More dangerous than the witches of Ota’. During construction, dead animals with human faces were discovered in Canaanland.,Today, rather than being the Headquarters of witches, it has become the Headquarters of one of the world’s largest churches with miracles happening weekly to the glory of God.
Crime Reduction Reduction in crime has happened over time. The place has become an urban center of sorts and no more a spot for criminals to attack travellers on the lonely road.
Real Estate The move to Ota has turned a forest into a city. The initial 530 acres has now grown to over 17,000 acres. Meanwhile the facilities are world standard with a system working better than that experienced outside the walls. Lack of water or even ‘Power outage’, a nemesis currently being battled within Nigeria is unknown within Canaanland. The camp now hosts one of the ten best universities in Africa, 2 secondary schools, primary school, a growing housing estate and hosts the largest attendance globally for a church worshipping in a single place on Sundays. Properties have increased in value. A property of N20,000 in 1999 is now worth N2 million. A Church member who acquired a property at N3 million in 2003 rejected an offer of N30 million for same property in 2013 for being too small.
Growth The One Church now has 500 Covenant Hour of Prayer (CHOP) locations, 710 Believers Foundation Class locations, 2000+ Zones for midweek worship and 20,000 Winners’ Satellite Fellowship centers.
Economy The Ota economy received a significant boost. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, about 1 million dollars is spent weekly by commuters or worshippers to and from Canaanland especially within Ota.
Corporate Social Responsibility The Church has brought succour to Ota and environs. Roads have been fixed, water provided, a cleaner environment has resulted and businesses have been set up with many of the members of the community exposed to education through scholarships.
Global Recognition The move to Ota kept the Church away from the public view while she increased. The BBC had refused to accept that it was the largest church as at 1999. Despite church historian, C.P Wagner’s announcement in 2004, it took the release of the Guinness World Records in 2008 for the world to appreciate the magnitude of what had happened in 1998. The West was catching up slower than ever before.
Bishop Oyedepo has not failed to remind worshippers that ‘Home is never far’. The Ota Church has grown from 1 service in 1999 to 4 services today. The 50,000 capacity Faith Tabernacle now has an additional 52,000 capacity overflow facility.
While heeding to the one church commandment however, flexibility has necessitated the opening of zonal centers for weekly services which has led to the growth in attendance from 5,000 traveling to Ota on thursdays to over 120,000 at various zones after the change. Up to 400,000 have been counted while the Church held 5 services with 25,000 cars driving in on a single Sunday. This would definitely not have happened at Raji Oba.
CHURCH INFLUENCE AND FUTURE PLANS
While the habit of of fixing roads would continue for now, it is necessary to have a train system running effectively to move the masses to and from Canaanland. The Church had come into an agreement with the government in 1999 for a train system but the Government later reneged. Many members and non members have been inspired to go into real estate and have become wealthier. Many churches and other institutions have also been inspired to start private universities since a young church could run one successfully.
Covenant University pioneered the trend of awarding first class degrees to deserving students contrary to the old order in public universities where some grades were reserved for ‘God’. Universities in Nigeria now give first class degrees to those deserving.
Some of Bishop Oyedepo’s spiritual sons have also been inspired to build large auditoria for the convenience of worshippers. Of note is David Ibiyeomie’s 90,000 capacity ‘Hand of God’ being built by Salvation Ministries and Dr Paul Enenche’s Glory Dome of Dunamis International Gospel Centre.
Going Forward-Kenneth Copeland has prophesied on the 100,000 capacity auditorium and adjoining facilities for states, countries and continents which would be the Church growth 9th wonder of the world.
Canaanland has proven that the ‘Foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men’. Abraham was told to journey 3 days to a place he did not know to make a sacrifice which changed his story and our faith forever. This among other reasons makes it difficult to question the move to Canaanland till date. Today, while the country could be forced to refer to the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Estate on Bonny Island as a proof that things could work in Nigeria, the bigger miracle is that under our very noses, God has laid an example with many Cities of God in Nigeria including Canaanland, Ota, Africa.
1 Corinthians 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Acts 13:44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
drbiggie 