Founder of Christ Apostolic Church Odi-Ajaye Ogba, Lagos, Pastor John Ojo, spoke with Sunday Oguntola on his 80th birthday and ministerial sojourn. Excerpts:
How does it feel to be 80?
I feel grateful to God because it is not easy. Only the grace of God has kept me going.
Did you ever imagine you will live this long?
I didn’t know at all. If you consider the circumstances of my birth and life, you will realise it is a miracle I have lived this long. I am the only survivor of six children by my parent.
So, that background triggered me to get closer to God.
Right from my childhood I started living a godly life. I never touched anything sinful or diabolical. I became a choir master in my town when I was only 12.
According to what I heard, my father gave birth to four children and decided to stop. But he had to marry another wife. When the new wife realised that my mother and father were very close, she promised to destroy my mother.
She lived for just two years with my father within which three of my siblings died. My father and mother were left with only one child. When my mother realised only one child was left, she decided to have one. She took in. I was just six months plus in the womb when the fourth child died.
So she began to panic and started having bad dreams. There were many negative prophecies concerning my survival. Fortunately, my mother’s brother took her to a church revival where she was to stay for two weeks. By then, I had been 11 months in her womb. But I was delivered the fourth day of the revival. She had to wait for another one week for my christening.
There were serious warnings that I must not be taken to my father’s house. When I was about two years plus, my mother gave birth to another child. But the child died after delivery, leaving only me.
So you never had any connection with your father’s family till date?
I have never slept in my father’s house till now. Even when my mother died, I was alone with her family. When I grew up, there was nothing I could do. My father and his second wife wore the clothes I bought them until they died.
I sponsored three of my step mother’s children to secondary schools and got them jobs. In fact, the grandchild is with me.
Through all that I witnessed, I decided within myself to get closer to God. I learnt how to manage and live my life. I also learnt how to deal with people.
So, you were always inclined towards ministry?
Yes, I was. I came to Lagos in search of jobs after a diploma ion building construction. Upon all the challenges I was facing, I wasn’t too far away from the church because I realised God had a purpose for me.
There was a church at Mushin called Atunda Olu Apostolic Church. I was there for some time before I went to Igbaja Bible Seminary College.
I worked at the Nigeria Concrete Industry in Mushin as a sales representative but later got my diploma in sales management so I became the sales manager.
Then I came to Iju road, very close to Ifako International School at a company, The Acceptance Engineering Company, where I worked as a sales manager for 13 years.
All the time I was working, I was also doing part time ministry. I didn’t leave the church. In 1982, I decided to have my own church and came down here at Odi-Ajaye. God founded it through me. We have eight branches in Nigeria, one in the heart of London and another one in the offing in California, United States of America.
What are the challenges you face?
I have so many challenges but the word of God simplifies all my problems because there is nothing new. Challenges are normal in life and there is nothing one is facing that others have not gone through.
So, what I do with my problems is, I just read up what someone had gone through in the bible and apply the wisdom I can get.
In the ministry, I have faced challenges with pastors and workers. I may call some of them to handle the ministry in that branch and they will start acting funny by looking for financially buoyant members. They go to their houses, pray for them and even hold vigils with them. Instead of inviting and encouraging them to come to the church, after a short period of time, they will want to stand on their own. For me, the best is to leave everything to God and face them with prayers.
You have been in full-time ministry for almost 35 years. Why are ministers always derailing from the call?
The first reason is greed. Many of them come into the ministry because of money. They don’t even want to work before getting the money. They don’t care about eternal home. They don’t mind if they have the money today and die two or three years later.
Salvation doesn’t concern them. They don’t care about reigning with Christ on the last day. So, we have employed so many of them who just desire money. They will disguise as angels when they are about to be employed but within a month or three months, you will get to know their true colour.
What’s your take on the state of the nation?
I want to see the president himself. I have written about two letters to see him personally, to give him fatherly and spiritual advice. I know what is going on generally and I have about six points with me.
Firstly, concerning retirees, the way we treat them as a nation is too bad. More than 65 percent of the problems facing Nigeria is as a result of curses from elderly ones, who were supposed to have been paid but were not. The suffering they go through while queuing in the sun, all in the name of trying to identify them, is annoying.
At overseas, your money would have been ready before you are retired and they continue to pay into your account for life. There have free medical check-up, accommodation, ride and what have you. Retirement is another new life entirely. Some people even prefer to retire quickly.
That is why those still in service engage in corruption over here because they have seen what is being done to those that have retired and they don’t want the same thing to happen to them.
In addition, the government needs to work on security issues. Nigeria police know armed robbers’ hide outs, and even give out guns due to bad treatment they receive from government.
Also concerning rehabilitations centres, government shouldn’t spend on prisoners because they are useless to the society. Government should make use of them in agricultural aspects.
You started an NGO during your birthday celebration. What’s it for?
It is called Victorious Garden Ministry. I loved giving out since I was a child because I realised God did a lot in my life. I have decided to be a giver thorough out my life. I help those facing challenges because of the bitterness I have experienced.
A lot of people have testified to what we have given them; including widows, orphans and the less privileged. The only problem I am having is that people are not being supportive. They have lot of money but are not compassionate about the needs of others.
At 80, you are overdue for retirement. When will that happen?
Salt cannot be retired from a soup. Once salt is retired from the soup, the soup becomes tasteless. I don’t render my full service like before in church. We have a pastor but I still preach once in a while because some will want to hear from an elderly person.
I am not ready yet because I still have strength. I am eager to carry on until God calls me home.
