The Nation Newspaper

Tag: 50 YEARS

  • Asoju Oba Cup: 50 years of thrilling table tennis fiesta

    From the first flying strokes in 1968 when the maiden tournament took place in Lagos, the Asoju Oba Cup Table Tennis Championship has been held annually without fail for five decades. Initiated and single-handedly bankrolled by the late business mogul, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, the Asoju Oba Cup remians Nigeria’s longest running table tennis tournament. Although Okoya-Thomas died in 2015, the championship continues to wax stronger. OLALEKAN OKUSAN writes on the impact of the tournament on local sports.

    FIFTY years ago, the then Oba of Lagos, Adeyinka Oyekan, conferred the Asoju Oba title on 32-year-old Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, a former athlete and business mogul. The sports-loving Okoya-Thomas decided to mark the joyous event with a table tennis tournament. Christened Asoju Oba Cup, the inaugural tournament drew athletes from Lagos State only. The beginning was small, even localised. However, that auspicious start has continued uninterrupted for 50 years, outliving its founder, Sir Okoya-Thomas, who passed on in 2015.

    From the outset, the late Okoya-Thomas held high hopes for the competition and envisioned its current global ratings. Thus, he made it a good point to commission and import the glittering trophies awarded to winners from Japan and backed them with big prizes, cash and material. As the Asoju Oba Cup morphed into a top-draw table tennis competition which got all of Lagos and Nigeria buzzing, the Lagos State government saw its immeasurable potential and came on board with its support through the Lagos State Table Tennis Association.

    As the longest running table tennis tournament in Nigeria, the Asoju Oba Cup has been the platform where Nigeria’s table tennis stars were born in epic match-day battles that have entered the country’s table tennis lore. Fans of the sport in the 80s would readily recall the frenzy build-up to the competition and the utterly electrified stratospheres in which the table tennis Colossi, Atanda Musa and the late Yomi Bankole clashed in the finals. They will also recall the exploits of the ladies as exemplified by past winners in the women’s game, especially, Olawunmi Majekodunmi, Bose Kaffo and Olufunke Oshonaike, who rather appears ageless now as the 2017 crowned African Women’s Singles champion.

     

    Torrents of testimonies

     

    Going down the memory lane, first winner of the Asoju Oba Cup and former national table tennis coach, Babatunde Obisanya, said it all began at the popular Alakoro Training Centre on Lagos Island.

    “We used to train at the Alakoro Training Centre and one day, the then Secretary of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association, Olasuyi Ajayi, walked into the hall with a suit-wearing gentleman. After our training, he introduced the well-suited man as Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas who wanted to sponsor a table tennis competition.

    “We were all excited because this was what we had been looking forward to and we all welcomed the idea. In the first edition, we had 20 male and 12 female.

    “Among the male then were Waheed Daudu and Lassey Wilson while in the female we had the likes of Modupe Beyioku and Mowunmi Johnson. That was how the tournament started at the Alakoro Training Centre on Lagos Island.

    “We all looked forward to every December for the competition because the gift items that most times came with winning matches at the tournament and the competition itself made us to enjoy the festive season.

    “I could not believe that I got such numerous gifts when I won the maiden edition in 1968. I was really stunned and this made me to enjoy the festive season even more and I always looked forward to the tournament annually.”

    After emerging as the men’s singles champion at the maiden edition of the Asoju Oba Cup, Obisanya claimed the title several times before yielding the space upcoming players.

    On the impact of the tournament on the local table tennis scene, Obisanya said: “For us, Asoju Oba has been the springboard for every player that made it to the national team as majority of us that featured in the tournament moved up to the national team.

    “I must admit that the late Chief Okoya-Thomas was the pillar of table tennis in Lagos and Nigeria because he loved the game and he supported the players in their careers. For me, winning the maiden Asoju Oba Cup really boosted my confidence to aim for the national team.

    “I must also admit that Asoju Oba is the bedrock of talent for the national teams. When I was the national coach, the tournament was one of the platforms from where players were invited to the national team.

    “As a coach, you cannot ignore the talents from Asoju Oba as a good number of top players in the country were discovered through this competition,” Obisanya said.

    The former national team handler said that with more of the late Okoya-Thomas in the country, Nigerian sports would take a turn for the better. He lauded the family of the late business mogul for keeping the legacy of Okoya-Thomas alive by no allowing the dream to die after his demise in 2015.

    For Atanda Musa, the Asoju Oba Cup was his ticket to national and international stardom.

    The rivalry between Atanda Musa and the late Yomi Bankole became the climax of the competition in the 1980s, especially when a Peugeot Saloon Car was staked as the star prize by the sponsor.

    “I cannot underestimate the impact Asoju Oba made in my life and career because the late Okoya-Thomas contributed immensely to my life. When I was an employee of the Lagos State Sports Council and Chief Okoya-Thomas was the chairman, he supported me immensely to become what I am today.

    “He personally contributed 90 per cent to my success in life. It was through the tournament that I got my first car which was a Peugeot 504 saloon car when I defeated Yomi Bankole in the final. The tournament drew a lot of attention to table tennis in Lagos and Nigeria.

    ‘We always looked forward to the competition being the end-of-the-year event where gift items were dished out to the players,” the New York-based Musa said.

    The erstwhile coach of Saudi Arabia described the late Okoya-Thomas as a role model and philanthropist, who used his resources to better the lives of many youths in Lagos.

    Musa said: “Chief Okoya-Thomas has gone, but what he did while he was alive would remain with so many of us because it was through the Asoju Oba Cup that most of us made it to the national team and our performance improved tremendously.

    “My life would not have been what it is today without the support I got from Chief Okoya-Thomas particularly through the tournament, which remains the best in Lagos.”

    Like Atanda Musa, Germany-based Olufunke Oshonaike, another former champion of the annual Asoju Oba Cup described the tournament as an avenue for players to get great gift items and advance their playing careers.

    Oshonaike, who was the 2017 African Champion, said. said: “I cannot quantify the impact Asoju Oba had on my career. It is one of the competitions in Lagos where good players emerge and I could remember vividly that it was the television set that I won at Asoju Oba that was the first TV set in my house.

    “Most of us looked forward to the tournament because of the numerous gift items that the sponsor used to dole out to players.  We could not imagine missing the competition and it became part of our plans every year.

    “Apart from the tournament, the late Chief Okoya-Thomas was a father to all of us players because he gave his all to us. He was passionate about the sport and particularly, he showed love to the players as most of the players that used to take part in the competition were from poor home. So, through this competition, we got gift items that we probably would not have gotten in life.”

    Former Lagos State Table Tennis Association Chairman Wahid Oshodi, described the Asoju Oba Cup as the bedrock of modern table tennis in Nigeria.

    He said: “The Asoju Oba Cup is the bedrock and foundation of modern day table tennis in Nigeria. A great majority of our top players over the last 50 years honed their craft playing in this tournament.  To win the Asoju Oba Cup would be the crowning glory of any player and a stepping stone into the national teams.

    “The national coaches over the years themselves have all come through this tournament and they in turn use it as a hunting ground for young talent.

    “One should also note that with the Asoju Oba Cup unlike other tournaments the prizes don’t end with the tournament but Chief (as the table tennis world calls him) continued to support the players’ education and careers. He along with Late Dr. Efunkoya and a very select few are the true fathers of table tennis in Nigeria.”

    The former president of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) added: “This tournament was our Olympics in Lagos. It was a week-long jamboree. Different categories of players from veterans of yesteryears, to mini cadets, all had a stake. It was always something to look forward to and it was a festival of table tennis.

    “For us on the technical side, it gave us a great chance to see how the players performed under the gaze of the large crowds that always came to watch. It was a test not only of skill but composure also which is very important for a top player.

    “Chief gave massive financial support to the tournament and the players. It just made us so proud that such a tournament existed in our city. If we were sometimes doubtful about funding for our events, this was not the case for the Asoju Oba Cup.

    “Months before we would start preparation, which would climax in the presentation of the giant, magnificent trophies imported from Japan.

    “Lagos had always been the number one state in table tennis in Nigeria and without any doubt, that was due to the Asoju Oba Cup and Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas. His tenacity in being the best spread over all of us and he encouraged us to be better year upon year,” the former Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Sports added.

    In the 1980s, the fierce competition between Musa and Bankole attained loftier heights, with Atanda becoming the first table tennis player in Nigeria to win a new Peugeot 504 car for claiming the Asoju Oba Men’s Singles title at the expense of Bankole.

    Similarly, Seun Ajetunmobi, Ganiat Ogundele and Olajide Omotayo, all Men’s Singles champions, were driven away from the competition in new cars following their Men’s Singles successes.

    Oladele Sumbo remains the record holder in the tournament as he is a six-time winner of the Asoju-Oba Cup, having won the championship back to back in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1982. Thereafter, he served as the Head Coach of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association.

    Sharing his experience, Sumbo said: “I started playing table tennis at the age of nine at the Campos Square. Then, my coach always preached self-discipline to me and other young players. The first time I participated in the Asoju Oba Cup was in 1968 as a junior player before I went on to win six times.”

    The late Chief Okoya-Thomas’ contributions to sports in Lagos and Nigeria cannot be overestimated. For 48 of his 79 years on earth, he staged the Asoju Oba Cup tournament uninterrupted. Before his demise, Okoya-Thomas was the chairman of the Lagos State Sports Endowment Fund.

    He also served as chairman on many sports’ fund raising committees and was instrumental to the formation of Team Nigeria in 2003. He died on February 1, 2015 but his children have kept the tournament’s flag flying in the last three years. Lovers of the game await the thrills and frills of the longest table tennis competition in Nigeria, which returns this month.

     

    Family vows to uphold tournament’s legacy

    Despite his demise, the late Chief Okoya-Thomas’ family has vowed to uphold the legacy of his table tennis tournament, with plans to stage a befitting golden jubilee this year.

    Family spokesman Deji Okoya-Thomas described this year’s edition as unique with all arrangements in place to make it colourful.

    He said: “Managing and organising the tournament after the demise of our father have been interesting. We had obviously all been involved in assisting him in past competitions and we were therefore familiar with certain aspects of the organisation. God has obviously been gracious in granting the resources needed to continue to host the tournament annually.

    “The family intends to mark the 50th anniversary in a big way with a mouth-watering star prize for the winners in the men and women singles final.

    “The grand finale is scheduled for November 30, and it will be the most colorful since the 45th edition and will attract a lot of dignitaries who will come and honor our late father with their presence.

    “This year, being the golden jubilee, is unique and the arrangement going into it is much more than that last year and we hope this will translate into a memorable event. Fifty years is a very long time. So, the achievement of hosting this competition for that long must be well celebrated,” he said.

    Acknowledging the support from the Lagos State Government, he said: “The Lagos State Government has always supported this competition in one way or the other. I must use this opportunity to thank past governors, who have shown immense support and graced the competition with their presence.

    “We will also like to thank Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for continuing with this tradition of support for the competition,” he added.

  • Lagos in the next 50 years

    The last week of April and all of May, this year, was season of prayers in Lagos. People of diverse origin, faith, interest, and class-including even the atheists-, were united in entreaty to God Almighty, to guide and quicken the drive to a Greater Lagos, a Smart City that will rival the best in the Planet.

    Prayers were offered in churches, mosques and shrines, at club houses, social functions, homes and meetings. Prayers soared on the wings of songs, drums, dance, drama and fanfare, exalting the Almighty for His blessings and favours that put Lagos in pole position in the country, kindling hope of improved humanity, affirming durability of concord among groups, showcasing the beauty of multi-ethnic cultural heritage, propagating messages of care and love and restating our determination and commitment to confront present and future challenges.

    During the colourful celebration of 50 years of peaceful co-existence and unprecedented socio-economic progress in the state, Lagosions earnestly requested for more of the same in the journey to Smart city of collective aspirations. Indeed, Lagosians love God.

    God loves Lagosians-this is the bedrock of the people’s faith, imbuing hope, courage and confidence to focus on collective dreams and pursue them with religiousness until they become reality.

    The question is not whether our supplications will be answered, but that the Smart City destiny of Lagos is assured.

    Some skeptics might say western nations have achieved development with little emphasis on religion. While this is a fallacy, as will soon be pointed out, the definition of development will not be complete when the spiritual needs of the people are downplayed or ignored.

    Those who had travelled to nations in the Western World, before September 11, 2001, when the World Trade Centre was attacked, could easily come to the conclusion that people there were living in paradise, as they enjoyed state-of-the-art infrastructural facilities, unequalled social and economic advancement, uninterrupted power supply, comprehensive health insurance scheme, superb social safety net, fantastic integrated transportation system, near zero-unemployment level, stable democracy, predictable conveniences, comprehensive health and medical scheme, high level of safety and security and  unfettered freedom and liberty.

    It is thus easy for one to conclude that, these nations must have evolved enduring development templates that other developing nations in quest of progress and good living must adopt to succeed.

    Definitely, these are not models that Lagos should adopt unconditionally. Paying appropriate attention to religious issues and prayers are crucial in the overall state’s development thrust. Religion is not a problem, but a big asset that is being strategically combined with other variables to produce best results.

    In the past 50 years of the existence of Lagos, we have not witnessed any major religious conflict, despite that Lagos, with a population of more than 20 million, harbours far more faith-based groups of varying denominations and far more ethnic groups than anywhere else in the country.

    Indeed, religion and prayers are working for us in Lagos. Religion and government travel in different but parallel tracks. They are most successful and most effective when they protect and encourage one another… (And) too much secularism can lead to moral decadence not good for society,” says Elder Wilfred W. Anderson.

    Something ubiquitous can easily be taken for granted such as air, water, sand and sunshine, yet our Planet Earth cannot sustain lives in the absence of one of them. So, it is becoming a reality with religion.

    From the beginning of human creation, religion has been there with us. From cradle to grave, we are immense in religious rites and experiences, that it has become part of our souls. Hardly can we write the history of a nation or group of people on earth without mentioning their religious experiences; it has become part of human existence and ways of life, and the fact that we have some few people who are atheists, does not diminish the significance of religion and prayer.

    The principle of Strategic Approach is that attention must be given to all variables, which must be combined in systematic manner to produce desired results and outcomes.

    For Lagos to continue to excel and transmit models for other states in the country and beyond, it must continue to benefit from the best of what are available around the globe, and marry them with the best in our clime, to produce results that are appropriate and comprehensive enough to accommodate all the citizens’ needs and aspirations, without destroying our ways, values and cultures.

    Lagosians are religious people. Overwhelmingly, we are either Christians or Muslims; we have some other Lagosians who are traditionalists and some atheists, whose interests have always been factored in development thrusts.

    Lagos State Government has been working hard to protect all religious groups, without preference for one. You cannot see a worship centre within the State Secretariat complex, but across the road, there is a mosque and a church, constructed by the state, but each overseen by a governing council, who may not necessarily be public servants, to take care of spiritual needs of more than 95 per cent of workforce, residents and visitors in Alausa and its environs.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, as are his predecessors, appreciates the importance of religion and prayer in pursuit of avowed objective of Greater Lagos. He has been protecting religious freedom without favouring any group over the others.

    Through the Ministry of Home Affairs, he has been able to sustain harmonious relationship among all faith-based organisations. He has fostered durable peace in the state, and his peace initiative promises to become more comprehensive and self-sustaining when Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), State chapter, is decentralised for ownership at the grassroots.

    In the two consecutive years of Ambode’s administration, Lagos was adjudged as the best in the country in pilgrimage operation to the Holy Lands of Mecca and Jerusalem, with expressed approval and satisfaction of pilgrims.

    The state will continue in that manner to satisfy the spiritual yearnings of its citizens. Kidnapping, which is threatening harmonious existence, is foreign to the state and is being robustly addressed. It will soon become history when more security measures, such as deployment of commissionaires trained by Nigerian Legion (Lagos chapter), construction of watch tower and installation of close-circuit televisions come to fruition in education institutions.

    That Ambode’s administration has been outstanding is because he has been implementing a Lagos Template, which has all the beautiful components of the western version, with important local components that will transform the state from a Mega City to a Smart City.

    Lagosians have faith in the destiny of their state, and confident in the ability of the present government to transform the state to a true Smart City of prosperous and happy citizens. Ambode has his heart set on the task at hands, and will not be distracted.

     

    • Lookman Seriki is Head Public Affairs Lagos Ministry of Home Affairs
  • Lagos in the next 50 years

    Lagos in the next 50 years

    The last week of April and all of May, this year, was season of prayers in Lagos. People of diverse origin, faith, interest, and class-including even the atheists-, were united in entreaty to God Almighty, to guide and quicken the drive to a Greater Lagos, a Smart City that will rival the best in the Planet.

    Prayers were offered in churches, mosques and shrines, at club houses, social functions, homes and meetings. Prayers soared on the wings of songs, drums, dance, drama and fanfare, exalting the Almighty for His blessings and favours that put Lagos in pole position in the country, kindling hope of improved humanity, affirming durability of concord among groups, showcasing the beauty of multi-ethnic cultural heritage, propagating messages of care and love and restating our determination and commitment to confront present and future challenges.

    During the colourful celebration of 50 years of peaceful co-existence and unprecedented socio-economic progress in the state, Lagosions earnestly requested for more of the same in the journey to Smart city of collective aspirations. Indeed, Lagosians love God.

    God loves Lagosians-this is the bedrock of the people’s faith, imbuing hope, courage and confidence to focus on collective dreams and pursue them with religiousness until they become reality.

    The question is not whether our supplications will be answered, but that the Smart City destiny of Lagos is assured.

    Some skeptics might say western nations have achieved development with little emphasis on religion. While this is a fallacy, as will soon be pointed out, the definition of development will not be complete when the spiritual needs of the people are downplayed or ignored.

    Those who had travelled to nations in the Western World, before September 11, 2001, when the World Trade Centre was attacked, could easily come to the conclusion that people there were living in paradise, as they enjoyed state-of-the-art infrastructural facilities, unequalled social and economic advancement, uninterrupted power supply, comprehensive health insurance scheme, superb social safety net, fantastic integrated transportation system, near zero-unemployment level, stable democracy, predictable conveniences, comprehensive health and medical scheme, high level of safety and security and  unfettered freedom and liberty.

    It is thus easy for one to conclude that, these nations must have evolved enduring development templates that other developing nations in quest of progress and good living must adopt to succeed.

    Definitely, these are not models that Lagos should adopt unconditionally. Paying appropriate attention to religious issues and prayers are crucial in the overall state’s development thrust. Religion is not a problem, but a big asset that is being strategically combined with other variables to produce best results.

    In the past 50 years of the existence of Lagos, we have not witnessed any major religious conflict, despite that Lagos, with a population of more than 20 million, harbours far more faith-based groups of varying denominations and far more ethnic groups than anywhere else in the country.

    Indeed, religion and prayers are working for us in Lagos. Religion and government travel in different but parallel tracks. They are most successful and most effective when they protect and encourage one another… (And) too much secularism can lead to moral decadence not good for society,” says Elder Wilfred W. Anderson.

    Something ubiquitous can easily be taken for granted such as air, water, sand and sunshine, yet our Planet Earth cannot sustain lives in the absence of one of them. So, it is becoming a reality with religion.

    From the beginning of human creation, religion has been there with us. From cradle to grave, we are immense in religious rites and experiences, that it has become part of our souls. Hardly can we write the history of a nation or group of people on earth without mentioning their religious experiences; it has become part of human existence and ways of life, and the fact that we have some few people who are atheists, does not diminish the significance of religion and prayer.

    The principle of Strategic Approach is that attention must be given to all variables, which must be combined in systematic manner to produce desired results and outcomes.

    For Lagos to continue to excel and transmit models for other states in the country and beyond, it must continue to benefit from the best of what are available around the globe, and marry them with the best in our clime, to produce results that are appropriate and comprehensive enough to accommodate all the citizens’ needs and aspirations, without destroying our ways, values and cultures.

    Lagosians are religious people. Overwhelmingly, we are either Christians or Muslims; we have some other Lagosians who are traditionalists and some atheists, whose interests have always been factored in development thrusts.

    Lagos State Government has been working hard to protect all religious groups, without preference for one. You cannot see a worship centre within the State Secretariat complex, but across the road, there is a mosque and a church, constructed by the state, but each overseen by a governing council, who may not necessarily be public servants, to take care of spiritual needs of more than 95 per cent of workforce, residents and visitors in Alausa and its environs.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, as are his predecessors, appreciates the importance of religion and prayer in pursuit of avowed objective of Greater Lagos. He has been protecting religious freedom without favouring any group over the others.

    Through the Ministry of Home Affairs, he has been able to sustain harmonious relationship among all faith-based organisations. He has fostered durable peace in the state, and his peace initiative promises to become more comprehensive and self-sustaining when Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), State chapter, is decentralised for ownership at the grassroots.

    In the two consecutive years of Ambode’s administration, Lagos was adjudged as the best in the country in pilgrimage operation to the Holy Lands of Mecca and Jerusalem, with expressed approval and satisfaction of pilgrims.

    The state will continue in that manner to satisfy the spiritual yearnings of its citizens. Kidnapping, which is threatening harmonious existence, is foreign to the state and is being robustly addressed. It will soon become history when more security measures, such as deployment of commissionaires trained by Nigerian Legion (Lagos chapter), construction of watch tower and installation of close-circuit televisions come to fruition in education institutions.

    That Ambode’s administration has been outstanding is because he has been implementing a Lagos Template, which has all the beautiful components of the western version, with important local components that will transform the state from a Mega City to a Smart City.

    Lagosians have faith in the destiny of their state, and confident in the ability of the present government to transform the state to a true Smart City of prosperous and happy citizens. Ambode has his heart set on the task at hands, and will not be distracted.

     

    • Lookman Seriki is Head Public Affairs Lagos Ministry of Home Affairs

     

     

  • Old students meet 50 years after, to lift alma mater

    For 50 years, they had been apart after their secondary education at St Louis Secondary School, the first post-primary female school in Ondo State.

    Any wonder members of the 1966 set of the old students were excited when there was an opportunity for a re-union recently.

    The old students, who are now occupying various vital positions within and outside the country, converged on the school premises in Ondo town penultimate Monday to appreciate God and give back to their alma mater.

    The anniversary began with a lecture entitled “Challenging Girls to Greatness” delivered by a member of the 1966 set, Mrs Adun Akinyemiju, a Lagos-based school proprietor from Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area.

    Mrs Akinyemiju noted that everyone was created by God for a purpose and people achieve greatness when they work hard to bring to fruition their God-given mission.

    According to her, greatness radiates from inside out and enables one to honour the value that could be fulfilled through that purpose.

    The school proprietor observed that many are living below the plan of God for different reasons such as lack of knowledge and understanding as well as the environment/background of individuals.

    She said: “Many people still tell you that the place of woman is in the kitchen, you are a girl and you will amount to nothing, you are the last born or you are in the middle. You must put that off your mind and be determined to reach the height God has destined you to reach in life.”

    Mrs Akinyemiju made references to some women in contemporary period who are achievers because they have entered into such purpose.

    According to her, Mrs Ibukun Awosika and Mrs Osaretin Afusat Demuren are chairpersons of two strong banks in Nigeria  currently, just like Mrs Kemi Adeosun, who is the Minister of Finance.

    Within the 1966 set of St Louis, Mrs Akinyemiju listed Mrs Sola Dublin-Green, a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Marine sector who retired as the Director of Marine Geology and three medical doctors namely Dr Bolaji Ogunsulure, Dr Boyin Omotoso and Dr (Mrs) Adeleye.

    She also mentioned Mrs Biola Longe who retired as Director at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs Catherine Kuye, a leading educationist, Mrs Margaret Fasae, a seasoned Pharmacist and others who are performing excellently in their various professional callings.

    The National President of the Old Students Association, Mrs Elizabeth Adeyemi appreciated God for sparing their lives to witness the 50th anniversary of their passing out from St Louis Secondary School, Ondo with flying colours.

    She recalled that all of them (1966 set) passed out with good grades and are now in better positions.

    According to her, in uplifting their alma mater, they had come together to raise the institution by tiling the school hall, renovating the dining hall and preparing to execute many other projects.

    She urged well-meaning individuals in the society and the state government to rehabilitate roads within the school premises to ease movement.

    Highlight of the anniversary was the thanksgiving service held at the school’s chapel.

     

  • ‘What I learnt in 50 years of full-time ministry’

    ‘What I learnt in 50 years of full-time ministry’

    The founding overseer of Bible Based Church Ibadan, Pastor Joel Iyiola, is 75 years and retiring from church works after 50 years of full-time ministry. The well-respected preacher spoke with Sunday Oguntola on his experiences and lessons. Excerpts:

    How did you find yourself in the ministry?

    I didn’t find myself in the ministry but God called me. In 1963, I was working with Adepoju & Sons Ltd, a building contractor firm in Ibadan. I worked there as a clerk. In 1966, I was promoted to the post of Senior Store Keeper because the company got a contract to build the staff school of IITA.

    My salary was increased to 22 pounds and I went to church to give testimony. But that night, Jesus appeared to me to go and resign from the job. Remember I had just been promoted and I testified. I was a worker in Divine Love Gospel Church Ibadan then.

    I thought it was the devil that was speaking to me but Jesus convinced me it was Him. So, I had no choice than to go and resign. In those days, you could count the number of churches in town, not to talk of full-time ministers. That was how I became a full-time minister.

    I had been a part-time since 1963. The night I resigned, elders of the church came to me that they were willing to employ me as full-time. They didn’t know I had resigned.

    So, I took it as a sign from God. I didn’t even discuss salary with them. It was only at the end of the month that I realised I was paid 10 pounds. Don’t forget I was to start earning 22 pounds.

    Did that pay-cut hurt you?

    It worried me initially. But while I was still thinking about it, I slept off and Jesus appeared to me again that night. He said to me, ‘don’t worry; your care is not in the church but in my hands.’ That was what put my mind at rest.

    So, how did Bible Based Church (BBC) come to be?

    I was in Divine Love Gospel Church for 29 years and rose to become the Vice President of the ministry. God used me to plant all the branches of the church in Ibadan. They are still standing till today.

    But in 1995, God told me my time was up in the church. I must put it on record that humanly speaking, I had no reason to contemplate leaving. My father-in-the- Lord, who is also the General Overseer of the church, Rev Dr S.M Idowu, gave me all I needed to succeed in ministry.

    He is a good man and a father indeed. I had no issue working with him for even a day. I was at peace with everyone in the church. There was no crisis or conflict. But since God said I had to go, I left in obedience.

    We started BBC in our living apartment with seven members on August 5, 1995. Bible is our life, evangelism is our task and heaven is our goal. Those are the mission statement and by the grace of God, we’re dealing with these.

    You started the church in your sitting room in 1995, when did you move out?

    We moved out in 1996 to first CAC Grammar School hall in Adesola in Ibadan. Towards the end of 1996, we moved to Amuloko, a remote part of Ibadan, which was then a complete bush on our landed property.

    You are 75, did you know you will live this long?

     I didn’t know at all because of what I went through when I was growing up. I was born in Otun Agbaakin, a village near Moniya. I didn’t go beyond Standard Six. My father died when I was just 11. I left for Ibadan on my own when I was 16.

    I had no one to cater for me. So, I didn’t know I will come this far at all. In fact, I never knew I was going to cross the border of 50.  It’s purely the grace of God that I am 75.

    You don’t look 75. You appear healthy and strong. What is the secret?

    It’s still purely the grace of God. I have no secret. It is not because of what I drink, eat or any special care attention. It is the grace of God. I was poor and wretched. If I say it’s because I eat good food, then I’m lying.

    By the grace of God, I have no sickness. In all my life, I was only hopsitalised once when I had a surgery for abdominal pain in UCH. That was in 1960. Since then, I have been hale and hearty by God’s grace.

    If you are truly hale and hearty, why are you retiring then?

    I’m not retiring because of ailment, I am retiring simply because I want another Pastor to lead the church while I’m still alive so that I can correct likely mistakes when I’m alive.

    I don’t want those who will come and become emergency general overseer. Emergency GO is when the founding GO suddenly dies. They will have no option than to replace him. That person may not have been prepared.

     But I went another general overseer to come up and minister while I am alive so that I can correct any mistake. That’s why I want to retire.

    Does that mean you are getting tired?

    Not at all, as you can see, I am hale and hearty. I still drive myself. I read without glasses during the day. I only use glasses at night. But it is in our constitution that a founding GO must retire by 75. I have served for 50 years and should step aside for younger ones to come on board.

    I don’t have to wait till my health starts failing before I retire. I want to encourage youths that they too can rise to any position in this church.

    Will you still be in the church after retirement?

    Yes, I will still be going to the church. I will be taking speaking appointments and leading other pastors. I will be doing pastors seminars, pastor conferences and counseling the pastors. That’s what I will be doing.

    I will not dictate to the new GO because he’s not ministering to pastors; he’s ministering to the church. I want to dedicate the rest of my life to raising pastors. And I am not just talking about pastors in BBC. I have an interdenominational pastoral conference where I hope to share my experiences in the last 50 years.

    Are you handing over to one of your children?

    There is nothing like that. One of them is in BBC as a pastor. Another is in Bible School. But they have to take their turn. They can’t just come and overtake those who are ahead of them.

    But we always hear leadership is not by age or years of experience

    That is what people say when they want to impose their children on the church as the new leaders. You cannot buy experience. You cannot compare someone who has walked with God for years with someone who is just coming up.

    I have known the man taking over since 1968. I taught him in bible school. He is God’s choice and had paid his dues.

    What lesson has ministry taught you in 50 years?

    I have learnt so much my brother. I saw many who fell because of money and pride. But I thank God that he preserved me in these 50 years. I have not touched any church’s money. The women in the church are safe and undefiled. I haven’t touched any of them. I don’t have any concubine. Talk about pride, I don’t have anything to be proud of. I only live my life according to the way of the bible.

    What has kept you stainless?

    It is simply aligning myself with the dictates of the bible. Whatever I see in the bible, I try to do. There is nothing else I do. It is just the grace of God.

  • 50 years later

    50 years later

    I dedicate the column today to a great couple, Chief and Chief (Mrs.) Adebisi Akande, who are celebrating their birthdays this week. I was their guest on Tuesday and had a wonderful time. They are worthy role models and exemplars of patriotic zeal that we desperately need to move beyond pedestrian thinking to greater heights for the nation. Happy Birthday! Igba odun, odun kan. Ase.

    No thanks to her controversial, impatient and rebellious young Turks, Nigeria tasted the forbidden fruit as a kindergartener among nations for the first time 50 years ago today. And like the accursed of the Garden of Eden, it has never been the same for her.

    For a colony, independence is the political kingdom. On October 1, 1960, Nigeria had a promising future ahead. She was moving from the golden to the platinum era of existence. The signs were good on the economic and social sides. There were optimistic signs of the black gold. Not hoodwinked by that prospect, she prioritised the right mix of developmental goals and planned for the right results.

    Politics, on the other hand, was a different kettle of fish. And it turned out to be the undoing of a nation on the move.

    There is no shortage of theories on the cause of the fall of the First Republic. For the vast majority of theorists, it was not a question of structure; rather, ethnic politics was the foremost culprit. For advocates of a unitary system, the republic was structurally-doomed because of its adoption of a genuine federal system which afforded the regions ample opportunities for grassroots development and cultural democracy. For others yet, both of the above downplayed the powerful machinations of the enemy outside her borders. It was neocolonialism triumphant!

    It seems clear, of course, that none of the theories can credibly explain the politics of the First Republic without referencing the sandy foundation upon which it was built due to the lousy credentials of its architectural experts. Unfortunately, only a wobbly edifice emerges from a sandy foundation.

    The majors and captains who conspired and planned the first military coup in the history of Nigeria were most likely convinced of the rightness of their cause and the nobility of their plan. They thought that they were doing the country a huge favour. They were disturbed about the violence of its politics and the baseness of its leadership cadre.  They believed that they were the conscience of the nation. Believing that there was a moral burden on their heads, they struck.

    Rightly or wrongly, it was clear that they took sides in the political conflict that afflicted the republic at the time. From the various official and unofficial reports on the coup, certain facts emerged. First, some of the young officers involved in the coup resented the acrimonious character of the politics of the times and thought that they were on a conscientious rescue mission.

    Second, there were the more regionally-inclined officers who, in addition, resented the dominance of the North and its political party in the affairs of the nation. Needless to suggest, there is no way to parse this than understand it as another expression of sympathy for the South and against the North.

    Third, there were those moved by the specific cases of political corruption and electoral malpractices in 1964 and 1965 and the controversial federal census of 1964. For this group, the Western Regional election of October 1965 was the final straw. It didn’t help matters that there was a rumour making the rounds about an impending forceful crackdown on the West sequel to the violent protests against the election results.

    Fourth, from the list of officers and other ranks involved in the planning and execution of the coup and the list of its military and civilian casualties, many found it difficult to believe that it wasn’t ethnically-motivated. Without justifying the ensuing developments, including the crisis in the North and the July counter coup that followed, one must have to infer that the belief of an ethnic motivation of the January coup must have been a considerable factor in these subsequent developments.

    Now, to what end was the first bite of the forbidden fruit? What did it accomplish or fail to accomplish? What lessons were learnt and how have we fared as a result?

    We would never know what the plotters were up to and how prepared they were to change the republic for better because they failed in the mission to secure power. That, in itself, may be a damning verdict on the quality of their planning ability. They killed and maimed for nothing and they never had access to political power, having been outfoxed by the Generals.

    On their part, the Generals thought that they had a prescription for whatever ailed the nation. It was, in their judgment, too much independence for the regions; therefore, they needed to be reined in to promote not just unity but uniformity. For 13 years, this therapy was administered with unparalleled passion in various degrees by three administrations. Needless to add, it failed woefully, the most visible evidence being the scars of Biafra and its reincarnation in IPOB.

    Typically, apologists of military rule justify it on two grounds, one of which is backward-looking, while the other is forward-looking. For the former, the argument is analogical to the retributive justification for punishment. Bloody civilians misbehaved politically; they deserve to be taught a lesson. Without politicians messing up, the military won’t dare interfere with the democratic system. So the argument goes.

    The forward-looking argument is corrective and developmental. The presupposition or presumption is that the Army has the discipline to push the development agenda of a new state and put in corrective measures for the politicians to build upon. Therefore, intervention is not so much of a punishment, but more of a developmental effort to help the new nation advance its interests beyond the bickering typical of civilians.

    To be fair to the second argument, a disciplined military has an edge over civilians in the promotion of development. But our experience as a nation has been the opposite. As it turned out, we did not have a disciplined military. Indeed, it was the lack of discipline that motivated the first military coup in the first place and its failure was just a good evidence of this observation.

    More importantly, however, no sooner than the military took over, the nation was plunged into a senseless war that cost us dearly in human lives and material resources and further divided us beyond repair till today, 50 years later. There were a few indices of development in bridges and refineries and higher institutions. But what one clean military hand gave to promote development, the other corrupt military hand took back. Indeed, to the extent that corruption was the foremost legacy of the military in power in this country, one can justifiably proclaim that its intervention was to a negative end.

    Now to the first argument, just as retributive punishment is problematic because it offers no good justification, so the idea that military intervention is justified as a punishment for civilians’ misbehaviour in power is without merit. Were it to have merit, it must yield a better political system and good political behaviour on the part of civilians. But we know that civilians have not been given the chance to learn the rope.

    The first military intervention was just five years plus four months into the First Republic. It wasn’t enough time for politicians to mature. That intervention lasted 13 years. Then the military struck again just after four years of the Second Republic. Thereafter it was serial coups and counter coups. How are civilians supposed to learn the art of democratic governance?

    The only good that may be claimed to have come out of the national experience of January 15, 1966 is that 32 years after they first tasted the forbidden fruit, the military finally realised that it is too poisonous for its system and too acidic to be of any lasting benefit to the political system. That realisation is the beginning of military wisdom.

  • T. B. Joshua shuns celebration as he hits 50

    Many followers of the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet Temitope Joshua, were shocked to learn penultimate Wednesday that he had turned 50. Contrary to wide speculations of a high-octane celebration, the prophet chose to isolate himself to pray on the mountain.

    While worshipers, friends and family members organised a reception in honour of their leader, the prophet was conspicuously absent at the event. They had come together to give the celebrant a surprise birthday bash but were shocked to learn that he had opted for a three-day prayer on the mountain top in response to a divine directive. Those who should know told Celeb Watch that Prohet T. B Joshua sent a message to his followers, friends and family members, saying that while he was grateful to God for clocking 50, the golden age would be meaningful only to the extent that he was able to impact positively on the society.