How did you come about Okoto Jesu
I am a living testimony of the power and wonder of God. First, God called me into the ministry, having grown up in a poor background. Despite this, I worked with my mother to have primary school education. I hawked various farm produce to ensure I achieved this. After my primary education, I won a scholarship but my father objected and took me to a tailor in Ilesa to become his apprentice. Because I had to fend for myself, I joined a gang at the motor park where I worked in the night. However, I managed to finish the training and tried to live a normal life. Then, I had the privilege of being invited to one of the crusades of the late Apostle Timothy Obadare in 1977. I was pissed off and planned with my colleagues then at the park to disrupt the crusade. As we were trying to disrupt the crusade, Apostle Obadare kept shouting at the top of his voice that God wanted to use the leader of the gang, that God was preparing me for His work. The announcement only made me angry and I ordered my people to intensify our mission. However, one day, I surrendered my life to God. Though I tried to escape, God arrested me.
How would you describe 2018?
It is a challenging year. I can say that this is a year anyone would not pray or desire to experience. The economy of the country has become bad and recession has made many Nigerians lose hope. However, this is not the time to lose sleep over the situation of the country, rather it calls for serious intervention from God. Manipulation is so much in this country. Our government has spoilt a lot of things and clerics that are supposed to caution and even pray against injustice and misgovernment are backing them.
In what way did the economic meltdown affect your church?
The economy meltdown did not affect my church. This is because I was truly called and chosen to go against things that are not proper. When God called me, He called me to guide people through their problems with His word. So, as a true cleric, it cannot affect me because, I must continue with the purpose. A true man of God that truly believes and understands the word of God should be able to say that the current economy of the country has not affected him. But some will say the economy has affected them because everything is not going well with the tithe and offering. That is out of it, We are not called, because of the tithe. We should remain focused with our primary calling and I must not add any other thing to do God’s will.
You once prophesied that Nigeria is going to witness a national rebirth, and that someone that would truly rule this country is still a foetus, and that when he is born, Nigeria will witness a tremendous economic growth, and that he is going to be someone that people did not expect. How will that prophesy come to fulfillment?
The prophecy will be fulfilled by God’s grace. I have been saying this for the past 10 years. I said it in the previous year that the saviour of this country is coming. He has been given birth to, but we don’t know where how was born. The time of his manifest is near. God cannot abandon Nigeria. As long as we have great men of God, He will not forsake us. Let the people leading us continue, but a saviour is coming to change Nigeria for good and put an end to the economic downfall of the country. The 2019 election will occur like they do not exist. There is no other reason to it than God wants to help the country. Both the present party and the other party are just doing it for fun. An unknown person will emerge as the president in a miraculous way in 2019. God has ordained the person already. God didn’t reveal the person to me and I don’t know anything about politics but God told me that Nigeria will witness another independence before the middle of 2019.
What has God shown you concerning 2019?
Whether God ordained someone or not, that does not end the problem of Nigeria. But it will give us rest of mind. We need to be prayerful in 2019. It is going to take two to three years before the person ordained by God to rule Nigeria to see the right solution for Nigeria. 2019 will be a great year for us, but there will be extreme austerity measures. 2019 is not for lazy people, the year requires hard work. There will be two great strange occurrences that Nigeria will never forget. There won’t be any civil war but there will be crisis in Nigeria before and after the election.
What can you say about the bloodshed happening in the northern part of the country?
Any man of God that has any other thing apart from prayer is not a man of God. No one is against us in this country; we are our enemies and the problem of ourselves. No one should condemn the Boko Haram again; we should all check ourselves. There is no fire without smoke; we are the problem of ourselves in this country. These people are not our enemies. It is what they ask them to do that they are doing. When God is ready to save us, He knows those people to use for the restructuring.
In the country now, being a politician is one of the quickest ways of making money. Some people in the house of God also now practice politics, for example, the vice president, so how can the people of God who are in politics put an end to corruption, and mismanagement? Is it biblical that people of God should participate in politics at all?
Biblical or not biblical, Christians must participate in politics. The church members can participate but pastors must not participate because the calling of pastors is different. Pastors are called to win souls for Christ. The only thing pastors can do is to pray and guide them in God’s name. The so called pastors or clergymen are into politics but with the aim that they want to correct the ills in governance of the country but they failed.
They will surely fail because that was not the reason God called them. Go and check all those pastors involve in politics. They might have money but they have lost God. They might have post but they are not with the anointing anymore. But the church member can join politics and the pastors will assist them with prayer.
Do you support the Church paying tax?
The issue of churches paying tax is the consequence of our sins. Although the government said they will start collecting tax on churches, those doing that will invite God wrath upon themselves. God will intervene to it.
What would be your advice for Nigerian’s leaders?
Proverbs 14:34 says righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people. Let us go back to God. Let us pray more and go back to evangelism. Nigerian leaders must be passionate and ready to serve the people as promised. They should not use our youths as an instrument of destruction in the coming election.
and then