He was as handsome as they come, ebullient, vocal, bold, assertive, unassuming, a stringer of words, painter with words. To call him a wordsmith would be inadequate: he chose words, deployed words, cultivated words, used words, drew with and in words. He was an artist though he studied veterinary medicine at the premier University, the University of Ibadan. Wilson Adebogun Badejo. Oh death where is thy sting, hell where is your capacity to hurt? He came, he saw, he conquered, a father to many, mentor to many more, the intemperate never satiated winner of souls. He had a Master, and so a Mission. He worked while it was for him called day, and now the former General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria must take his deserved rest. My father, my father, the chariot, and its horsemen … gone in a blaze of glory. Rest. Adebogun rest. Rest, the English say is sweet after labor, you labored, rest now daddy. Please rest.
Do I as begin to enumerate, my insufficient mental gigabyte reminds me of royalties, whom you courted for Christ, and several plebians, who came to serve at the feet of Jesus because you serve. The Ooni’s Palace was an annual pilgrimage site while Ooni Sijuwade Olubuse was alive. The Olori annually organised a Thanksgiving Service at the end of the year where you ministered to royalties. The Late Olu of Warri, Obama Ogiame Atuwase also hosted annual Thanksgivingserviceswhere you reached out to the rich oil chiefs and merchants, royalty and ordinary masses. I remember there was an edition we almost missed because there was no flight. You, despite your age at that time, took the risk and stress of driving all the way instead of disappointing the congregation or going back on your promise to attend. Your word was your bond. We arrived Warri after almost 10 hours of non-stop driving. We even had to borrow a tie and suit for you to minister because in our haste to leave early, we forgot the whole box your dutiful wife had packed. O I remember she tried to call us back on phone when we had done some distance of the journey but you thought she was calling us back to take food with us. You obviously had food to eat which no one knew about, so you just smiled and told us you would call to beg her to pardon us later but the task at hand could not wait.
That smile. Those handshakes. Permit the errors here. My tears blind my eyes. You were a perfectionist and would have personally corrected any errors in anything, script or programme where Jesus’ name was implicated. I celebrate your tenacity of purpose, your wholehearted service to your Master, your lover, and your children. Oko Olayinka, I normally tell people you and your wife forgot to do family planning, so we your children are so numerous, biological and spiritual. I can imagine what your obituary poster would look like. I was privileged to watch you close, and at a distance. First as a student member of the Evangelical Christian Union fellowship of the then University of Ife, later Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State. You word the garb of popularity and global relevance with such ease that your tasks seemed small; and people assumed you had so little to do, they didn’t understand that iromi to n jo lori omi…. Prayer was your forte. Old time prayer.
I remember when the Holy Spirit through you birthed the Barley Harvest while you were District Overseer in Agege. I was a member of the pioneer group and I was in the Groaner’s group, those praying for and about the project. The project was about planting several churches in one single day. Some where in the Goers’ group. They were trained in a crash program as pastors to head the churches. I remember brother Tony Akinyemi, now of Shepherds Flock Church, was in that pioneer group. That initial crop of churches has gone on to become great oaks and many of the pastors are now doing greater things so God. There were also the givers who funded the projects. Badejo was a great organiser of men. During the prayer meetings, as we gathered in that barely-furnished room in the old church on Oniwaya road, Agege, Lagos State, you would come in punctually: you never cared what you were wearing, as soon as you came in you would kneel down on the bare floor and be in that position throughout the two hours of prayers twice weekly. There was a Saturday edition when you came in wearing white, having just returned from conducting a wedding service. You removed your agbada and knelt down. I watched you, and I learnt.
Wilson Adebogun Badejo, we did not really celebrate the enigma that God gifted the world through you while you were here. We were short-sighted. Please pardon us. Even when you left position as general overseer, you reverted to pastoring the Jibowu flock and you were comfortable with that. You extended your self through the Wilson Badejo Foundation and that reminds me. What would those boys you took off the streets now do? You were a conduit through which you passed your global contacts to enable several youths climb to positions of honor. You never cared for the five lepers who never returned to give thanks. Baba Damilola, I remember on our trip to Israel to attend the International Conference of the Foursquare Gospel Church and perform pilgrimage, as the leader of the Nigerian delegation, the Israeli government gave you the privilege of being flown in an helicopter to view the whole country that God gave to the Jewish nation from the air: you ceded that opportunity to your younger Turks in the church. Some don’t even understand that is why we call you Daddy.
Daddy, you died on several platforms so the young could grow.Haa! When shall we meet again O thou harvester of souls! I dare anyone to show me evidence of any occasion where Baba Badejo preached a sermon and he didn’t end it with an alter call. Several souls won, several churches planted by this converted students union activist. You had an unusual way of resolving conflicts. I remember there was a time a member of your congregation stopped coming to church because he was uncomfortable with your leadership style, you walked up to his house and invited him back to church. The man died as a member of Foursquare Gospel Church several years after you restored him to fellowship.
The Ijebu man has gone on to change nativity: from being ijebu, he is now a Jerusalemite.
Rest oko Olayinka, rest. You deserve it.
- Lewis, PhD, is of the Nigerian Tribune.
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and then