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| Pastor Samuel Olusegun Ojo |
Pastor Samuel Olusegun Ojo apart from being the District Superintendent of CAC Oke Anu District, he is also the Secretary of Itire Districts' Coordinating Council (DCC). In this interview with CAC NEWS Publisher, ‘Gbenga Bankole, Pastor Ojo speaks on his journey into the ministry, his relationship with CAC President, Pastor Abraham Akinosun and other interesting issues. EXCERPTS!
Tell us about yourself
I was born on the 10th of March 1957 at Baptist hospital Ogbomosho. My father, late Pa David Adebayo Ojo worked with Western Nigeria Water Corporation for many years at Ede in Osun state. He was always moving from one town to another wherever the water corporation wanted to put their installations. He was a carpenter by training and he was always moving around to build the dams. He did dam construction at Ila-Orangun, Oyan, Ikirun, Saki and other towns in Ilesa even up to Ekiti because the entire jurisdiction belongs to the old Western Nigeria. My Mother, Mrs. Esther Adebayo Ojo was a trader. She was able to take good care of us. Apparently, the journey to Christ Apostolic Church started with my parents, although we are predominantly Baptist. Ogbomoshos are Baptists. My immediate younger brother fell ill and was taken to the church for prayers. And that was how we became members of CAC in Ede.
My primary education was at Local Authority Primary School, Ede from 1964 to 1969. I finished Grammar School in 1974 after which I was an auxiliary teacher for a year and half. Then I went to National Bank of Nigeria Limited to work as a banker. Incidentally, I was posted to Ogbomosho from the District office at Ibadan and I was there till 1981. All along this period, there had been revelation about my calling into the ministry, but I didn’t take it serious. I was of the view that I can do some other works for God without becoming a Pastor. I got married to my wife in 1981. She was a Muslim by birth. A prophet of God while praying for us, was able to give a revelation that she will end up becoming a minister of God. The Prophet said he was seeing her in white attire, but my wife had no knowledge about Christianity.
I gave birth to my first born in Lagos in 1981. Initially I was attending CAC Olorunsogo Mushin, before I changed to a very small church called CAC Oke Anu at Ijeshatedo. Although I was a church worker, I handled church sermons and Sunday school while I worked in the bank. The church had no Pastor. It was founded by a woman, Prophetess Maria Olowonimo. The church was very close to my house. I taught Sunday school and interpreted for Mama whenever she was ministering. Unfortunately the Mama passed on in the year 1990. We already had the property of the today’s Oke Anu district headquarters, but not as developed as this. When she passed on, our supervising Pastor, Pastor J.O Babayemi who was at CAC Oke Iye gave the advice that since we had a land at the present worship centre of the District Headquarters, we should bury the Mama there. That was why she was buried at the back of the church here at the district headquarters. We were advised to leave Ijeshatedo and to the present district headquarters of Oke Anu because our assembly at Ijeshatedo was very small. Although the church was still under construction then. All of us that used to worship at Ijeshatedo moved down here in the year 1990. We were about 15 in number. Then, we were just trying to develop this place. Through the help of God, by January 1992 we were able to roof the structure of the church, but it was still under construction. Apparently I was the one coming here for worship service, but because I was still working, Pastor Babayemi advised that we should take a full time evangelist while I will complement his effort. That was how we had Evangelist Joshua Oladosu as the first Evangelist of the church in March 1992. Evang. Oladosu was running the affairs of the church while I was complementing him. In 1993 he was ordained as a Pastor at Ikeji-Arakeji.
In 1994, I had the privilege of being appointed as an elder at Itire District Headquarters during Pastor Akinosun's tenure as the District Superintendent. In 1996 I was appointed the District Secretary for Itire District still under Pastor Akinosun and I occupied the post for 20 years. I relinquished the post in 2016 after Oke Anu became a recognized centre preparing for district status in CAC.
I was ordained as a Pastor in 1999. This was because my wife and I were planting churches. By the grace of God we have more than six churches planted by us, apart from the District Headquarters. Apparently, before being ordained as a pastor, I have been doing the work all along. It has been part of me, but I was not seeing it as a role I should take up. When I was ordained a Pastor, I was part of this assembly and also in charge of the assemblies we founded. We have a church in Ijesha. We have a big church in Ota Ogun state. We have another one in Ajido, Badagry and camp ground at Ogbomosho. With all resources at our disposal, we will still plant more churches.
When did you become Itire DCC Secretary?
I became the DCC Secretary of Itire in January 2017. I took over from Pastor Gbenga Adelusi who is now the Zonal Superintendent of Ebute-Metta zone.
What kind of relationship exists between you and President, Pastor Akinosun. How did you get to know him?
When Pastor Akinosun became the District Superintendent of Itire in 1998 we were just church members. He requested for the representatives of each assembly under the district to be part of district finance committee. He demanded for people who are financially literate and since I have worked in the bank before I have to be part of people who were nominated to be part of the committee. You know I previously worked with Financial Merchant Bank. So I became a member of the Itire District Financial Committee through my church nomination. The Secretary of the committee , Elder Fadipe, now Pastor Fadipe who worked in First Bank of Nigeria took permission from the committee that he won’t be able to be attending meeting for some period due to his responsibilities in office. He said he won’t be our secretary again that we have to appoint another person as secretary. Due to that, I was asked to step in as the secretary. Pastor Akinosun was so amazed in the next meeting when I read the minutes. He was surprised. I continued as the secretary of the committee. At a point in time, the Itire District Committee was dissolved and new officers were appointed. I was made the Assistant Secretary of the committee in 1996. Later on, Pastor Adeyemo who happens to be the Secretary of the District was sick. Due to the fact that there was nobody to step in as the secretary except me, the motion was moved in January 1997 for my promotion as the substantial district secretary. I was the secretary even till after Baba Akinosun was transferred in July year 2000 to Oshogbo, as the Chairman of CAC Oshogbo DCC.
What would have been your preferred profession had it been you were not called by God to be a Pastor?
I didn’t have anything in mind as a profession except whatever God asked me to do. In 1984, I had some challenges at work, because of that I went to so many prophets to pray. I was told that there is no way I would escape being minister of God. One of the prophets told me that God wants to lift me up financially, but I must accept His calling. All I want in life is enough money to take care of myself and my family. I was not after any possession of the world.
Surprisingly to me, Pastor Isaiah Adeleye came to my house on the 1st of January 1999, as he was about to enter my house, he said I will become a pastor and nothing can change it. And lo and behold, by April 17th 1999 I was ordained a pastor.
What is your take on the state of the nation?
Prior to 2015 elections, the expectations of Nigerians were too high and they felt immediately Buhari came in everything would change, but God told me then that nothing would change. When I was saying it to the congregation, they didn’t believe me.
Here we are, almost three years after he became the president, things are getting tougher for Nigerians and that is because they have forgotten about God. At this point in time, we should go back to God, retrace our steps and pray to Him.
Recently the President of Haiti told the whole nation that the problems of their country can only be solved by Jesus Christ. In Nigeria some people don’t believe it is only God that can solve our problems. No politician can solve our problems. The President is trying his best but he is surrounded by people who do not wish him well. My honest advice to Nigerians is that we should go back to God. The Bible says for with God all things are possible.