Akomolede: Top-notch U.I medical student who abandoned studies to follow God  

Akomolede: I left U. I because I wanted more time for God

Saint Solomon Akomolode is an enigma. Though an A student, leading his class in primary, secondary school and having outstanding result as an undergraduate, he still went ahead to abandon his studies for God’s call. He was a medical student and was in part five at the University of Ibadan  when he decided to abandon his studies to give himself full time to God. Today he is impacting thousands across the globe.

Find below the amazing story of the 28-year-old who has remained focused doing what he loves most

You abandoned your studies as a medical student to preach the gospel. What informed the decision?

The basic reason I left the medical school of the University of Ibadan was my passionate love for God and his work. I wanted to be more available to do God’s bidding, be in his presence always and seek his face. I wanted to enjoy more revelation of him.

So being busy going for Ward round and attending lectures as a medical student was suffocating. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable because the lectures and the medical assignments were interfering with my walk with God. Before I took the decision I already had this goal to know God more than Enoch in the Bible who is recorded to have walked with God and was not because God took him. So, I knew if I did not leave medical school I would be frustrated. I had to decide to leave because the time I spent to fellowship with God was already making me miss some classes. By the way, I knew I won’t need the certificate for anything. So why continue? That is why I had to quit.

But one would have thought you would complete your studies since you had just one more year to go?

That one year meant a lot to me. There was no point in completing the programme. I was not going to need the certificate anyway. But the main reason is that the medical assignments at that time were beginning to interfere with my flow with God. I had to just leave to pursue my dream.

When did you enter the university?

I was there between 2011 and 2016/17. Initially, I was doing Pharmacy at Obafemi Awolowo University. My parents wanted me to do medicine since I had the capacity. But my initial love was mathematics. My love for pharmacy was because I was hoping to help improve the frontiers of the drug for cancer and other terminal sicknesses. But then my father wanted me to do medicine. So, I had to write JAMB again and I scored 302 and was offered medicine. That was how I got admission to U.I to study medicine.

Let’s take a peep at your background before we come back to your decision to quit medical school. When and how were you saved?

I got saved when I was in primary school. I was in primary 2. My class teacher then preached the gospel and led me to Christ along with some other pupils in the class. He preached about Jesus and led us to say the salvation prayer. Then my parents were attending Cherubim and Seraphim Church. I was born in the church and was attending the church as a young boy.

You became born again at a tender age. Did you know what it meant to be saved by that time?

Yes of course. I experienced a complete change. I experienced inner peace and I began to have a consciousness of God’s presence. I also began to know things supernaturally. It was after I got saved that I discovered that I had the gift of prophecy. So, being young did not make any difference in my salvation experience.

You were in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. People have misgivings about white garment churches as being not word-based. How will you react to this?

They may be right. But the Cherubim and Seraphim Church came from a pure stream. The founder knew God and had a genuine experience with God. But we have some people corrupting the church. But my salvation did not have anything to do with the church. The point I want to make is that the founder of C&S, Moses Orimolade was mightily used of God. Many of our fathers in faith can attest that he had a genuine experience. I also have a confirmation in my spirit that he was a genuine man of God.

So what is it that people don’t understand about the C&S?

There are some occult and fetish practices in the church, no doubt. It is really of concern. But not all churches in the C and S are into that. I remember my mum talking about her experiences in some of the white garment churches. But I since left the church to Christ Apostolic Church. When I got the university, I joined a word-based fellowship which was Christ Embassy.

What then is it about the experience that keeps pushing you to know God more?

I had a history that started the whole thing. That was when I lost my daddy. We just resumed the second year at the University of Ibadan and was told that my dad had died. After we buried him I got back to school and I was just wondering and saying to myself that if I had known God more he would not have died. That was how it started. I then went to my friend who was more spiritual to seek his counsel and to also share with him my desire to know God more. Before I went to him, I had been speaking in tongues. But the moment he prayed with me I started experiencing some sparks and ignition into the things of the spirit. I discovered a tingling sensation through my hands and later discovered that it was the gift of healing. I saw the love of God demonstrated and I just said to myself who am I of all the people in the world to be given the gift of healing. It was this demonstration of God’s love that moved me. I came out of that experience overwhelmed with the love of God and I felt the way to reciprocate that love is to love Him more.

Some people will think you were doing poorly in school, and you felt dropping out was a way of escape?

Many people were shocked that I could abandon my studies because I was one of the best students in school. I had 302 in Jamb to gain admission to do medicine. I had As and Bs in my O’levels. In my post-JAMB, I had 80 per cent. I had a long history of excellence in my primary and secondary school. I was on first-class grade in my part one going to part to part two and passed very well in subsequent exams till my part five when I decided to leave.

And you counted all that as dung, just like Paul in the Bible?

Exactly, the certificates did not mean anything to me. People thought I was not okay mentally. I went through a lot for interrogation by the dean, my HOD and several professors. They carried out a psychiatric test on me and discovered I was okay mentally

And you are sure you were mentally okay?

Absolutely. I was mentally okay and still mentally okay.

Maybe if your father was alive you won’t have taken the decision?

Perhaps. It probably would have been hard. But then I was resolute. Even if an angel had come to tell me not to leave I would still have left my medical programme. But my mum was unhappy. My mum was so sad and not happy

Perhaps you were financially challenged?

I was not financially okay then. So people thought that was the reason I quit.  But that was not the problem. I have had too many encounters with God to know that if I follow him and obey his call, that is the only way I can have fulfilment and not in medicine. The conviction was too strong.

So were you leaving campus to start a church?

I was not leaving to start a church. That was not the agenda. My ministry is to be a blessing to the body of Christ. Since I left school, I have been very busy. I have travelled to about four countries outside Nigeria to minister the gospel.

There was a man called Apostle Numbere in Portharcout who also walked out of the University as an undergraduate to do evangelism full time even when he was going to make a first-class. Did you read about him?

I didn’t know about him. I later read his story after I left UI.

But in your case, you can still go back to the university if you want to?

If I want to go back it’s so easy.

Will you go back?

It’s not possible. Because my eyes are fixed on the goal that is set before me

So how did you feel when you walked out of school?

I felt absolute joy. I was so happy. I gave all my books out. I was so full of joy because there is nothing comparable to walking in the path of your dream. When I read the story of Bill Gate that he said, No to Havard and that he was going to pursue his dream, it occurred to me that there is nothing as good as pursuing one’s dream. In my case, I am pursuing a spiritual goal and people find it incredible. But if I was out to pursue some secular endeavours that throw me up to the world perhaps people won’t find it strange. But the step I took is nobler than any secular endeavour because it has to do with the eternal destiny of the people God wants me to reach.

What did God tell you specifically; did he ask you to quit your studies?

God did not tell me to leave. I decided to leave by myself. No one could change my mind. Not even an angel like I said earlier. I determined in my heart that I wanted to walk with God. It’s a personal decision and nobody should take it as a doctrine. We are all entitled to our convictions

Was it that when you were in school reading you had no peace?

I had peace of mind because I was addicted to God’s presence. I would be reading and the presence of God will so strong that I won’t be able to read again. I wake up and feel so heavy on my bed with the awesomeness of God. It was hard to pay attention to any other thing. I always see the physical manifestation of God. It was so hard to pay attention to other things. I was doing well in school but when it comes to going for  Ward round and other medical assignments I was not concentrating.

So how has it been since you left three years ago?

People dissociated themselves from me. I was financially dry. But I was spending time with God and God told me that he would open another phase for me. God told me I should start writing and I did not know what to write. So one day a woman in South Africa through my online posting said she wanted to know about the prophetic ministry. She wanted me to teach her what prophecy is all about and the talk about the gift of prophecy. I began to teach her online. But in the process of teaching her, God said I should minister to her. I gave her a word of knowledge and details about her life. I ministered healing to her. She got healed and she got so excited about the teachings. So we later agreed to create a group page. That was how I started. I began to teach her every day online. That was how invitations started coming for me to minister in countries outside Nigeria.

How do you survive?

God told me to convert my teachings to books. I was writing and people were buying books online. I have written 13 books already. The ministrations have been a blessing to people so they support the work.

Talking about the prophetic ministry, there are so many prophets these days. Some come on stage to tell you the colour of your pants and your phone number. How will you react to that?

That is not the way I operate (laughs). The gifts of the spirit are for the Body of Christ. The purpose is to show the love of God and to bless lives. I don’t go into details when giving a prophecy. Those who do all the details and showmanship will only dazzle the audience and at the end of the day, won’t impact lives. I see details about people but don’t focus on all that in my delivery. I go to where the issue is and God has been faithful.

So what is it about the prophetic and healing ministry?

There are a lot of pitfalls in the ministry. But anybody who is gifted in that direction must promote love over lust. They must also promote humility over pride. When you don’t focus on love you become greedy and try to manipulate people. I don’t like the idea of people worshipping men of God. I always direct the attention of people to Christ.

What are the challenges you have faced so far?

There were dry moments when nothing would be happening. But I connect with God easily. He gives me strategies after prayers. So challenging times don’t last.

Are you planning to set up a church?

No. It’s not going to be a church but a ministry where people can be trained.

Are you married?

Not yet. But I hope to by God’s grace this year.

So who is the sister, is she aware of your convictions?

She is a graduate. Incidentally, she was my mate in primary school.  And we still connect before the proposal. She is well aware of my convictions. She is a businesswoman and doing well.

Thank God you said God did not ask you to leave the university that you left on your own?

Yes, he did not ask me to leave. But the truth is that God honours our faith.

What area of medicine would you have specialized in if you had finished your general medicine?

I had this passion for neurosurgery but along the line, I was not seeing medicine again.

Like Ben Carson?

Yes. I had read a lot about Ben Carson and was looking at that direction. But my destiny was not just tied to medicine. I saw my five-year stay in the University as a process of training. Even now I can make a lot of impact on scientists on what I teach concerning divine science. Like the supernatural and how the power of God works. I minister healing and I can explain to them how it works. It’s no magic. The divine life of God terminates every sickness and disease.

Covid-19 patients are in isolation centres and people are agitating that healing evangelists should display their gifts now?

I have thought about it. I have been teaching on eternal reality and healing. I have the testimony of somebody I prayed for in Cameroun who testified of healing. I have prayed for many on the phone and they got healed. Healing is at the discretion of God but then he is always willing to heal us of our diseases.

So what direction is the ministry going?

We have been having a lot of impact and influence in Europe and the US. We are on Facebook: Christ Unleashed and YouTube. The books I wrote have been spreading so well online. They are on Amazon.com

So who are the fathers of faith you defer to?

I submit to Pastor Fidelis Ezekiel. He is the person that God has been using to give me direction.

So how do people around you feel now?

I have been celebrated. My mother is now happy for me. After I left the university people thought things will be going down but on the contrary things are going up. They are happy for me. They call me a mystery.