By Wilson Adekumola
The Vice President of Men’s Fellowship, Omega Fire Ministry, OMF, International Headquarter, Auchi, Edo State, Elder Seyi Jaiyeola has said the spate of defection in Nigeria today is a divine arrangement noting that it’s God that sent confusing language to the National Assembly so that He can transform the country.
He made this declaration while speaking with Church Times during the birthday celebration of his mother, Mrs. Victoria Funke Jaiyeola 78th birthday held at Omega Fire Ministry, Obasanjo, Ota, Ogun State on August 21.
According to him, God is very much interested in this country and to fulfill His promise like the way He did for the Israelites there must be misunderstanding to understand His purpose for the populace. “My father in the Lord, the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Dr. Suleiman has disclosed in one of his messages before President Mohammad Buhari became the president that the person that would win the election is not going to be the messiah.
“He said that God wants us to experience a lot so that we can learn a lesson after that He will send somebody to liberate us. From this message I can deduce that God is aware of our situation. After this dispensation God will send His messiah. So if you are talking about defection it is God at work. It was God that sent confusing language to the National Assembly. I certainly believe He is doing that for a purpose. Nobody knew that the late General Sani Abacha would not live to execute his project. So President Buhari is inconsequential at a zero level before the decimal point. Let us leave that for God. My advice to the people is that Christians should come out en masse so that they can lend their voice to policy making.”
On church leaders in governance, Jaiyeola, who is the CEO of Geoffects Enterprises, Auchi, Edo State, a company that specializes in solid minerals, also observed that that church people in government are not to blame for our misfortune noting that we have always played a second fiddle, he said, “most of them are just handicapped politically because they are not the real men at the helm of affairs. They only play second fiddle to those at the corridors of power.
“Based on that, we cannot say they have not lived up to the billings in as much as they need to be loyal to their principals. But Christians should be sensitized on their role not just in politics but in decision making in governance. Look at the US president, Donald Trump, he is a born again Christian and the Bible says when the righteous rule the people rejoice. You can see the reasons why church leaders must be involved in the governance. I thank God now that Christians are now conscious of their responsibility that they must be politically inclined unlike before when they felt unconcerned. It is when they are fully positioned in leading role they can say they are fulfilled.”
The celebrant, Mrs. Victoria Jaiyeola was born and bred in Imeri, Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State. She had both her primary and secondary education in her home town before she proceeded to obtain her Grade 3 in Ikere-Ekiti. She had her first teaching experience in the defunct Bendel State in 1958. She had taught in various levels before she retired in 1992 at Imeri Comprehensive College.
In her message to the participants, the former Fine Art teacher advised young people to resist the temptation of marrying more than one wife. She said, “The only thing I can tell the youth today is that if they want to enjoy the very sanctity of their being is to resist the temptation of marrying more than one wife. It is always a war in a polygamous family no matter how they try to live in harmony.”
Jaiyeola who was a financial secretary of Saint Matthew Anglican Church, Imeri, said she has never had depressing moment in her life because she had always seen every moment as an event you must participate. However she felt daunted when her second child named Makinde died at seven months in 1964. But she has overcome that. “I have always been a happy woman because whatever happens to human being in this life is part of the event you must participate. It must not weigh us down. The only moment I cannot forget in a jiffy was when my second child (Makinde) died at the age of seven month in 1964. That is now a thing in the past. My children and grand children are my solace at my old age. I thank God for that.”
The organizer of the event and the senior pastor of Omega Fire Ministry, Sango, Ota, Mary-Bode Jaiyeola remarked that, “Today is a special day to celebrate my mother because she is more than mother-in-law to me. I know most women pray for their mother-in-law to die but mine has been a blessing to me. If you are a single lady here today, if you have the notion that your mother-in-law is going to be a bad person that is how it will be. I want to use this opportunity to tell you that if you have a witch as mother-in-law your attitude can transform her to be a born again. From the very first moment I met my mother-in-law she received me with open arms and ever since then she has always taken me as her child. In fact, I knew from our first meeting that there is something spectacular about her that could make the difference. May God grant her the grace to eat the fruit of her labour.”
In his own words, the chairman of the day, Surveyor Steven Adeyanju described her as an epitome of love, “We are here today to celebrate our lovely Mum. She has been a mother to most Imerians not just her biological children alone. We cannot count how many people have lived with her. We cannot take inventory of how many lives she has impacted. In short, this is not a birthday celebration but mock birthday ceremony. By the grace of God her 80th birthday is going to be a celebration galore. She is indeed an epitome of love.”
The event which was meant to be celebrated in low key still attracted dignitaries across the country. Family, friends and acquaintance were in attendance to grace the occasion.
