ISSN-2052-1979
BOSS NEWSPAPER
SPECIAL EDITION
www.thebossnewspapers.com
THE RISE AND RISE OF MFM FOUNDER, DR. DANIEL
KOLAWOLE
OLUKOYA
A Publication of Ovation Media Group
page 2
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
“
Dr Olukoya is not passionate about education alone. He is passionate about anything that has to do with improving the quality of life and helping people to excel. He is a blessing to this generation
“
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 3
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
CONTENT PAGE Establishment Of Mountain Of Fire And Miracles Ministries
Olukoya, first Nigerian scientist to clone genes
8
Church Growth
With MFM, I have a roof over my head
40
9
Olukoya's Great Personality
Olukoya’s Books Has Been A Blessing To Me
44
7
20
Let There Be Water: A Testament of Olukoya’s Water Revolution
24
Focus On The D. K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories, University Of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria
27
The Making Of The World Class Mountain Top University
33
How I Was Arrested By The God Of Olukoya - Davidson Olaniran Adejuwon -
- VP Osinbajo
- Alikwe
- Bankole
Dorcas Empowerment School
Our Students will be employers of labour - Oladeinde
I'm a father, husband, landlord and many more today, all thanks to Daddy Olukoya - Nelson Chucks, Captain MFMFC
MFM has seriously contributed to my successes, spiritually and physically. - Odunayo Adekuoroye (wrestler)
38
51 55 57 65
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 4
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
THE RISE AND RISE
OF MFM FOUNDER, DR. DANIEL
KOLAWOLE
OLUKOYA Story by: Eric Elezuo
W
ithin Christendom, there are charismatic preachers, there are passionate philanthropists and there are change agents. But one man who encapsulates all these qualities and more is the Founder of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Pastor Daniel Kolawale Olukoya. The fearless and God-fearing man of God, who is blessed with a first class brain, is a first-rate performer. This is a man, who has out of a dint of hard-work, a sense of purpose and dedication to propagating the undiluted Word of God grown his ministry from his home to a mega brand with branches in many countries of the world. Despite his acclaim, Dr Olukoya's humility is second to none, little wonder he has remained clean as whistle, scandal-free as well as an epitome of integrity. Fondly called DKO, by admirers and followers, the Man of God was born in Ondo, to a Police officer father and a trader mother. Apart from being a policeman, his father was also a Pastor at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC). This explains why he was raised with high Christian principles and values. The ever cool and composed Dr. Olukoya's journey to the global stage started quite early in life when he attended St. John's CAC Primary School, Akure. There, he was recognised as an exceptionally intelligent child coming tops throughout his stay at the school. When his family moved to Lagos, he www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 5
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
“
great feat! continued his education at Despite his acclaim, His brilliance catapulted him to Saint Jude's Primary School, greater heights as he won a Ebute Metta, and of course, he Dr Olukoya’s humility scholarship soon after graduation finished with excellent results. to study Molecular Genetics at the From there, he was admitted is second to none, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level into the prestigious Methodist little wonder he has at the University of Reading, Boys' High School (MBHS) on United Kingdom. He dusted the Broad Street, Lagos. remained as clean programme within three years and Two things shaped Pastor Olukoya's outlook to as a whistle, scandal-free returned to Nigeria to join the Nigerian Institute of Medical life and future while at MBHS. as well as an epitome Research (NIMR), Yaba, where In the first place, it was at his reputation as an exceptional MBHS that he accepted Jesus of integrity Geneticist of African origin Christ, and became born again. became established. A decision that he improved Olukoya emerged as an upon with time, coming out as authority in the study of genetics, the exemplary Champion he is today. Again, it was here that he received a major and has followed up his exploits with the publication of over 70 scientific papers in a short spell - yet another motivational quote that propelled him to excellence. He had an Indian teacher who told them in class; record in his anal of records. He also taught Genetics “Boys, if you want to escape poverty, READ YOUR and was external examiner in a number of universities. BOOK!” Like a church bell, the lines reverberated in his Moreover, he has attended and presented papers at subconscious, making him burn the midnight oil scientific conferences in almost all continents of the regularly, and studying from 9pm to 3am daily. It was no world. Even today, DKO continues to contribute to the field of genetics and biotechnology via the Daniel & surprise that he graduated as the best student of his set! Later, he gained admission into the University Fola Biotechnology Foundation, a registered NGO of Lagos, Akoka in 1976 to study Microbiology. No one established to empower Nigerian citizens with modern was surprised when he again graduated with a First and contemporary laboratory skills in Molecular Class degree in 1980. His achievement was huge Biology and Biotechnology. because Olukoya set a record as the first person to have It is on record, and incontrovertibly too that made a first-class in the department, and his G.P.A throughout his years in school, Olukoya was committed scores remained unmatched for about 30 years. Such a to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. His passion for
“
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 6
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Christ and his spiritual fire increased tremendously during his doctoral programme in the United Kingdom. His kingdom outlook was heavily influenced by the ways of life of the late founder of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola. He described Babalola thus in one of his books: “Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola was a minister of God who understood the power of prayer. He was a man mightily used by God to ignite the fire of the first Christian revival in Nigeria in the 1930s. Brother J.A. and his team of aggressive prayer warriors entered forbidden forests, silenced demons that demanded worship and paralysed deeply rooted,
Special Edition
anti-gospel activities. Sometimes, beginning from the highest places, they openly disgraced satanic agents, emptied hospitals by the healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ, rendered witchdoctors jobless, and they started the first indigenous Holy Ghost filled church in Nigeria. So far – and we stand to be corrected – none has equalled, let alone surpassed this humble brother in the field of aggressive evangelism in this country.” The works of Dr. Daniel Olukoya are published by the Battle Cry Christian Ministries. These published works include over 250 life-changing Christian books (as at July 2015), audio tapes and CDs, video discs and many more.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 7
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
ESTABLISHMENT OF
MOUNTAIN OF FIRE AND MIRACLES
MINISTRIES
T
he founding of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries by Dr Olukoya in 1989 broke all known paradigm making the rounds in Christendom. In the first place, it did not conform to the regular prosperity and get rich sermons that were prevalent at the time. MFM and its establishment was a complete proof that God actually called his servant, Olukoya. His field of practice was rare, and his obedience to the call has paved way for his astronomical rise. Consequently, from a prayer meeting in 1989 in his living room, Olukoya has transformed the vibrant ministry to a mega religious organisation with branches across the world in addition to first rated medical, educational and sporting facilities. Dr D.K. Olukoya's MFM began as a do-ityourself ministry that emphasizes the practice of holiness within and without as condition for making heaven, and is devoted to Holy Ghost and fire baptisms as well as revival of apostolic signs. MFM is a Pentecostal denomination with churches in several countries of the world, with a central
mandate to set the oppressed free through vociferous prayers and deliverance exercises. Many publications on deliverance are credited to the simple man, who many refer to as General Overseer, such as the popular prayer book known as The Prayer Bible. As the name implies, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries places a great emphasis on wonders, miracles and other Apostolic acts. Five years after, precisely on April 24, 1994, the prayer group held its first service at the International Headquarters of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries located on a previously abandoned slum near the University of Lagos. This was converted to a mega worship centre. It created open doors for worshippers and those in need, and within a short time, the congregation grew beyond imagination, posing a challenge for crowd control. Dr Olukoya has remained uncompromising in his doctrine, and has continually insisted that women wear skirts and head covers when attending services in any location. Again, prayers tend to be repetitions of faithbased claims, spiritual decrees and commanding prayers often directly from Scriptures and proclaim that safety lies within Jesus Christ. It is his belief that prayers ought to be loud and "spiritually violent", in as much as the church preaches against physical violence. Every violence, according to Olukoya is directed at the devil according to 2 Corianthians 10:4 and Ephesians 6:12. With this, it is practically impossible that a man of Olukoya's status could hurt a fly. He is a practical example of practice what you preach With a team of wise management committee and God's divine inspiration, Olukoya began to expand the vision and created a network of branches in every state capital, local government headquarters, senatorial district and locality. The spread was immense as it soon moved to other African countries and then, the world. This kind of success could only come from someone divinely led. It is said that the phenomenal growth was in line with the commitment of the ministry vis a vis "the Revival of Apostolic Signs, Holy Ghost fireworks and the unlimited demonstration of the power of God to deliver to the uttermost".
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 8
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
CHURCH GROWTH
F
rom the prayer room humble beginning, Olukoya's MFM has grown to over 4000 churches in Nigeria, in addition to about a thousand other branches in Africa, Europe and America. Those branches located outside the African continent mainly cater for the African immigrant population. The church owns a large expanse of land along Lagos–Ibadan Expressway called Prayer City, located close to the international camp of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Among structures located within the camp is an auditorium capable of holding 100,000 members during special occasions. With a "a do-it-yourself gospel (based) ministry, where your hands are trained to wage war and your fingers to do battle", the church has amassed followership across board. Its militant tone against spiritual wickedness as reflected throughout its teachings has ensured that Christians troop in to take their destinies in their own hands. Members are taught to be spiritually aggressive to the devil and its demons. This is expressed even in the names they call their groups like the Prayer Warriors, the Territorial Intercessors and the God's Violent Army.
Why Olukoya's
MOUNTAIN OF FIRE AND MIRACLES Is Different
M
FM's exponential growth and global renown today is not as a result of any overt or calculated campaign common among some new generation churches in a bid to drive up membership. Rather, it is an unintended effect of its intrinsic power and energy emanating from the cloak of sobriety, modesty, high spirituality and charity. From its beginning till date, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) has declared through its peculiar character and defining qualities that it is a church like no other, but on a unique mission. Everything is predicated on simplicity and functionality: This becomes clear in the uniform Spartan architecture of its worship places and the church's approach to its primary task of evangelism. These are devoid of any flamboyance or dubious attempt at joining the rat race and competition to attract converts at all cost whether through grandiose church buildings or attention seeking posturing in the media. Yet, multitudes have continued to flood the church headquarters as well as camp site, Prayer City, along LagosIbadan Expressway, essentially because of manifestations of the incredible power the church is apparently imbued with irrespective of the low profile it chooses to keep. While many pastors are given to preaching leniently in order to keep their flock, messages from MFM's pulpits are widely known for being hard-hitting, uncompromising on values and morals and rebuking of sinfulness. “Only those who could bear to live with the bitter truth stay in this congregation,” a watcher remarked Interestingly, the church membership keeps growing astronomically, with more churches being planted on a regular basis across the globe. www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 9
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
OLUKOYA'S
GREAT PERSONALITY
T
hose who know D. K. Olukoya attest to his personable personality. He is a thoroughbred Christian both in words and in deed. He has an open door policy which enables him to listen to people with complete attention and total empathy. One of his assistants, famous Nigerian Sportscaster, Mr Godwin Enakhena described him thus in a recent interview. "My perception of him is that Dr. D.K Olukoya is not your run-of-the-mill human being. I pray all the time and I always say to him that” “Sir, may God bless Nigeria and the world with more Dr. Olukoyas”. He calls me “Sir”. Each time he does that, you will see humility, sometimes I look at his legs and see what he is putting on. I once told someone my GO drives a Sienna, the type I bought for my wife, that is what GO drives and this is a man that can buy 50 planes in one day! So, when he passes, you might not even know that he is the one that has passed. Let me give you an insight into the kind of person he is. I told him that: “Sir, running the female league (basketball) is money consuming, what do we do? We need to bring it down”. He said: “Brother Godwin, do not sack anybody, make sure everybody stays, retain everybody”. I said the girls are coming to Lagos and do not have accommodation, but before the girls arrived, the GO had already provided accommodation at Prayer City, sent a woman to set up the place, bought cooking gas, deep freezers, furnished the place,it was home away from home. I took them to GO and said these are the girls and he prayed for them and said it would be well with them. He then counted 2,000dollars as gift for them. I tried telling him that the MFM FC does not have a vehicle, and before I knew it the accountant called me and said the GO has just bought a brand new
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 10
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
bus worth N16million for the MFM FC. "In 2006, Fidelis Ulechukwu had an injury while playing in the MFM Football Competition, the GO sent him to NIS, Unbelievable! Our coach, Fidelis Ulechukwu was sent to NIS including all the coaches. We have about 15 of the players that the GO sent to Yabatech and UNILAG to school and he paid their tuition. The GO pays the house rent of the players, pays their mothers, fathers and still pays them their salary. He pays the house rents of the coaches also. When they are sick, he takes care of them, he sends them abroad, flies them outside Lagos for competitions. I told him: “Sir, you are a dangerous giver”. He replied that the youth meant everything to him. The Celestial Church sent some persons all the way from Osun State, to come and see me that they wanted to learn the secret of how MFM was doing it. That their worldwide leader wanted to emulate MFM. I told them how we did it and everything, that they should not get into it when they are not ready. Then I called the GO and told him. The GO said: “Brother Godwin, you did not tell them the whole truth, he said, once the leader was interested, it meant the ministry was already successful, because there are people who discourage you on a daily basis. He told me severally how they were discouraging him, they said GO was now distracted, that football is demonic, what was he doing with football? "A few months ago, the GO called and forwarded a message to me wherein the detractors were querying what was the advantage of football to
Special Edition this ministry, that he was sinking his money and that of the church into? I wrote an epistle, he read it at the Prayer City, during the 'Power Must Change Hands'. I said first and foremost, anywhere you go now, MFM is on the lips of everybody, number two, we have made breadwinners out of touts. These young people are now paying house rents, feeding their families, two of my footballers said they were sending their younger ones to school through MFM salary and they pay the school fees as and when due. They do not even touch their salaries because the GO feeds them. No other club does that in Nigeria. "Number three is what it means to change the spiritual life of the kids, because they now speak in tongues. The GO says whatever it takes to ensure that the youths of this generation are delivered from the forces of Satan, he would do it. He said if not that I love the youth, we would have stopped it, because materially, we are not gaining anything from it. And what does he mean by not gaining anything, we are not getting anything from the league management company, we are only spending our money, and I remind him anytime he says this that youth repositioning is very important." Here is a man, who is so touched by the predicament of the common man, especially the youths. He believes with every of his breath that the youths remain the hope and leaders of tomorrow, and has not left any stone unturned to see that they are well equipped for the coming tomorrow; mentally,
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 11
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
spiritually, academically and financially. Dr. Olukoya is not the kind of person who takes the young ones with levity as various programmes for repositioning the youths have crafted and implemented. These include the provision of cash gifts to MFM students across the world, graduating with first-class degrees among a host of others.. Prof. Emmanuel Adedun, who headed the Mountain Top University Foundation, also has so many things to say about Dr. Olukoya and his passion to see others, especially the youths thrive: "Dr. Olukoya is not passionate about education alone, Dr. Olukoya is passionate about anything that has to do with life, where people can excel. Dr. D.K Olukoya is a blessing to this generation. Personally, I know that God has just started with him. He is still going places not because he is the General Overseer, but because of the way he has approached his own calling. You know he is a blessed man, and he is going to be blessed more. And I say again, not because he is the General Overseer. He sows into the lives of people and he does not just preach the scripture, he lives the scripture, he makes his own life to be an example. Personally, I think it is because of his humble background, he has passed through a lot in life, his pedigree cannot be said to be an affluent one, his background cannot be said to be a very comfortable one. He knows what it means to be poor, and he knows that a little kindness sown into a particular life, can change a family and generation. And the more he does that for people all around him, the more he reaps the reward, the more it comes back to him. I think it is a secret of greatness which he knows, which I personally have also imbibed from him. His benevolence goes beyond education. It covers everything about life, I can tell you that he has nothing less than 78 charitable projects, just to impact lives Football is one of them, reading is one if them. He started with Bible Club, now it is Dr. D.K Olukoya Reading Club, where fantastic prizes are won on
Special Edition
monthly basis just to encourage people to read good books and change their mentality, to change their orientation and channel them towards a destinyfulfilling path. In his own words, he also said that the devil is raging seriously amongst the youths, and he is also instituting projects that can rescue the youths from the devil. Football is one of them, because the youths love football, they are passionate about it, so he set up the club. In terms of marriage, he has intervened. Every third Sunday of the month in MFM worldwide, is devoted to happy home, family, teaching, just to be sure that everybody is impacted in any area you find yourself. The ministry of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, is a do-it-yourself affair. As a matter of fact, he keeps telling us that, anybody that attends Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries services consistently for six months is already a Pastor, whether you like it or not. In other words, there are basic principles of life you learn from his teachings, that when you begin to apply those principles in your private life, you begin to see results and then your life does not remain www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 12
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
the same. "This is a man whose whole life is focused on how to impact generations, how to constitute an object that will change the destiny of people, how to constitute a ďŹ gure that will impact positively on everybody around him. You can also ďŹ nd that in the way and manner he attends to people in counselling, because you can't see Olukoya sitting down, he is always on the move, because his major concern is the people that are outside, waiting to
see him. " To u c h i n g s o m e o n e , declaring prophetically in somebody's life, praying for another, giving prayer points to another, that is what he does. And in most cases, you see Olukoya at MTU and still, he comes back here, because people are still waiting and he must attend to them before he goes. After service closes around 8pm, he still has about 50 people to attend to before he goes home. “These are qualities of a
person passionate about making serious positive impact in people's lives, how to change their destiny from the course that the devil has railroaded it, to a course of good calling. In one word, I will say Olukoya is a compassionate man that is so passionate about what becomes of anybody that comes his way. He doesn't discriminate, whether rich or poor, wherever you are from, anywhere in the world, he will attend to you, pray for you and of course, there must be testimony."
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 13
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
AN ‘OLD BOY’ REBUILDS HIS ALMA MATER
Olukoya’s Immense Passion for Education
“Dr. Olukoya Gave Us a Brand-New School"
I
n a bid to nurture the fingers that fed him, Dr. Olukoya embarked on a renovation spree, turning around the academic institutions that gave him the first bite of education in life. Mrs. Famakinwa Folashade Adelanke is a former headmistress of St. John's CAC Primary School, Oke Igan, Akure. She expressed great delight and appreciation at the rehabilitation of the elementary school that gave Daddy GO the foundation for his stellar academic brilliance and exploits. The Molecular Genetics expert-turned cleric had heeded the cry of his ageing alma mater to salvage it from deterioration and decay. Like most public schools, the school had fallen on bad times owing to years of neglect. There was hardly any new addition to the old, decrepit structures in the school including blocks of classrooms. Worse still, pupils took lessons under deplorable conditions as some of the classrooms' floors, roofs, doors and windows were damaged. The school was a disaster waiting to happen, but Olukoya's kind gesture came to the rescue. Dr. Olukoya went beyond expectation of the school authorities. He embarked on a comprehensive refurbishment that transformed the scho ol into a 21st Century institution. The gesture evidently confirmed God's timeless Word in Zechariah 4:10, which states: "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see work begin." Daddy GO is a typical example of one of the eggs St John's incubated, which has hatched into chicks, returned fully grown, to give back in immense measure. Narrating how the Minister of the Word got involved in the face-lift of the battered school,
“
Ondo government modelled its mega schools in line with the buildings Pastor Olukoya gave us
-Ayodele , Headmistress
Teachers and pupils of St. John, Oke-Igan
Mrs. Famakinwa recalls: "We checked our records and realized that Dr. D.K. Olukoya is an alumnus of this school and we went to meet him. Because he is a thorough person, he told us that he would send some people to come and assess the school and the feedback would determine what he would do for us. He did not hesitate to tell us that the school is very dear to his heart.
“
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 14
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
"Unfortunately, I was transferred to another school, but later on, I was told that Baba (Dr. Olukoya) has commenced the re-construction of the entire school. I was transferred back and behold, what I saw here was a brand-new school! Dr. D.K. Olukoya has built the school anew for us. What Baba has done here is marvelous and incredible. His children are not in this school and didn't even pass through this school, but the great man of God deemed it fit to impact in a huge manner on his alma mater. "The fact that he remembered this school is an elixir that has spurred us to ensure that our pupils attain success like Dr. D.K. Olukoya. He is our worthy ambassador and we make him a point of reference to our past and present pupils. We often admonish them to study hard to attain global reckoning like Dr. Olukoya and then, come back to 'give back' to the school that made them." Olukoya's bequest reportedly drew the attention of former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who paid a personal visit to the St. school and subsequently patterned the famed mega schools he built across the state after it. The headmistress of the school, Mrs. Ayodele Adenike said: "When the governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, heard that Pastor D.K Olukoya had turned his alma mater into a brand new school, and an architectural masterpiece too, he personally came here to see it for himself and he modelled his mega school project in the entire Ondo State in line with the priceless gift that Dr. D.K Olukoya gave us. You are welcome to verify what I have just told you." According to the former headmistress, Mrs. Famakinwa, parents are now proud to enroll their children in the school because of its ultramodern structure, neat environment, toilets, borehole facility, functional and well stocked library, quality of teachers and the fact that it is synonymous with Dr. Olukoya. "There is no headmistress who won't be encouraged to come and serve here because of what Dr. D.K. Olukoya has done for us," she added. The head teacher says their illustrious 'old boy' did not stop at single-handedly rebuilding all the structures, but has done quite a lot for the school. “During our harvest ceremony last year, Baba did so much for us. His name will remain indelible in the annals of this nation and beyond."
THE SCHOOL HALL- PART OF PASTOR D.K. OLUKOYA’S DONATION
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
HEAD MISTRESS BUILDING
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 15
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
AJE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL:
ANOTHER MFM INTERVENTION IN EDUCATION
A Hitherto Obscure School Counts its Blessings By Oluwafemi Adebayo
T
he management, staff and pupils of Aje Comprehensive junior Secondary School, Lagos will forever be grateful to the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, its General Overseer, Dr. D. K. Olukoya, and his wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Folashade Olukoya (nee Adesanya), for giving learning in the school a shot in the arm. Aje Comprehensive High School, for the sake of emphasis, is the alma mater of Pastor Folashade. She was a pioneer student of the school between 1980 and 1983. The church not only gifted the school with blocks of classrooms, but strengthened its teaching staff with five teachers paid directly from its coffers. The beneficence was Pastor Olukoya and his wife's way of giving to pay back
Adenekan, Principal, Aje Comprehensive School
to her alma mater, just as it did for St. John CAC Primary School, Oke Igan, Akure, which is the GO's alma mater. The school principal, Dr. (Mrs.) Olusola Adenekan, lauded the couple for partially adopting the school right from the onset. According to her, Mrs. Olukoya employed six teachers for different subjects, and MFM pays their salaries. She said the school's relationship with the couple grew when she made a request to meet with the GO in August 2016. "I was there with my Vice Principal (Administration) then, Mrs. Meroyi Tola and Vice Principal (Academics), Mrs. Obitayo J.O. The three of us went to see Daddy GO. Prior to that time, we have had a cordial relationship, and our link was Pastor Omolade, who usually comes in to monitor the teachers, and I can say with all confidence that they have performed very well. They are so confident of themselves; they know what they are doing and they are worth their salt. They live an exemplary life and they proclaim the name of the church that they attend with their work and behaviour. They are a strong backbone to the school. They are very hardworking and dedicated. They are not my permanent teachers but they key into all the activities like every
other teacher. It has really been wonderful working with all of them. "I am really proud of them. And since that time, 2014 till date, MFM had been paying their salaries. At a time, one of them, Chioma, who taught English Language, traveled abroad. She was replaced by the church. We have never had a cause to regret having a relationship with MFM. They have really been a solid wall of support and encouragement. Every time we have a Founder's Day, they always come in. Even if Daddy GO cannot come with Mummy GO, they always send representatives to stand in for them."
BIG TIME MFM GESTURE The MFM kind gesture came when, according to the school head, Dr. Adenekan, the school was practically broke. The church had planned donating a gigantic building, but had to comply with the state Ministry of Education's decision which only approved a two storey prototype classroom block. The principal said: "High quality material were used throughout, and I also remembered that towards the end after they had fixed everything, some of our students went in to damage some of
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 16
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
the plumbing work, which the engineer ended up fixing again. They did the work with a lot of integrity. They didn't compromise on anything. The building was proposed for the senior school many years ago when mummy GO was still in the school." The 12+41 classroom project, it was learnt, was completed last year. The keys were handed over by Engr. Bodunrin, He added: "Anytime I remember MFM, it gives me a strong mind that some people somewhere feel a burden
to do such a thing. What amazes me so much is that Daddy G.O. is not our pioneer student, it was Mummy GO, but the passion with which Daddy GO has been doing this, is marvelous. “Anytime we need them, they are always there for us. It has been a roller coaster relationship with them, and they haven't left us for one day. "I love him with passion; he is a man of God, and I want to encourage him to keep on doing the work. The sky is not even his limit. I pray that at the end of the day after he has gotten so many
souls for God, he will make heaven. He has put smiles on people's faces, even my children in the school shout hallelujah whenever his and his wife's names are mentioned. The school believes that the couple will come to their aid even as they need more facilities such as furniture office equipment, stationeries, electronics among others to enhance learning. They admonished the government and other organisations to assist the church in dishing out humanitarian assistance, especially in the education sector.
Staff, Students Laud Olukoya and MFM's Benevolence
“
Since I got this job in November 2014, the salary has been regular, we have had the opportunities to interact with the students and we have had lots of impact on the students.
M
r. Obatayo Julius Oludare, the school Vice Principal said the church adoption of the school and its initial provision of teachers for Basic Tech (2), Mathematics, ICT, Basic Science gave the school a giant leap in provision of quality learning. The teachers were engaged following a clamour by old students for the upgrade of the school to senior school. Here, MFM was approached through the prime couple for a senior school building.
Oludare maintained that it was incredible that despite various commitments including the building of its own university, Mountain Top U n i v e r s i t y, w h i c h r e q u i r e d enormous resources, the church still kept its promise and built classrooms for the school. He described the edifice as having added to the beauty of the school. A JSS 3 pupil in the school, Taiwo Esther Ogunseye, was full of gratitude to MFM and its first couple for donating the building to the
“
MFM Teachers and School Officials
school and bridging the shortage of teachers' gap. She described it as a "great help." She added that one of the teachers, Mr. Fawekun, the Mathematics t e a c h e r, w a s i n t h e h a b i t o f organizing extra lessons so that those lagging behind in the subject can catch up at no extra cost. Mrs. Temitope Adesiyan, one of the MFM teachers, who teaches Basic Science, applauded the ministry for ensuring regular payment of their salaries, among other benevolence. www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 17
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
Glad Oluwys afem i
teach ers, and res The newly constructed building donated by Dr. D.K. Olukoya and Pastor (Mrs) Folashade Olukoya pec are lud O t them as lius o Ju individuals." S h e students in the best Obatay A teacher of Home sees possible way we can, Economics on MFM's payroll, her especially through our dep m o d e s t l i f e s t y l e a n d Gladys Oluwafemi, said the MFM loy interpersonal relationships. employment and her posting to the She adds: "Although majority school: "has really helped my life of the students here are and stabilised my family. Since I got Taiw adher ents of other this job in November 2014, the o Est her O guns religions, we salary has been regular. We have had eye men p r a y f o r opportunities to interact with the t to the school as a them, and as students, and we have had lots of great privilege for w e t e a c h impact on the students. which she would them, we “I really appreciate the General forever be grateful. tell them Overseer and his wife for giving us In her remarks, Miss t h e the opportunity. The children have Anita Adikamkum, who realities really beneďŹ tted from our services. teaches English teacher, of life. We organise fellowship with them, described her experience W e and teach them the Word of God. n in the school as wonderful. siya e d m a k e Most of them to the glory of God eA itop She said: "I know that this Tem sure that they have given their lives to Christ," she school has a partnership with k n o w t h e v a l u e o f said. the church, and I saw it as a education and discipline. We also challenge because I am not just teach them to emulate our own representing God here, I am also lifestyles as teachers. And as we representing the church and have to teach them, we also make sure they display all the characteristics of the understand what is being taught church. I want to say that our father because there are people of mixed in the Lord is a generous man, for not background, including those who only making it possible for us to have challenges at home. We have jobs here, but also working counsel and observe them regularly. with the students and with the Again, we encourage them to institution. We are here not just to develop good relationship with other teach, but also to preach Christ to the Anita Adikamkum www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 18
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
g n i t a r Celeb
Pastor (Mrs) Folashade Olukoya:
A TRANSFORMATIVE AMAZON By Kolawole Igandan
T
he school community and old students including her classmates speak glowingly of Pastor Folashade Olukoya, not only because of her philanthropic gestures, but also because of her good, disciplined and quiet life as a pupil. The principal of the school during her time attests of her as follows: "Her set was brought in from Reagan Memorial School as pioneer students of Aje Comprehensive School. For her to have left the school, and still looked back after many years to give back to the school a token of appreciation, is a great encouragement. "Even in the parent's forum meetings, we do talk about MFM including Mummy and Daddy GO because they have impacted us so much". Pastor Folashade is warmly described as a lady with remarkable comportment, and beautiful inside out. Her classmates recall her friendly
Ademuyiwa Adeyinka
and accommodating nature while she was in school, and said it was remarkable that she has kept the qualities, her present social status notwithstanding. In his assessment, Mr. Ademuyiwa Adeyinka, the General Secretary of the school's Old Students Association, who left the school in 1994, extolled the contributions of Pastor Folashade Olukoya and MFM in providing the school with ďŹ ve teachers as well as the building. His words: "About four years ago, we approached her for classrooms after the one the government built for us. Initially we refer to all the blocks in the school as Jakande block. She came up with a prototype of what she envisaged, a gigantic two storey building block of classrooms, but when it was sent to the then Lagos State Governor for Approval, it was reduced to 13 blocks of classrooms. And that is what she has built for us here. "Her own proposal was a two-storey building, but the government reduced it and gave their own prototype. We could have had a two-storey building of 20 plus classrooms. But we had to follow the government prototype, and that is the building we have there. And it has been ready for students to use. The Vice President of the association is her mate, and from her conversation with us, she is an unassuming and quiet person when she was in school, just as she was back then in school." She Keeps Her Promise, Says Helen Akpan Melton (Nee Vandapuye) Mrs. Melton, a national of Ghana, was
one of the students, who came with Pastor Folashade Olukoya from Reagan Memorial School in Form 3. They completed Form 5 in 1983. She said: "I know her to be the quiet type who does not make noise. A silent person. We usually disturb her a lot. She talks in a subtle manner and responds gently in Yoruba Language 'Fimile, mi o fe wahala' which means 'leave me alone, I don't like to be disturbed.' We, on the other hand were the trouble makers, and we always try to make her talk. "Our English teacher, Mr. Femi Omodara and the Literature teacher would ask why we ďŹ nd pleasure in disturbing her. She was such a quiet person that we didn't know that one day, she would be the wife of a General Overseer. I bless God because, she is happily married to the General Overseer of MFM, Dr. D.K Olukoya." Melton, who works with the Federal Ministry of Education Abuja added: "She had promised us a two-storey building in memory of her late mother, Mummy Adesanya. She kept her promise. When she is not in Nigeria, her husband, Dr. D.K Olukoya responds to our needs in the school. Even the principal, Dr. (Mrs.) Adenekan, can't stop appreciating them, mostly because anytime we run
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 19
The
“Our English teacher, Mr. Femi Omodara and the Literature teacher would ask why we nd pleasure in disturbing her. She was such a quiet person that we didn't know that one day she would be the wife of a General Overseer. I bless God because, she is happily married to the General Overseer of MFM, Dr. D.K Olukoya.” Helen Akpan Melton (Nee Vandapuye)
short of staff, they come to the rescue. "They gave us seven staffers whose salaries they pay by themselves. Not that alone, each time we call upon them, they heed to our calls. Alhaji Lateef Jakande knows about the adoption of the school by the Olukoyas and so do other past governors of Lagos State. The school is opened.
A
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
nother testifier to the mother nature of Pastor Olukoya, who is Mummy GO’s junior at Aje Comprehensive High School, Mr Omoniyi Obabori, was all praises for the woman of God, describing her as ‘neat, straightforward and intelligent’. He told ICONOCLAST in an interview that: "Folasade was a very nice and easy going person. She always come up with ideas with three of her friends then. She was very neat, straightforward and intelligent. "I was actually not in the same class with Mummy GO. She was about two years ahead of me. But that notwithstanding, she took it upon herself as a perfect to constantly visit
Aje Comprehensive Junior High School
the junior classes including my own. She was the perfect in charge of the five arms of the then form 5."She was so considerate, in the way she treated us, and part of her job description as a perfect was to pop in and help our class at regular intervals."It still amazes me how she managed to harness everything seamlessly, and still undertook her own studies."In addition, she used to teach us poetry and music. She was so talented in the arts. The woman in her was not also hidden as she also lectured us on how to keep ourselves clean. Honestly, our classes were always rough. Thank God we were eventually reformed," Olabori noted. It is worthy of note that all members of Mummy GO’s class were girls. In the school, as a standard rule, all the pupils from form two upwards were girls. Form two were from Our Ladies of Apostles and form 3 from Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls School, Yaba. It was only in form 1 where there was a mixture of boys and girls.
Omoniyi Obabori, Classmate
M
r. Obabori commended Pastor (Mrs.) Olukoya for responding t o t h e o l d s t u d e n t s association's call to come to the aid of the school. He said: "She built a school for us because she asked if we would prefer money, but we opted for the school building. If we can get more people like her, the school would develop. And we are also pleading to the government to make Aje a Senior Secondary School again. It was a Senior School before it was changed to Junior School, Aje is a very nice school built by Pa Jakande. All the schools Jakande built then where referred to as poultries, but we have lots of prominent people who finished from schools built by Jakande including Mrs Folasade Olukoya and Governor Ambode. We are happy for what Mrs. Folasade has done and we pray that God will continue to strengthen her and her husband. I am always very happy for her and her husband, because many people in her position might not help, but she did not hesitate to help us when we approached her. She built a school for us and laid a great foundation. That is huge and we pray God will always bless her.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 20
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Let There Be Water: A TESTAMENT OF OLUKOYA’S WATER REVOLUTION
Dr. Olukoya matches preaching of Christian love, compassion, charity and humility on the pulpit with practical deeds through a silent revolution by which he is redefining evangelical vocation and philanthropy.
Here are highlights as captured through the lenses and voices of some of the numerous beneficiaries.
By Kolawole Igandan
I
communities and approved the drilling of n the beginning, there were dry taps everywhere including the boreholes across a nexus of streets Iwaya and Onike; old suburbs of the Lagos metropolis, which surrounding the church premises. are just a nudging distance from Yaba, the central business Among those that benefitted from the district of the Mainland. These areas have for long been hooked to gesture are Chi Quality Cool Spot, the network of the Lagos State Water Corporation, which supplies opposite First Bank, Andoyi, Akintunde water from Iju Water Works to different parts of the state. and Johnson streets. But for various factors, among which is the notorious official red Although the water point installations tape, inefficiency, lack of funds, poor management, the sight of also serve the needs of the church gushing water from the public taps and within homes in these members, especially during special neighbourhoods became a rarity! programmes, they have become primary If it ever comes, it is in fitful drops, and on occasions when the sources of water on which corporation takes pity on the populace, which has residents, families as well suffered for so long. as those who ply their In the face of this acute water scarcity, a line in the We're indebted to trades in the nearby Ballard of the Old Ancient Mariner - "Water, popular Onike market Dr. Olukoya for water everywhere, yet not a drop to drink" depend. ending water scarcity becomes a common dirge among residents of TESTIMONIALS nightmare in the communities, which border the swampy “When they have a Iwaya/Onike shores of the Lagos lagoon. programme, a lot of Although a fairly high-density area, demand for people come to fetch accommodation began to drop as the dire situation water here. Since it is close scared prospective tenants away, and forced others to the market, you will see already living there to relocate. But a remedy was on the market women, young boys and girls in way evening queuing to fetch water here. The Olukoya/MFM to the Rescue church has helped the people with the But the groans of the landlords and the people turned into joy some provision of water which was one of the years back when the MFM, through its Corporate Social problems we had before,"- Timi Responsibility (CSR) programme provided a set of boreholes to Emokenighan, security guard, INITS alleviate their sufferings of residents where its headquarters was Computer Office. located. A member of the committee involved in The General Overseer, Dr. Olukoya, took immediate steps to the installation of the borehole project at restore water sanity. He ordered a survey of the needs of the
“
“
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 21
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
14, Akintunde Street, probably captures the grateful feeling of the residents at the ending of their hitherto harrowing experience. "We have had persistent water problem here. In fact, there are times we do not get water from the Water Corporation for three months. The General Overseer (Dr. D.K. Olukoya) sent his representatives to come and find out what our immediate needs are. We told him, water was a source of constant headache for us and he immediately gave us this borehole. We have been enjoying it ever since" - Lekan Fasinro, plumber "Dr. D.K. Olukoya has tried his best for us here. If you ask anyone around here, they would tell you that water is scarce in the entire Onike/Iwaya area. Since Dr. D.K. Olukoya gave us water, things have changed. People come from as far as UNILAG area to fetch water here. We also maintain the equipment by ourselves" – Ade, tailor custodian of the borehole project sited on Johnson Street "In fact, it is as if Baba (Dr. D.K. Olukoya) had me in his mind when he told his people to give us borehole water here. Look at the proximity of the project to my shop. God blessed us with that man" - Mrs. Adebimpe Olasunkanmi, Trader The water facilities have been attracting people from far and wide. Though many are abusing the privilege but it is free, but it is one the best things to happen to us here” - Mrs. Olasunkanmi, Resident "You can see that this area is a very busy place. The borehole serves almost everyone here. You can come here in the evening and see things for yourself. However, measures are being taken to control the influx of people coming from other areas to spoil the protect. There is a particular time in the evening when the tap is opened to every resident of this area. Everybody takes
Special Edition
In the face of this acute water
scarcity, the Ballard of the Old Ancient - Mariner "Water, water everywhere, yet not a drop to drink" became a common dirge sung by residents of the communities, which border the swampy shores of the Lagos lagoon. full advantage of the General Overseer's largesse. We cannot thank him enough” Chinecheremu, Hotelier Other areas where Dr. Olukoya's water revolution is making waves include RANSOME KUTI, COMPUTER CENTRE, FAGUNWA HALL MOREMI HALL and SPORTS CENTRE, all in the University of Lagos. Other locations are OGIJO, SHAGAMU, IKORODU and MOWE.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
“
Since D r gave us . D.K. Olukoya water, t hings have ch a nged. People c as far a ome from s to fetch UNILAG area water h ere.
“
page 22
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 23
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
“
In fact, it (Dr. D.K. is as if Baba me in his Olukoya) had told his pmind when he us boreh eople to give ole wate r here.
“ www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 24
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
Focus On The D. K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories, University Of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria – A Dedicated Infrastructure For Research & Development Professor Wellington Oyibo (FIBMS, UK), Chair of the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories
This Laboratory infrastructure was donated by the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries and an alumnus of the University of Lagos, Dr. Daniel K. Olukoya.
T
he National University Commission (NUC) noted that in terms of quality and quantity, the research output of tertiary institutions in Nigeria was about the best in sub-Saharan Africa up to the late 1980s. The decline of research activities in Nigeria is a consequence of obsolete research facilities, especially in the Universities. Laboratories are not well equipped to train students and conduct research. Thus, inadequate infrastructure and out-of-date equipment was a major challenge to conducting research that is tailored to address our national needs and those that can support competitive global research. Early career researchers and students scout for laboratories abroad where they are accepted to carry out research along with international supervisors for short to long duration, and jointly publish papers. Though well intended, it does not give the Nigerian Universities the much-desired visibility, rating and capacity development opportunities. As part of the innovative steps of the University of Lagos to elevate research to capacity and capability development and implementation, the need to establish and strengthen a core Central Research Laboratory was imperative. The overall goal is to use good science to drive multidisciplinary research and development efforts toward product development/improvement, innovative services, and the elucidation of critical scientific queries. The physical infrastructure needed to power this process was made possible through the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories
donated by the Dr. Daniel Kayode Olukoya, General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Onike, Lagos to his Alma mata. The facility is a massive three-wing complex with three floors covering 1000sq metres located adjacent to the Faculty of Engineering complex on the main campus of the University at Akoka and commissioned in June 2014. Known initially as the D.K. Olukoya Central Research Laboratory, it was re-named, the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories by the Senate of the University of Lagos in 2019 to properly The National University Commission (NUC) noted that in terms of quality and quantity, the research output of tertiary institutions in Nigeria was about the best in sub-Saharan Africa up to the late 1980s. The decline of research activities in Nigeria is a consequence of obsolete research facilities, especially in the Universities. Laboratories are not well equipped to train students and conduct research. Thus, inadequate infrastructure and out-of-date equipment was a major challenge to conducting research that is tailored to address our national needs and those that can support competitive global research. Early career researchers and students scout for laboratories abroad where they are accepted to carry out research along with international supervisors for short to long duration, and jointly publish papers. Though well intended, it does not give the Nigerian Universities the much-desired visibility, rating and capacity development opportunities.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 25
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
As part of the innovative steps of the University of Lagos to elevate research to capacity and capability development and implementation, the need to establish and strengthen a core Central Research Laboratory was imperative. The overall goal is to use good science to drive multidisciplinary research and development efforts toward product development/improvement, innovative services, and the elucidation of critical scientific queries. The physical infrastructure needed to power this process was made possible through the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories donated by the Dr. Daniel Kayode Olukoya, General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Onike, Lagos to his Alma mata. The facility is a massive three-wing complex with three floors covering 1000sq metres located adjacent to the Faculty of Engineering complex on the main campus of the University at Akoka and commissioned in June 2014. Known initially as the D.K. Olukoya Central Research Laboratory, it was re-named, the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories by the Senate of the University of Lagos in 2019 to properly reflect the strategic role the facility was primed to play as “the host for several National and Internationally relevant research, development, innovation and service platforms”. Platform for cutting-edge multidisciplinary research and capacity development The laboratory's primary mission is to augment research in chemical, biological and engineering disciplines at the University of Lagos by providing state-of-the-art research services to University's faculty members and facilitate interdisciplinary research, promote educational training opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, create corporate partnerships in research as well as pursue excellence in the science and technology research landscape with appropriate industry collaborations. State-of-the-art Equipment for Research, Development, Training and Service
Special Edition Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS), High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) with UV, Diode array and Fluorescence detectors, Gas Chromatograph- Flame Ionisation Detector (GC-FID), Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), UV/Vis Spectrophotometers.Type of services rendered varies from laboratory analysis of different types of samples, water, soil, materials, plants, foods, pharmaceuticals, professional advice through Consultancy and customized training programmes in several areas of competencies to clients. Some of the Platforms in the D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories include: 1. Analytical Laboratory 2. Maritime Laboratory 3. Vita Foam Polyurethane Laboratory donated by Vita Foam and was commissioned by the Hon Minister of Science & Technology, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu. 4. Fab Laboratory for Innovation donated by the French Embassy 5. U.K Royal Academy of Engineering funded Thermal Energy Simulation Laboratory 6. Cell Biology Molecular Laboratory 7. Molecular Genetics Forensic Laboratory 8. Microbiology Laboratory 9. Botany laboratory Other nearly completed laboratories include: Genomics Laboratory of the Centre for Genomics of NonCommunicable Diseases, Air-pollution Monitoring laboratory, Biotechnology laboratory, Nanotechnology Laboratory among others. The core Central Research Laboratory of the facility is a UK-Royal Society of Chemistry accredited lab for training on Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometry; Federal Ministry of Environmentaccredited Environmental Assessment Laboratory and the facility is currently 1S0-17025 compliant with current plans for certification at this level. The D.K. Olukoya Central Research & Reference Laboratories infrastructure in the University of Lagos has indeed filled a huge gap in the Higher Education Learning Landscape in the country.
The major equipment available include Gas www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 26
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 27
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
THE MAKING OF THE WORLD CLASS
MOUNTAIN TOP UNIVERSITY
A
very down to earth person, Dr. Olukoya is very meticulous in all his affairs, and so makes copious preparation before undertaking any projects and programmes. Consequently, he set out developing a Foundation prior to the establishment of the Mountain Top University. His intentions were obvious; to ensure that a lot of Nigerian youths were afforded the opportunity to have qualitative and stress-free tertiary education To begin with, Professor Emmanuel Adedun, was appointed the Chairman of Dr. D.K. Olukoya's Mountain Top University Foundation. This is a vehicle through which the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM) offers financial succour to indigent students of the institution as the church's own contribution to boosting national manpower development. The foundation awards full and partial scholarships covering tuition and feeding to lucky students, who are selected through a transparent test. According to Prof. Adedun: "The foundation was inaugurated four years ago, just about the time that the university was commencing. When we were trying to put together the university, the GO, in his wisdom, thought that something like this foundation should come on so as to undertake the www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 28
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
sponsorship of the education of indigent students in the new university whose parents might not be able to afford the tuition fees. So, the foundation was set up to seek and garner resources, to undertake different kinds of approved projects that can be used to sponsor the education of less privileged members of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. "The philosophy came about as a result of the unpleasant experience he read or heard concerning mission- based institutions that started before Mountain Top University. It was in the newspapers, that members of some churches promoting the universities were not very pleased, because their children could not attend the institutions, whereas when the universities were starting, they made contributions towards the take-off, everybody was carried along then. But when the university started, not everybody had to the opportunity to put their children there. "So, Dr. Olukoya learnt a very big lesson from that and said he was interested in building a university where everybody can attend. Initially, a committee was set up to prepare the ground for the university and the committee suggested a moderate tuition fee. That is why today, in all the private universities in Nigeria, Mountain Top University has the least paid tuition. Even at that, Dr. Olukoya was still not
Special Edition pleased with the amount recommended, although it is the least payable in all Nigerian private universities. He was still exploring options of how to reduce the tuition fees. But the committee said, if you have to run a private university, you need money to do one or two things, you can't make it free, people have to pay something. But, he believed that amount that people have to pay was still high. The foundation has a way of bridging that gap and that is why the foundation was established. We have been in operation for four years, and to the glory of God, this year, the university shall graduate the 1st set of its students, and 46 of them shall graduate on scholarship of this foundation. They are beneficiaries because the foundation paid their tuition fees from day one to the final year." Prof Adedun also explained why it took so long before the university became operative, stressed that everything worked to portray Olukoya as a man who hears from God as well as one who believes in the will of God as the ultimate It's an interesting story. It was only in the 7th year that Mountain of Fire applied to the National Universities Commission (NUC), for the establishment of a university that it was approved. And the question is, why did it take that long a time? The answer is simple: The Holy Spirit was at work.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 29
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
Following in the footsteps of their General Overseer, members of the church have keyed into the church's Adopt a Student' policy where some members take the responsibilities of one or more of the students. Some of these members include the Assistant General Overseer, Pastor Ladejola Abiodun, he was gracious enough to adopt two students for us, AGO, Research and Development through Agege Region. The RO, Pastor Moses Adewale, Lekki Region, Pastor Olumide Oni now in Maraba, Abuja, Pastor Rotimi Olugbile in Darko, Abuja.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 30
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO: AND WHEN HE IS OLD, HE WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT - Proverb 22:6
Students of the Mountain Top University visits prison
Students of the MTU donated gift items to the IDP Camp
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 31
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Students of Mountain Top University
A Students of MTU holding fish from the university fish farm
Proud Students of MTU
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 32
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
The Testimony of a MTU Lecturer
The Vision and Mission of This Environment Are Unique Dr. Anana Mariam Emmanuel
D
r. Anana Mariam Emmanuel is a lecturer in the Department of Languages, specialising in Discourse Analysis. She teaches phonetics, phonology and grammar at the university. The don bared her mind below:. “Here is the language lab. It is a multipurpose language lab where students come to learn languages, especially English and French. We call it Department of Languages because any language can be learnt in this laboratory. Specifically when you are not around as a lecturer, you can do everything and put it in the PC and then the students can come around, go through whatever lessons you must have taught and answer questions that you might have set there for them. “It depends on the pattern and style you actually want. If you want them to see your picture, you can putit for them as you are lecturing. It has been a very wonderful time teaching in this environment. It is not that they just use it for only languages, other courses like mass communication come here to do the same thing as well as the phoneticians since we are all Nigerians. We also allow them to listen to white phoneticians and then compare and contrast the sounds. As a lecturer, you can also speak to them and be imitated too. “When we talk about speaking, we also mean articulation, situating its place as well as the manner, position and what is being articulated. By the time you put it through, they can see the place of articulation. For instance I say per, where is the place of articulation? By labia (the two lips). It has been wonderful.” What stands this place out? The vision and the mission of this environment are unique compared to other faith-based universities. But I want you to understand that this particular institution is quite unique in the sense that it is not only the physical things that we do here, the spiritual aspect is even stressed to the lecturers, thus one is constantly reminded that it is not just how you learn but also who helps you to learn it. I have been a product of federal universities, but from my interactions with people from faith-based and private universities, I discover that MTU is really a very special place
where God is being put first before any other thing. Others can talk about God first theoretically, but for MTU, it is the practical aspect where as a student, you need to pray, fast and do deliverance before you think of anything academics. Are you saying that all the students had undergone these? Yes, all the students. Even the staff. You must go through the oneweek deliverance before even contemplating teaching. What were your previous stints? I had been a graduate fellow at the University of Lagos where I did my PhD. I had also worked there as a Lecturer. While there, took students on GST courses, especially GST105 (Use of English). In public schools, we care less about the spiritual aspect of someone but here the discipline is awesome. Recently, a colleague of mine came for her sabbatical and walked up to me and said, your students are mannered; and she lectures in a public university. We that are here, we feel we have not done anything for them. Even the students are not allowed to use handsets, others would not have felt okay but they comply and go to the central phone centre to make calls.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 33
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
I AM A LIVING TESTIMONY THAT MFM IS REAL
HOW I WAS ARRESTED BY THE GOD OF OLUKOYA - Davidson Olaniran Adejuwon -
M
y name is Davidson Olaniran Adejuwon. I am a legal practitioner and I have been practicing now for 10 years. I started my legal career under Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN in 2010 as an intern, thereafter as a Corps member and later as a Junior Associate before I left in 2014. Now, I have my own private practice, and I have also been serving as the Legal Adviser to MFM worldwide since May 2016 till date. But do you know that about 20 years ago, I WAS A COMPLETE VAGABOND AND A HOMELESS WHARF RAT here in Lagos? My story is an interesting one, which the above headline aptly captures. It all started in 2002 when I was sleeping inside Apapa Wharf (as a homeless wharf rat, resting on a carton of fish spread as a mat by the side of Berth 8 where Dangote Salt factory is located)
on a particular Sunday afternoon. Then I heard the voice God telling me how I was wasting away in spite of my loaded potentials, and how the devil has concluded plans to finish me if I continue to play smart outside His (God's) will. I agreed with him that day and I surrendered my life to Him. The next question I asked Him was simple: “what would you want me to do next?” His response was very direct. “Go and search for that church you made jest of some years back when you were travelling out of Lagos. That is where I will transform your life and remold you for my use.” Which church was I was making jest of? Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM); a church I saw its name for the first time on the Prayer City fence while I was travelling out of Lagos 2000. THE PRESSURE AND FRUSTRATION AT www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 34
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
volatile Oshodi as a Cart Pusher, H O M E A N D M Y It will interest you distributing crates of drinks from a WILDERNESS JOURNEY warehouse to other outlets where How and why did I get to become to know that the drinks were being sold. homeless in Lagos? Another I was one of the Working here also exposed me to interesting story. I was actually beneficiaries of the popular Bom-boy who was not born in Lagos, but in Ifira then the head of area boys in the Akoko, Ondo State where I had Dr Olukoya’s scholarship whole of Oshodi. I became close to my Primary and Secondary programme as I got his boys and thus my journey to education. I had finished my the sum of N20,000 to street life began properly. From secondary education at one of the support my school fees there I migrated to Wharf by sheer Unity Schools, particularly the inspiration to continue my hustle. African Church Unity, Epinmi at the Pre-degree level. This was in 1999. There at Wharf, I Akoko in 1997 at the age of 17. This is not to mention met a lot of dockworkers and However, I never had a WAEC the flow of financial labourers who were mainly result from that School as mine was among the cancelled results blessings I regularly receive Ajegunle residents. That was how I started going to clubs and parties for that year without any with a number of them at Ajegunle explanation provided. This and on the Island too until that complicated the already fragile fateful Sunday afternoon I heard the voice of God. relationship between my mum and me due to my truancy and stubbornness, especially throughout my THE LOVE AND GRACE I ENJOYED BEING A boarding school days. On her own part, my mum, a MEMBER OF MFM primary school teacher, was already over stretched Ever since I joined MFM after that divine encounter having to cope catering for five of us all by herself. My with God of MFM, my life never remained the same. I dad, a first-class chief and the first graduate in our changed my way of life. I went through Deliverance town, had in his royal affluence acquired nine wives, all Programme as well as back to back vigil for one year. I of whom God has used to bless him with over 30 was fully resident in the MFM church at Apapa, doing children, myself inclusive. It should be clear now why all available work for God – Interpreter, Technical, mums had to take charge. Dad was apparently Evangelism, Prayer Warrior, etc. The members were so overwhelmed. loving and accommodating that I was catered and cared The friction and pressure kept mounting on me and I for by everyone including the Pastors. The following had to abscond from home at 18, travelled all the way year, 2003, I gained admission into the Pre-degree to Lagos to no one in particular. The fellow I was going programme of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife to stay with in Lagos at Agbado-Ijaiye by Kola Bus and by 2004, I passed the Pre-degree exams to secure Stop was not around as I was told she had travelled. I full admission into the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo had no choice but to seek refuge in one small Cele University (OAU) Great Ife, to study Law, seven years Church around without any wall but just a roof. I was after living the life of a vagabond, thug and street boy sleeping on a tiny bench there for about a month. I since leaving secondary school. It will interest you to worked with one man who was producing sachet tea know that I was one of the beneficiaries of Dr popularly known as “Eruku Oshodi” for a few weeks Olukoya’s scholarship programme as I got the sum of before I met one of my cousins working as a “Molue” N20,000 to support my school fees at the Pre-degree conductor and I had to move in with him where he too level. This is not to mention the flow of financial was squatting at Abule-Egba by Super Bus Stop. The blessings I regularly receive from members of my following day, I joined him to have a feel of the city and branch at Apapa whenever I was returning to school. that was how I started to help him and his crew to When I lost my Dad in 2007 at my part 3, the church collect money and thus became a conductor for some paid my school fees and accommodation fully for that months under “Oga Toyin” who was the ‘pilot’ of the year. molue bus we were attached to. At the Pre-Degree campus, I was made the overall Being a molue bus conductor, I was quickly toughened representative of the entire students. I also later became up through exposure to all sorts of volatile engagement the Students Union Government President at the with all kinds of individuals, including several punches Obafemi Awolowo University, when I was in 400 level. and beatings from the agberos (touts). It all paid up Then, I wrote to the G.O. for prayer and for the first time eventually as I soon found myself working in the in 2008, I met with him. He prayed with me, anointed me, and declared some prophetic utterances upon my
“
“
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 35
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
life which are at the moment manifesting for good. The grace of God that is abundant upon the Man of God had since then never stopped to work for me. I did not only successfully govern the Great OAU community as a Student leader without any form of casualty despites several protests and encounters with the Police and Cultists, I also graduated with a very good grade (Second Class Upper) and then proceeded to Law School without any hitch whatsoever. Do you know that Dr Olukoya also approved the sum of N100,000.00 to support my school fees at Law School? These are the only two occasions I have written to him for school fees as a member of MFM and I got his fatherly blessing in monetary terms towards my schooling. I completed my Law School program successfully and came back to Lagos for my NYSC. At this time, MFM Apapa was made a Region and I became the Youth Pastor for the Region since then till I was later appointed as the Legal Adviser to the MFM worldwide, working directly with Daddy G.O. My legal practice has been booming and blossoming all the way but it got so much boost when I pledged a vow of 200,000.00 to the Mountain Top University Endowment Fund in the year 2015. I started to get brief to the tune of half a million naira and my clientele increased considerably well. Today, I hold a Master Degree in Law (LL.M). I am happily married to Elizabeth and we are blessed with a baby girl, Royalty. Do you also know that Daddy G.O. fully sponsored my wedding and also gave me monetary gifts afterwards for my honeymoon? To the glory of God that brought me to MFM to change my destiny, today, I am no longer homeless. As a matter of fact, I am no longer a tenant as I now live in my own Duplex with my family. I think you can now agree with me when I said that I AM A LIVING TESTIMONY OF HOW GOD OF O L U K O YA C H A N G E S DESTINIES AT MFM FOR GOOD www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 36
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
Olukoya’s Scholarship Awards to Deserving Students
D
r D. K. Olukoya’s Academic Award of Excellence is an award given to members of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Campus Fellowship, who graduate with first Class honours from a reputable university by the General Overseer of Mountain of fire and miracles ministries Worldwide, Dr. D. K. Olukoya. The Dr. D. K. Olukoya academic award of excellence was conceptualised as a result of the need to reposition the youths in line with the vision received by the General Overseer to see to the rebranding of MFM Campus Fellowship for the next level. The First Edition of the awards took place in January 2010 at the MFM prayer city camp durring a special monthly Power Must Change Hands programme, and 19 recipients were awarded across the country and beyond. There were presentations of car keys and certificates of honour by the wife to the General Overseer, Pastor (Mrs.) Shade Olukoya to the 19 recipients. The Second Edition took place in May 2011
at the same venue during the same programme, and 15 recipients were reawarded with brand new cherry QQ3 & QQ6 cars, and certificates of honour presented by the wife of the General Overseer, Pastor (Mrs.) Shade Olukoya. Other mouth watering packages included an opportunity for recipients to study abroad, notably in Ghana, United Kingdom and Dublin. People saw the great joy on the faces of the awardees and they also rejoiced with them. Consequently, everyone always look forward to the yearly awards series. The Third Edition took place in April 2013 also at the Prayer City during a Power Must Change Hands programme, and this time, a ttital of 77 recipients were awarded with cheques of N500,000 each, and certificates of honour presented by the wife of the General Overseer, Pastor (Mrs.) Shade Olukoya in addition to opportunity for recipients to study abroad. The fourth Edition took place in August 2015 with the presentation of the categories of awards at the usual venue in power must change hands
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 37
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
programme. Four recipients who distinguished themselves during the National Youth Service Corps year, and got National recognition, were awarded the Dr D. K. Olukoya NYSC Award. They were presented an award plaque, N500, 000 cheque each and certificates of honour. Furthermore, 106 other recipients, who graduated with first class honours from different universities in Nigeria, India, United Kingdom, Malaysia etc, were awarded with N500, 000 and certificate of honour. And for the first time in the history of the a w a r d s , D r. D . K . Olukoya magnificently recognised graduates with Distinction honours from polytechnics. Here, 20 recipients were awarded with N300, 000 each and certificates of honour. All the awards were presented by the wife of the General Overseer, Pastor (Mrs.) Shade Olukoya and the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Idowu Bamitale Omole. The Fifth Edition took place in August 2019 with 329 applicants at the 30th M F M A n n i v e r s a r y. They were presented an award plaque and certificates of honour. All the awards were presented by the wife to the General Overseer, Pastor (Mrs.) Shade Olukoya, Lagos and Akwa Ibom states governors, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Mr. Emmanuel Udom respectively. Pleasantly grateful and overwhelmed by the gestures, the MFM Campus Fellowship is using this medium to honestly thank the General Overseer for the good works God is doing through him, especially on various campuses. Furthermore, the Dr. D. K. Olukoya Academic Award of Excellence has made several impacts on students and the youth at large. The awards have lived up to expectation, achieving its set goals of impacting the students, and making the youths points of
Special Edition positive reference to their contemporaries who are aimless on campus, as well as let the world know that youths of this generation are a leading force in terms of academic structure and content, Promote in them their innate academic potentials, Reshape the destiny of youths whose academic focus is already lost, Rescue them from being derailed while on campus, Give hopes to those who are academically less privileged among other glorious objectives.
To the glory of God, the Dr. D. K. Olukoya Academic Award of Excellence has given birth to mighty testimonies, as many of the awardees have got great jobs, which had made them seek God more because of the success stories. The students are always praying that the Awards continue as it will continue to encouraging them to strive for wholesome success. For: MFM Campus Fellowship International Headquarters. www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 38
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Olukoya,
First Nigerian Scientist to Clone Genes - VP Yemi Osinbajo Back home in Nigeria, as a researcher at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Lagos, Olukoya made landmark contributions to biotechnology and health. One of these was the invention of a new type of Ogi (Pap) named DOGIK, that can control diarrhea and also contains improved nutritional qualities. Also, he is credited with being the first scientist to establish an indigenous laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in Nigeria, and the first to clone genes
“
He was also the first Nigerian to bag a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Reading, United Kingdom
“
F
or the General Overseer of the MFM, distinguishing himself in any and every endeavour he sets his hands on may not merely be an expression of character and talent, but a biological trait, seated deep in his genes! Before making the phenomenal success of his evangelistic ministry, Dr. Olukoya had, had an excellent career as an academic and scientist with a streak of firsts and groundbreaking successes. He left a record as the first graduate to make First Class in UNILAG's Microbiology Department since the university came on stream in 1962, a feat which confirmed that the brilliance he had shown early in his educational career peaking with a Grade One pass at the secondary school certificate level was no fluke! He was also the first Nigerian to bag a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Reading, United Kingdom, a programme he finished in record time under a Commonwealth scholarship, in spite of the difficulty of the subject.
in the country. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, while paying tributes to the preeminence and achievements of his alma mater, the University of Lagos, Akoka, listed Dr. Olukoya among the prides of the great institution, who have made it a foremost university. His words: "I want to say that UNILAG has proved time and time again to be not just a university. "So many firsts in different areas. Just reading about Dr. Olukoya. He was the first to clone genes. Hardly anyone would know that the Pastor of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries was also the first to clone genes. That is an absolutely o u t s t a n d i n g t h i n g , " t h e Vi c e President said at a public function. Before quitting the intellectual community, Dr. Olukoya had logged in no fewer than 80 scientific publications and mentored several other scientists and medical scholars, 30 of whom earned their PhD under his supervision, and are all currently doing well in their chosen fields.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 39
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
BENEFICIARIES'
Testimonials Daddy GO is an Example of a Good Father
- James Akinola
C
an you introduce yourself and your background, where you are and what you currently do?
My name is James Akinola. I am from a family of five. I lived my teenage days in the military barracks in Ojo, Lagos because my dad was a soldier and trust me unless God insists on one's life, you almost don't stand a chance to succeed meaningfully from such a location. By God's Grace today, I am currently a Doctoral student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, United States. My research entails designing renewable fuel sources from waste biomass to replace petroleum as a transportation fuel. At what point did your path cross with MFMM and by extension, Dr. D. K. Olukoya? I attended MFM region 10 as a teenager with my parents and I must say those periods of weekly house fellowship did preserve me, although I wasn't a completely good boy then. I got admitted to the University of Lagos and joined the MFM campus fellowship. My first personal encounter with Daddy G.O was when I was the president of the fellowship, and we were preparing for the “A Damsel Dazzling and Virtuous Programme with Mummy GO” during that week of planning my phone got spoilt and I couldn't do some fellowship functions without it. I just told Daddy casually that I don't have a phone after the meeting and he said “ Oh, you don't have a phone? Here, take this, and he gave me a new Samsung phone. What is your impression of Dr. D. K Olukoya? Daddy GO is an example of a good father. He hasn't only taught and mentored us from a distance, his acts of love are true examples of God's love to us. I remember one day as executives in MFMCF we did something wrong and Daddy called us to a meeting, and we were all frightened. But guess what? Daddy so prayed for us as his children after scolding us. Trust me we went back to campus on fire for God. How has the church helped in building your spiritual life? Daddy's message has consistently taught me that one can be spiritually conscious and still be purpose driven on earth, Daddy's Life of starting from a humble beginning but through consistent hard work and supply of God's grace, he is a father to nations today has been a great inspiration for me. Most Importantly God has greatly helped my prayer life
Akinola James through Daddy's message. I will never forget the message “The Baptism of Fire” What spectacular and specific act of generosity have you enjoyed from Dr. D. K. Olukoya, that has helped propel your career today? Daddy's magnanimity is sometimes incredible. I remember after getting this Ph.D admission fully funded by the US, but I didn't have a dime to purchase a travel ticket to the US and my parents couldn't as well. Daddy got me the ticket for free in the best airline Qatar Airways. There was no other option that I could rest on. It was a miracle I must say, and I can never forget such a magnanimous act from Daddy If you were to meet Dr. Olukoya today, what word of appreciation would suffice? I sincerely would love to meet Daddy soon and tell him how grateful I am for his life. However, words may fail me to express the totality of my gratitude to Daddy. Daddy G.O is just the best. If any word will suffice, I will say I am indebted and thankful to him.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 40
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
WITH MFM, I HAVE A
ROOF OVER MY HEAD - Alikwe Favour
C
an you tell me your name? My name is Alikwe Favour. Where do you live? I live at number 2, Ayorinde Ayotunde, street in Onike. It is one of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries hostels. How did you get a slot in the hostel? I wrote to the General Overseer, intimating that I was a worker in the church, and needed accommodation because my parents stay far away in Ikorodu. The request was armed with a recommendation letter from the MFM youth church where I attend. It is worthy of note that before one can apply for anything from the G.O, there has to be a recommendation letter. I submitted the letter and within a few days, I was allocated the hostel. I made it clear in my letter that the distance between my home and the church would affect my service in church. I
was allocated a 6-man room; six of us in the hostel room, equipped with toilet, bathroom and kitchen. It is a Alikwe very conducive accommodation. Do you have anything to say a different level, away from my about the GO's generosity? Yes, a lot! He is really doing more work place. I was playing violin than enough. I salute his ability to then. He loves music the same way attend to everybody with different he loves children and youths. He has needs at the same time; he is God- a passion that to ensure that youths do not go astray, that explains why sent. I pray that God will give him he established the music more partners and friends ministry where youths that will stand by him Daddy GO master different financially, especially doesn't i nstruments and do for his philanthropic stop seeing exploits for God. youths activities. He asked for through Besides, he assists them donors and people have school with the payment of school been responding, and it fees among other sundry makes more students who are still in school, to desire to come challenges. He encourages them out with excellent grades, so that and makes sure they come out in they can be partakers of the first- good grades. Daddy GO doesn't class awardees and other mouth- stop seeing youths through school, he also helps them secure jobs if watering offers from the church. their character is sound and they are What kind of person is the GO? He is a simple and jovial person. I grounded spiritually. In all, he is a have been privileged to met him on very simple man.
“
God Has Used MFM to Stabilise me - Ogudu Chukwuemeka
W
hat is your name, location, and what you do for the MFM?
My name is Ogudu Chukwuemeka Nnabogu, and I stay in one of the MFM hostels at 26 Sani Jimoh House. I do a lot of things in this ministry based on my God-given talent. In the first place, I am one of the sound engineers here and I am studying Administration at the Yaba College of Technology. How did you get come by this accommodation? When my guardians relocated to the village because of old age, I became practically homeless. I stayed back because I needed to further my education as I was earning little money, but there was no real place to
lay my head. So, I wrote to our father Ogudu in the Lord, armed w i t h a recommendation letter from my head of department. And just like that, I was allocated a hostel. What has been your experience since then? I have learnt human relationship and how to manage people and resources to get the desired goal, couple with my course of study at YabaTech. In this wise, I have been able to manage people well and I feel our hostel is one of the most peaceful ones, we have been living peacefully and we sort out issues in a matter of days. Pastor Odukoya is really a father. www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 41
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
THE CHURCH HAS GIVEN US THREE VEHICLES
- ASP Odugbesan
C
an you please introduce yourself and your designation? My name is Odugbesan Adekunle. I am an Assistant Superintendent of Police, and also the station officer of Sabo Police Station, Yaba. How has the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFMM) assisted your Station? They have assisted us in numerous ways. The church has been a blessing to this police station and we are all happy with what the church has been doing for us here. Dr D. K. Olukoya, the General Overseer has been a vital instrument to the wellbeing of the station. For the records, he has donated three vehicles to the police station. He is a friend and a father of Sabo Police Station. In fact, he is someone you can rely on. The past and present DPOs, as well as all officers here are grateful to him
and we look forward to more collaborations with him. Do you usually h a v e unhindered access to him? Baba is always available, not only him, the Chief Security O ffi c e r o f MFMM, all officers working with Baba Olukoya are cooperating with us, and we enjoy their attention. What would you will want him to still continue to do for the station? On behalf of my DPO, CSP Jude Ibechike, we have written a letter to Dr D.K Olukoya, pleading with him, not to leave us alone because the police cannot do the job of security alone. We r e l y o n government and call on the stakeholders, not only the MFMM, but the whole of S a b o t o emulate the gesture of Dr D . K . Olukoya. There are so many things we need that can make our job easier. We need tyres for our vehicles, though the
- ASP Odugbesan
government is providing but if we have more, it will make the job easier. We have already written to the GO for vehicle, and we know very soon, he will assist us. We want to use this opportunity to thank the GO, the senior officers and congregants of MFMM, who in one way or another are assisting the GO. We are extending our appeal to other stakeholders within Sabo division to emulate the good works of Dr. Olukoya by rising to the occasion so that we can serve them better. Can you mention some of the things the church has done for the police station? So far so good. But for records, he has given us three vehicles, and we have just made a request for another one. We know he is going to do it. He has also been assisting all staff in Sabo Police Station financially. If you go to him for any assistance, he will assist you; he is our mentor, and we rely on him. Anything you want from the G.O; once you see him, that problem is solved, be it financial or spiritual.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 42
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
Daddy Olukoya Has
INSPIRED TEEMING
YOUTHS To Greatness
- DAODU, FIRST CLASS LAW GRADUATE
By Tosin Olubuse
D
aodu Oluwamayowa Temidayo, a native of Ilupeju, Ekiti State, shares no kinship tie with Dr. D.K. Olukoya, an Akure indigene. But the first child of a family of five, would proudly tell you he is the son of the General Overseer of the MFM, a man he calls "Daddy." And he is right! The 2017 Law graduate of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, who graduated with Second Class Upper Division and improved on this feat with a First Class honours from the Nigerian Law School, is one of the "spiritual" children of the great Evangelist, himself a first-class scholar. He is among the many MFM youths reflecting the luminous rays passed on by the charismatic leader, and brightly shinning it to the world. Currently on national youth service in Ibadan, Oyo State, Daodu was the President of the Executive of EKSU chapter of MFM Campus Fellowship, a group he joined immediately he entered the school. The young undergraduate recognised early that spiritual striving and activism was as important to his academic success as the time and attention he paid to his studies. Thus, he threw himself into activism in the fellowship, joining the workforce in 200 level, after which he served in different departments including the choir, technical and bible study unit. He rose to become the Publicity Secretary, and subsequently the president during his final year. Not only did he give himself in service, he sucked in a considerable chunk of the teachings of the General Overseer, whom, he is proud to declare as his role model. Daodu sees his academic distinctions as the predictable fruits of the Christian discipline and Spartan lifestyle, saying it could not have been otherwise! "Being a member of MFM has influenced my life positively, I started attending MFM at a tender age, I remember my mum
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 43
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
used to take us along anytime she was going for church activities, whether it was convenient or not. This actually helped in shaping my life and molding us to the right path. Being a member of MFM has helped me in focusing on my career and also making the right choices all through the years. I remember one of the messages preached by our father, Dr. D. K. Olukoya titled: "Beat the best and be the best." This changed my mindset about success and excellence. Right from that time, I told myself, if our father in the Lord can rise to greatness regardless of his background, but with prayer, hard work and discipline, then it's also possible for me. This actually spurred me on to achieve success even while in the Law School," he said. He added that the spiritual growth promoting principles in the church leader's messages, as well as MFM's warfare-like prayers, played crucial roles in the fulfilment of his dream to become a lawyer. His words: "We live in a wicked world where you need not trouble the devil before you become a target of the enemy, and only through prayer can true freedom be guaranteed. The principles embedded in the messages of our father, Dr. D.K. Olukoya, especially those for the youth, have been my guide and their impact has been immense." The promising lawyer said his experiences, which culminated in graduating in flying colours, is a tradition passed down to generations of MFM youths, especially those at the EKSU fellowship. He expressed confidence that it would be sustained. "I was motivated by the testimony of a senior colleague who graduated with a First Class from the Nigerian Law School, who was a worker and Exco member in EKSU MFM campus fellowship when he was an undergraduate. The university was then known as UNAD. So, I am sure that those in school and future generation of the fellowship will be motivated by my testimony. Our background does not determine our future and what we are capable of achieving. It's also been said that "nothing compels obedience than result. When there is fruit, and people can see the results of what you preach, they tend to follow suit." "The fellowship has thrived and also played prominent roles amongst the various campus fellowships because of
Special Edition the core values and discipline that has been handed over from one generation to the other. The fellowship over the years preaches truths and principles needed for destiny fulfillment which are in tandem with the tenets of MFM worldwide, this has placed the fellowship where it is right now. He notes that aside this, the fellowship offers various forms of support to student-members including helping them to pay school fees, giving tutorials to those having difficulty with some courses by their more knowledgeable colleagues, and teachers. According to him, the fellowship through the academic crew, also gives out academic prizes to those who excel in their semester examination. Daodu, who was called to the bar on December 29, 2018, identifies the culture of prayer and deliverance for which the fellowship is known, as another secret for the vibrancy, radical growth and continued cohesion of the joint campus fellowship. He describes Dr. Olukoya as the greatest influence not only on his life, but also those of the teeming church members. "Our G.O is a father to many. His life has served as a guide and inspired many youths to greatness. His sermons have blessed my life in no small way, and I pray that the Lord will continue to uphold him and increase his anointing. He lauds the GO's academic distinction awards, an initiative geared towards fostering excellence among church youths in various spheres of life. He wants the GO to reward those who finished with a first class from the university and also from the Nigerian Law school who had served in MFM(CF) by extending the benefits to them so as to motivate other students to aspire for academic excellence, and by so doing, correct the notion that those who sacrifice their time for God find it difficult to succeed. Daodu, whose name in Yoruba signifies the first male born (heir), was born into a Christian family, with a rich pedigree. His grandparents were Christians, while his parents were teachers, who are also into business and farming. They had been members of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries for decades.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 44
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Olukoya’s Books Have Been a Blessing to Me - Olawale Bankole By Dupe Akinlaja
- Olawale Bankole
C
an you introduce yourself and y o u r background, where
you are and what you currently do? My name is Olawale Bankole. I am from Lagos State, Nigeria. I am a member of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. I worship at MFM International Headquarters Youth Church in Lagos. I serve with the Prophetic Group. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Cell Biology and Genetics from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. I am currently a graduate student at the University of Texas, Permian Basin, Odessa, Tx, U.S.A, where I study Biology with focus on Biomedical research. At what point did your path cross with MFM and by extension, Dr. Olukoya? Although, I was not born into MFM, neither do I have any known family member who attend MFM, I had slightly known Dr. Olukoya during my secondary school days because he was an alumnus of the school and did sponsor so many of our programmes including Inter-house sports competitions. I did not really know him as a clergyman but as a philanthropist and a successful personality. I got to know more about him during my undergraduate days as I attend MFM youth church Sunday services at the UNILAG multipurpose hall. He became an inspirational to me after I stumbled on his academic feat as a young man. He graduated as the best student from Methodist Boys' High School (MBHS), also, he had the best CGPA from Microbiology Department, UNILAG; a record which was not broken until recently. He later proceeded to University of Reading for his Ph.D in Molecular Genetics after procuring a competitive scholarship. Most of all these drew me to him, especially knowing that my academic career path is like his, and needless to say, I was also the best graduating student from MBHS in my set back in 2008. For the kind of background he has, both spiritually and academically, it was not difficult to have him as a role model and so, I decided to worship at MFM youth church. Of course, I enjoyed the prayers. What is your impression of Dr. Olukoya? We all know the kind of person he is by listening to his sermons well. One thing I would like to say is that he is a very disciplined man, and this is what has set him apart right from his youth. He has been able to discipline himself to get to this level. The story he tells us during his sermons of how he was able to stand by his beliefs, separate himself and resist peer pressure, especially during school days is very wonderful to hear. I know him as a
man who would not give room for compromise. He is a very generous man, a loving father and someone who has built confidence in the lives of so many youths out there including myself. I remember his very book I read titled "Students Living in the School of Fear", it was a blessing to me, so has the rest of his books that I have read. How has the church helped in building your spiritual life? Wow! The church has really imparted my spiritual life. I had the encounter just after I graduated from UNILAG. I started with the foundational class which really is imperative for every new convert. During the class, I got Holy Baptism, and Water Baptism just after the conclusion of the class. Subsequently, I joined the prophetic group of the youth church where I was exposed to the ministry of prayer. I can also boldly say I have read the bible from cover to cover after this encounter. It is wonderful you know. The reverent atmosphere at every moment of church service could be felt in the church and is very contagious. I see handsome and beautiful youths vibrant for Christ and this on its own always want you to do more spiritually. You would always want to be in church, especially when you have been born of the spirit. What spectacular and specific act of generosity have you enjoyed from Dr. Olukoya, that has helped propel your career today? I have enjoyed a lot of spectacular act of generosity of Dr. Olukoya both directly and indirectly. He loves speaking to the youth department and wants our growth both spiritually and professionally. Countless sponsored empowerment programmes from him to us and his teachings has clearly imparted my career path. Dr. D.K Olukoya has contributed to scientific research in Nigeria. I know he gives out funding which I must have gained from indirectly. He funded the D.K Olukoya Central Research Laboratory in UNILAG. I know students (both undergraduate and postgraduate) who are currently enjoying working in the lab as the facility and equipment are of international standards. I have some couple of friends there. If you were to meet Dr. Olukoya today, what word of appreciation would suffice? God has really blessed Daddy G.O for me, and I think nothing I can say can suffice. All I would say is Daddy, you are source of blessing to me and to this generation. I am not the first to say this and would not be the last as you continue to impact souls on daily basis both directly and indirectly through your numerous sons and daughters. I can only pray for continual empowerment on you from God through Christ Jesus. Amen. Thank you, Daddy.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
29 page 45
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
OLUKOYA'S Passion For Charity
In his effort to ensure that welfare is spread to all and sundry, Dr. Olukoya has created the We Care Ministry, an arm of the MFM Church. The ministry is sub-divided into various groups to enhance reach and ensure that none of those in need will be left out. Billions of naira are budgeted every year to see that the indigent and the needy are catered for. In his usual humility, he would not want his tremendous contribution to philanthropy made public but The Boss was able to obtain through an inside source, the ministry's activities for the year 2016-and it was so revealing!
WE CARE MINISTRY PRISON SUB-GROUP: Month: Day Activity Region Responsible Amount February 6th - 8th Prison Revival- Ikoyi Lekki Regions N450, 000 March 6th - 8th Prison Revival - Badagry Prison Maximum Prison Ketu Regions N560, 000 April 3rd- 5th Prison Revival - Maximum Prison Medium Prison H/Q N400, 000 May 1st- 3rd Prison Revival - Medium Prison Female Prison TMPM Ikoyi N350, 000 June 5th- 7th Prison Revival - Female Prison Badagry Prison Ojo regions N380, 000 August 7th -9th Prison Revival- Ikoyi Ajah N500,000 Sept 4th - 6th Prison Revival - Female Prison Maximum Prison Ikeja Regions N400,000 Oct. 2nd - 4th Prison Revival - Medium Prison Ejigbo Regions N750,000
Apr. Easter Monday Love Feast- Female Prison Women of Fire/Ojota N300,000 Jan - Mar every Wed Conselling - Badagry Prison All N50,000 Apr - June every Thur Conselling - Ikoyi Prison Maximum Prison All N50,000 July - Sept every Wed Conselling - Maximum Prison Medium Prison All N50,000 Oct - Dec every Tue Conselling - Female Prison Ikoyi Prison All N50,000 Not fixed yet PFN Annual General Meeting two persons N80,000 Sub-Total N4,370,000 Provision for Contingencies N250,000 TOTAL FOR PRISON SUB-GROUP N4,620,000
REHABILITATION SUB-GROUP: Jan - Dec 4th Sundays Feeding of Idi- Araba/ Owutu H/Q N1, 710,000 Jan - Dec Every Sunday Feeding of Owutu- Owutu Rehabilitation Centre Ketu Regions N2, 000,000 Jan - Dec Every Sunday Feeding - Owutu rehabilitation centre Ikeja Regions N4,000,000 Jan - Dec Every Sunday Feeding - Owutu rehabilitation centre Ejigbo Regions N1,250,000 Jan - Dec Every Sunday Feeding - Owutu rehabilitation centre Ojo Regions N1,000,000 Jan - Dec Every Sunday Feeding - Owutu
rehabilitation centre TMPM Ikoyi N400,000 Jan - Dec Every Sunday Feeding - Owutu rehabilitation centre Women of Fire/Ojota N400,000 Jan - Dec Every Sunday Feeding - Owutu rehabilitation centre Ajah N1,000,000 Jan - Dec School Fees/ Materials for Idi Araba @ 3500 per Child (180) Schools materials for IdiAraba children H/Q N630,000 TOTAL FOR REHABILITATION SUBGROUP 12,390,000
www.thebossnewspapers.com
29 page 46
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
ORPHANAGE SUB-GROUP: Jan - Dec Visitation to Orphanages under them Ejigbo region N3,000,000 Jan - Dec Visitation to Orphanages under them Ikeja region N3,000,000 Jan - Dec Visitation to Orphanages under them Ojo region N1,400,000 Jan - Dec Visitation to Orphanages under them Ketu region N1,500,000 Jan - Dec twice/month Visitation to Orphanages around headquarters H/Q N3,500,000 ANNUAL ORPHANAGE SPECIAL PROGRAMME: Gifts to 40 homes N15,000,000 Feeding children in 40 homes N2,500,000 Event Location rent N350,000 Amusement for children N300,000 Transportation N400,000 Feeding of We Care Members N1,500,000 Logistics N400,000 Misc. expenses N300,000 TOTAL FOR ORPHANAGE SUB-GROUP N33,150,000 Monthly Expenses on Joshua Olukoya @ N25,000 per Month N300,000 Yearly Payment of School fees of Children in Primary/Secondary Schools H/Q only N500,000 Sponsorship of 8 Students at Various Universities listed below 1) Victory John- Federal University of Petroleum, Effurun, Warri N170,000 2) Emmanuel John- Mountain-Top University JohnMountain Top University (Living Expenses) ( living Expenses) N100,000 3) Adewale Adeoti- University of Ife (living Expenses) N95,000
Special Edition 4) Emmanuel Uwa- Kings University Uwa - Kings University (Bsc Political Science) N405,000 5) Emmanuel Patrick - Kings University (Bsc Accounting) N430,000 6) Onyia C Patrick- Kings University (Bsc Microbiology) N430,000 7) Emmanuel O Phillips - Kings University (Bsc Microbiology) N430,000 8) Oni Daniel- Mountain Top University N550,000 Sub- Total on Universities Sponsorships N2,610,000 Various Donations to Walk-in Needy at Headquarters N4,000,000 OLD PEOPLES' HOME SUB-GROUP: Jan - Dec weekly Visitation to Old Peoples Home 2,500,000 ANNUAL OLD PEOPLES HOME SPECIAL PROGRAMME: N1,000,000 TOTAL FOR OLD PEOPLES HOME SUBGROUP N3,500,000 SUMMARY: PRISON SUB-GROUP N4,620,000 REHABILITATION SUB-GROUP N12,390,000 ORPHARNAGE SUB-GROUP N33,150,000 Monthly Expenses on Joshua Olukoya @ N25,000 per Month 300,000 Yearly payment of School fees of Children under We Care Scholarship Scheme N3,110,000 Various Donations to Walk-in Needy N4,000,000 OLD PEOPLES HOME SUB-GROUP N3,500,000 Total Budget for Year 2016 - N61,070,000
www.thebossnewspapers.com
29 page 47
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
29 page 48
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
29 page 49
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 50
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
OLUKOYA'S COVID-19
PALLIATIVES
A
s people were on a total lockdown in Lagos State, no thanks to the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries worldwide, Dr. Daniel Olukoya took the initiative to feed thousands of the vulnerable residents of the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area of the state, by providing them with food stuff packs. The International Headquarters of the MFM is located in the precinct of the local government and quite a large number of the ministry's members reside there. Apart from feeding the community, the MFM, in the first week of the state government's announced lockdown, donated several packs of hand gloves, nose and mouth masks, as well as booklets of the ministry's 30 Days Prayer Retreat, to the state government at the Yaba Primary Health Care facility. This was the first installment of donations. In the same vein, the ministry donated a brand new Toyota Hiace ambulance to the Lagos State government. The second installment of donation of medicaments were handed to the state government in the third week of lockdown, while a similar gesture was done to the Ogun State government, through the MFM ministry at Abeokuta. On his feeding of the vulnerable, Dr. Olukoya engaged the service of young boys in every locality in sharing the foodstuffs, because, they know themselves. This is to ensure equitable distribution and avoid rancor in the process. The sharing, which started at 9am from
Alagomeji side, covered the Old Yaba Road, Herbert Macauley, Adekunle, Layinka, Latunde, Ayodele streets, Ladipo, Wright, Cater, Mac Culum, Moloney, Glover, Freeman streets, took the team through Simpson Street, Borno Way, Murtala Muhammed Way, and ended up at the starting point, Simpson by Latunde streets in the evening. Beneficiaries of the gesture were full of prayers and appreciation to God in the life of Dr. Olukoya, for reminding and taking care of them at this period of need. Some of the areas that the food palliative was shared are Ebute Meta, Onike, Iwaya, Makoko and environs. Meanwhile, the phrase, 'charity begins from home' was manifested in the humanitarian gesture, as the vulnerable members of the MFM were well taken care of through their groups. Group leaders were charged to submit list of names of the eligible members of their groups, who were subsequently invited to the church to collect the foodstuffs packs from a team headed by the Assistant General Overseer in charge of administration, Pastor Gbesan Adebambo. Of course, this arrangement did not override the individual group's provisions for their members, which was done accordingly at the different group's levels. Also, the house fellowships, to which every member of the MFM belongs, also made their separate arrangements to provide for their members, as the lockdown lasts.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 51
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
DORCAS EMPOWERMENT SCHOOL:
A SELFLESS BREEDING GROUND FOR ENTREPRENEURS
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 52
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
DORCAS EMPOWERMENT SCHOOL
Students at work
MFMM Officials giving Sewing machine to a beneficiary
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 53
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
DORCAS EMPOWERMENT SCHOOL
Graduates displaying their certiďŹ cate
Tie and Die Students at work
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 54
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
page
Students holding the bags they made
Bags made by students of the Foundation
Some students of the Foundation
Dorcas Foundation Has
Made me Self-Reliant - Victoria Oluwaseyi
C
an you introduce yourself and tell us how you What advice would you give aspiring members joined Dorcas Empowerment Foundation? that would also want to My name is Ibukun Victoria Oluwaseyi. I joined Dorcas b e n e fi t f r o m t h e empowerment in 2016 as one the second batch of the shoe programme. and bag section. Before I joined, I noticed that where I was First and foremost, let me staying, people were engaged with one thing or another t h a n k t h e D o r c a s and I did not want to stay idle, so I decided to obtain the Empowerment Foundation form and I started gradually. I graduated here in 2017 and and also the church for the went for my youth service. opportunity. I never thought I took my sewing machine with me to where I was serving, of learning any handwork and I introduced the shoes and bags that I made to people before, until I found myself around me. Fortunately for me, there was a building beside in the environment where my school, and one the occupants wanted to have a p e o p l e w e r e l e a r n i n g wedding, so I showed them the samples of bags that I made different things so I was and they ended up ordering for 450 pieces of bags and m o t i v a t e d t o j o i n t h e purses for the wedding souvenir in 2017. Dorcas Empowerment So, it introduced me to a lot of people and then the Foundation, and the lesson patronage was wonderful. I have a page on Facebook is that you can actually be your own boss, and not depend called blessed collections. Anytime I finish making a bag, I on another person. If my monthly income is not upload it there and people always patronise me. I also go to forthcoming, I have something I can fall back on. YouTube to gain more knowledge. The patronage has been I want to tell anyone interested in learning to be steadfast, wonderful. honest and dutiful. There is so much to learn from here that So, Dorcas Foundation has made you self-reliant? would be of tremendous benefit to anyone. I am a Yes, it has. testimony.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 55
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Our Students Will be Employers of Labour - Adenike Oladeinde
H
ow did you get to know about Dorcas she came for the proper inauguration of the Dorcas Empowerment programme? Empowerment, the turnout was massive, even non-Christians came. She interviewed the trainers My name is Adenike Oladeinde, the wife of the and trainees, and then we commenced. regional overseer MFM southwest 13, Ifo region. We had training in fashion designing, bag making, We got to know about Dorcas Empowerment in shoe making, and baking. Two weeks later, we February 2020 when a sister told us about it. asked them to put to test what they have learnt, and Initially I did not take her serious, we heard from most of them did well. We are using an open space, her on a Sunday and on Wednesday G.O gave a and people do come in from time to time. testimony about a woman that God used to buy As you can see our students here, they are sewing equipment for Dorcas empowerment, that was fabrics for themselves. We have three departments when we believed it was real so I told my husband and all are functioning very well. about it and we contacted Madam Joy who is in Are all the bags made enough to make the charge of the Dorcas Empowerment, and she came beneficiaries self-reliant? down to the church and told the congregants about It will help them if they know what they are doing. it. When she left, we told the congregants to start If they do not make it too expensive so as to be registering but the number of applicants was not affordable for both the poor and rich, the sky will encouraging, so we were not sure of starting. When be their limit.
Oladeinde
What I learnt here is Immeasurable - Amodu
M
y name is Mrs. Amodu Oluwatoyin. I am the instructor for home use products. God has been using me to train the students of Dorcas Empowerment in the making of insecticides, liquid soaps, body jelly, body cream, air fresheners, etc. I was also trained in Dorcas Empowerment to make bags of various sizes which I have included in my own training too, and that has made me a better person. My prayer for Dr D.K Olukoya is that God will continue to empower him, take him to higher ground, and his vision will not be destroyed by any household powers. And
also, my prayer for the students is that God would continue to impact more knowledge and understanding unto them so that they can be a better teacher in the near future. My prayer for the teachers that are here is for God to continue to empower us with more knowledge and understanding, because it is the understanding of God that is the most powerful, without God we cannot do anything I thank God for the programme, which has been on for over five year now. God has been using us wonderfully to impact knowledge on the students.
Amodu
God Has Used Daddy G.O to Empower Us
M
Odunlami
- Motunrayo Odunlami -
y name is Sister Motunrayo Odunlami. I am a member of MFM and I worship at the headquarters. I got to know about the programme when it was announced in the church, and I went for the training. I got trained in bag and shoe making, and now I am a teacher in Dorcas Empowerment. I make leather handbags, clutch purse and so on. I hardly go to the market to buy bags; I make any bag with different types of materials and I already have a lot of clients. I really thank God for Dorcas Empowerment, and Daddy GO. I really appreciate God for everything. www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 56
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
The GO’s Exemplary Life Is Driving My Passion - Esther Olakoyenikan
M
y n a m e i s Olakoyenikan Esther. I am an indigene of Arigidi Akoko. Ondo State. My major work here is fashion and designing, I am a full-time instructor. I am so happy to be part of this ministry MFM, I also thank God for His plans in my life Olakoyenikan because I believe God has plans for everybody. I thank God for what he has been using our father in the Lord, Dr. Olukoya to do in this generation, and which I believe in the generations to come, the work of God will continue through him. I thank God for the zeal He has given to Dr D.K Olukoya for his spiritual aspect of power in the school and God has used him to touch the lives of so many people especially those out of jobs, to be self-established. I have been doing this work for the past 20 years. I started on my own in 1998, after my Primary school, I could not further my education because of funds, so my mum asked me to go and learn how to sow, which made me very sad because I love education. I tried going back to school, but still could not meet up so I had no choice than to go and learn Fashion and designing. I have passion for impacting the work into the lives of people, because I know what God has already planted in me, and I believe if I impact it on people, they will also flourish. Meanwhile, I have so many customers because they love my work. One day, one of my Mothers in the Lord came to me, and told me they needed someone in the Dorcas Empowerment school, and if I will be willing to work with them. Before then, I have seen what Dr. Olukoya have been doing in the lives of people in the school. There are testimonies that people, who graduate from there are always empowered with tools and money to establish. So, I was very happy to be part of the team. I looked at myself and said, I have something and I can also contribute my quota through what God has deposited in my life. So immediately, I remembered the dream I had about 10 years ago, working with MFM, so I agreed to be part of them. I wanted to impact lives. The lady who convinced me to give up my job also made me to understand that I may not be able to get what I normally earn in my shop, but I also told her that if our father in the Lord can be doing all he has been doing, spending his money and all, I also want to fulfil God's purpose by training students here. How has it been beneficial to you? I have a great joy in this work, despite the fact that I lost many of my customers which was expected, but whenever I come here, I am always filled with joy because I love how I am impacting the lives of the young ones.
Akeju
They Taught Us Sewing - Oluwafunmilayo Akeju
A
s one of the earliest beneficiaries of the foundation, in what way have you benefitted?
My name is sister Oluwafunmilayo Akeju. We are the first set of Dorcas Empowerment programme, and it has been a lot of help to me and of immense advantage. We spent five months, and after graduation I proceeded to gain more knowledge. Meanwhile, the moment spent here was wonderful, and gave me more privileges. I do not pay for sewing clothes again because I sew for myself and my daughter. I also learnt how to make caps and different types of clothes. I also have clients outside Nigeria that order for clothes and caps, so this Dorcas Empowerment programme has really been a blessing to me. I will encourage people to come and learn a craft here, and not misuse it, because a lot of people are looking for this opportunity. I remembered when I wanted to learn, the amount for internship was very high, and I couldn't afford it. One day, Sister Joy said they want to establish this empowerment school and they needed students, so I jokingly said 'we are the students, there is no need to look for students'. There and then, I collected the form and I enrolled, and I have gained a lot. After you left, where you given a sewing machine? Yes, I was given a machine, but I had already gotten my own machine because once you leave, you need to keep learning and not sit down at home idle to avoid forgetting what you learnt. So you need to keep sewing and as time goes on, you will be perfect in it. What will you want to say about the General Overseer's gesture? I really appreciate him, apart from the Dorcas empowerment, GO has been a real father to me and also to many people here. It is what God has called him to do, and he has not failed in that area. I really appreciate him and pray that God will continue to uphold him, strengthen him, and the ministry will not fail in Jesus name.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 57
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
I'm a Father, Husband, Landlord and Many More Today, All Thanks to Daddy Olukoya - Nelson Chucks, Captain MFMFC
I
n t h e fi r s t instance, I want to give glory to God for the life of his servant, and my father in the Lord, Dr. Daniel Olukoya. He has been a source of blessing to my life. I've been a member of MFM for a while now, and he has been h e l p i n g u s . D r. Olukoya is nothing short of a good f a t h e r, a n d h a s committed his wealth and time to assist a lot of us in carving out a career through football and has brought very many of us out the streets. Today, we have a career, future and hope through the efforts of the man of God, Olukoya. Personally, I was a - Nelson Chucks, Captain MFMFC typical Ajegunle street boy before Dr Olukoya's hand of blessings was stretched to me, and drew me out of the streets, and I thank God for where I am today. There is no gainsaying the fact that today I am a testimony as a result of the singular assistant of God's servant, Olukoya. His help and passion to assist is beyond words and comparison. Today, I am the captain of the first division club side, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Football team, and have been privileged to travel across the country and the globe. Again, I am a married man with three wonderful children, and living in my own house. These were all made possible by the kind gesture of the Dr. Olukoya. I have never seen a man so kindhearted. His passion to
help the needy and everyone is legendary. All I can say is thank you very much sir, and May the Almighty God you serve continue to bless you more and more. You will live to a gracious satisfactory age, and only favour will continue to knock on your door. It is worthy of note that there are others in my shoes as well, I mean souls who have been lifted to great heights. Some of them are Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Stephen Ode, Sikiru Olatunbosun, Onuoha Chukwuka, Newman Musa among many others. Dr. Olukoya is a gift to this generation, and to humanity in general, and may the good Lord continue to preserve him for us. www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 58
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 59
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 60
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 61
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 62
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 63
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
Buses
donated by Daddy GO to MFMFC
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 64
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Basketball Team
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 65
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Daddy Olukoya Is the Brain Behind All My Successes - Odunayo Adekuoroye (wrestler) the Commonwealth Games, I met MFM Sports Director, Mr Godwin Enakhena who took me to the G.O physically. And the rest is history. Can you tell us how the MFMM has contributed to your success? MfM has seriously contrib uted to my success es, spiritually and physically. MFM has sponsored me and my coach to so many international tournaments, training camps, even MFM looks after my welfare. I remember in Bayelsa State during a championship how MfM members came to the stadium to support me. They came in their numbers and it really motivated me.
an you kindly introduce yourself and how you began the profession that you have acquired fame for? My name is Odunayo Folashade Adekuoroye. I am from ilutuntun in Ondo state. I started wrestling as a profession in 2006 after traveling with my state team to a competition outside of the state just because I wanted to travel out of Ondo state for the first time. And after a few weeks of practice before the championship, I won a Gold medal and my coach, Akuh Purity told me that it was unusual for a non athlete to train a few weeks and win a major tournament, he then urged me to take the sports serious. And I thank God I did.
C
What were the challenges you faced in your career before God led you to MFM? I faced a lot of challenges before God led me to MfM. Majorly, I had issues with attending and competing in major international tournaments because I had no one to help me with money to buy tickets and pay for accommodation for myself and my coach. I thank God Almighty today that those challenges are gone as mfm has been supporting me and my coach all the way. How did you come in contact with the MFM G.O.? I got in contact with the G O spiritually in my dream while in Scotland for the Commonwealth Games in 2014. I had a dream that I lost my fight and i told my coach about the dream but he told me to reject it and pray and go back to sleep that God will visit me and I did exactly that. I slept again and I saw daddy G.O in my dream cleaning my tears and he said to me it is settled. That was my first contact. When I returned to Nigeria with the gold medal from
You are known to brand MFM anywhere you have a competition. Why is this so? I am known as MFM brand go to attend a competition. It is my I ere everywh dor Ambassa own little way of showing appreciation to the G O and members of the church for the tremendous support for me over the years that I have enjoyed. Carrying a flag with MFM logo gives me confidence, because it reminds me that surely the Lord is at the venue. I also sing MFM songs and this has really worked for me. And I also use the flag and logo, alongside singing MFM songs to spread the gospel of Christ. In conclusion, how would you express your gratitude to the church that gave you an opportunity when others turned you down? I don't know how to express my gratitude to the GO that gave me an opportunity when others turned church the and me down, than to keep praying for the church, daddy G.O and his wife, pastors, and the entire church for their support. Sometimes I tell myself that I would've been a nobody if God didn't lead me to meet Dr. Olukoya in my dream and what he told me came to pass. And then leading me to meet him through the Sports Director physically. Today, I am proud to be called Dr Olukoya's adopted daughter. He is a father that every child will be proud of. His prayers, financial and morale supports have taken me to this height. You won't believe that all I need to do is just ask and he will give me and my coach whatever money we need to compete across the world, not just Nigeria . I am talking about tickets, accommodation and allowances all over the world. I am forever indebted to him. God bless him and his family.
www.thebossnewspapers.com
page 66
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Special Edition
www.thebossnewspapers.com
The
ISSN-2052-1979
BOSS NEWSPAPER
