Olukoya's Great Personality

Those 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

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 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,

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 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

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 figure that will impact positively on everybody around him. You can also find 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. "Touching someone, 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."

AN ‘OLD BOY’ REBUILDS HIS ALMA MATER

Olukoya’s Olukoya’s Immense Immense Passion for Passion for Education Education

In 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 “Dr. Olukoya Gave Us a Brand-New School" 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 -Ayodele , Headmistress 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 Ondo government modelled its mega “ Teachers and pupils of St. John, Oke-Igan Mrs. Famakinwa recalls: our records and realized "We checked that Dr. D.K. rejoices to see work begin." Daddy GO is a typical example of one of the schools in line Olukoya is an alumnus of this school and we went to meet him. Because he is a www.thebossnewspapers.com Narrating how the Minister of the Word got involved in the face-lift of the battered school, eggs St John's incubated, which has hatched into chicks, returned fully grown, to give back in immense measure. 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. with the buildings Pastor Olukoya gave us “

"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

AJE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL: ANOTHER MFM INTERVENTION IN EDUCATION

A Hitherto Obscure School Counts its Blessings

By Oluwafemi Adebayo he management, staff and pupils of TAje Comprehensive junior Secondary School, Lagos will to her alma mater, just as it did for St. John CAC Primary School, Oke Igan, Akure, which is the GO's alma mater. "I am really proud of them. And since other teacher. It has really been wonderful working with all of them. forever be grateful to the Mountain of The school principal, Dr. (Mrs.) that time, 2014 till date, MFM had been Fire and Miracles Ministries, its Olusola Adenekan, lauded the couple paying their salaries. At a time, one of General Overseer, Dr. D. K. Olukoya, for partially adopting the school right them, Chioma, who taught English and his wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Folashade from the onset. According to her, Mrs. Language, traveled abroad. She was Olukoya (nee Adesanya), for giving Olukoya employed six teachers for replaced by the church. We have never learning in the school a shot in the arm. different subjects, and MFM pays their had a cause to regret having a Aje Comprehensive High School, for salaries. She said the school's relationship with MFM. the sake of emphasis, is the alma mater relationship with the couple grew when They have really been a solid wall of of Pastor Folashade. She was a pioneer she made a request to meet with the GO support and encouragement. Every student of the school between 1980 and in August 2016. "I was there with my time we have a Founder's Day, they 1983. The church not only gifted the Vice Principal (Administration) then, always come in. Even if Daddy GO school with blocks of classrooms, but Mrs. Meroyi Tola and Vice Principal cannot come with Mummy GO, they strengthened its teaching staff with five (Academics), Mrs. Obitayo J.O. The always send representatives to stand in teachers paid directly from its coffers. three of us went to see Daddy GO. for them." Adenekan, Principal, Aje Comprehensive School The beneficence was Pastor Olukoya and his wife's way of giving to pay back 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 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. BIG TIME MFM GESTURE 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

the plumbing work, which the engineer to do such a thing. What amazes me so souls for God, he will make heaven. He ended up fixing again. They did the much is that Daddy G.O. is not our has put smiles on people's faces, even work with a lot of integrity. They didn't pioneer student, it was Mummy GO, my children in the school shout compromise on anything. The building but the passion with which Daddy GO hallelujah whenever his and his wife's was proposed for the senior school has been doing this, is marvelous. names are mentioned. many years ago when mummy GO was “Anytime we need them, they are The school believes that the couple will still in the school." always there for us. It has been a roller come to their aid even as they need The 12+41 classroom project, it was coaster relationship with them, and more facilities such as furniture office learnt, was completed last year. The they haven't left us for one day. equipment, stationeries, electronics keys were handed over by Engr. "I love him with passion; he is a man of among others to enhance learning. Bodunrin, God, and I want to encourage him to They admonished the government and He added: "Anytime I remember keep on doing the work. The sky is not other organisations to assist the church MFM, it gives me a strong mind that even his limit. I pray that at the end of in dishing out humanitarian assistance, some people somewhere feel a burden the day after he has gotten so many 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 Mr. Obatayo Julius Oludare, the school Vice Principal said the church adoption Oludare maintained that it was incredible that despite various commitments including the building MFM Teachers and School Officials school and bridging the shortage of teachers' gap. She described it as a "great help." impact on the students. and we have had lots of “ of the school and its initial provision of its own university, Mountain Top She added that one of the teachers, of teachers for Basic Tech (2), University, which required Mr. Fawekun, the Mathematics Mathematics, ICT, Basic Science enormous resources, the church still teacher, was in the habit of gave the school a giant leap in kept its promise and built organizing extra lessons so that provision of quality learning. classrooms for the school. He those lagging behind in the subject The teachers were engaged described the edifice as having can catch up at no extra cost. following a clamour by old students added to the beauty of the school. Mrs. Temitope Adesiyan, one of the for the upgrade of the school to A JSS 3 pupil in the school, Taiwo MFM teachers, who teaches Basic senior school. Here, MFM was Esther Ogunseye, was full of Science, applauded the ministry for approached through the prime gratitude to MFM and its first couple ensuring regular payment of their couple for a senior school building. for donating the building to the salaries, among other benevolence. www.thebossnewspapers.com

Gladys Oluwafemi

teach ers, and res

The newly constructed building donated by S h see e s students in the best possible way we can, A te Dr. D.K. Olukoya and Pastor (Mrs) Folashade Olukoya Obatayo Julius Oludare a t them individuals." cher of Ho pec as me h e r especially through our Economics on MFM's payroll, dep modest lifestyle and 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 men t to the school as a great privilege for which she would forever be grateful. In her remarks, Miss Anita Adikamkum, who teaches English teacher, described her experience in the school as wonderful. She said: "I know that this school has a partnership with the church, and I saw it as a challenge because I am not just representing God here, I am also representing the church and have to display all the characteristics of the church. I want to say that our father in the Lord is a generous man, for not only making it possible for us to have jobs here, but also working with the students and with the institution. We are here not just to teach, but also to preach Christ to the Taiwo Esther Ogunseye adher ents of other religions, we p r a y f o r them, and as we teach them, we tell them t h e realities of life. W e make sure that they know the value of education and discipline. We also teach them to emulate our own lifestyles as teachers. And as we teach them, we also make sure they understand what is being taught because there are people of mixed background, including those who have challenges at home. We counsel and observe them regularly. Again, we encourage them to develop good relationship with other Temitope Adesiyan “I really appreciate the General Overseer and his wife for giving us the opportunity. The children have really benefitted from our services. We organise fellowship with them, and teach them the Word of God. Most of them to the glory of God have given their lives to Christ," she said. this job in November 2014, the salary has been regular. We have had opportunities to interact with the students, and we have had lots of impact on the students. Anita Adikamkum

CelebratingCelebratingCelebrating Pastor (Mrs) Folashade Olukoya: A TRANSFORMATIVE AMAZON

By Kolawole Igandan

The school community and old and accommodating nature while students including her classmates she was in school, and said it was speak glowingly of Pastor remarkable that she has kept the Folashade Olukoya, not only because qualities, her present social status of her philanthropic gestures, but also notwithstanding. because of her good, disciplined and In his assessment, Mr. Ademuyiwa quiet life as a pupil. Adeyinka, the General Secretary of "Even in the parent's forum meetings, we do talk about MFM including Mummy and Daddy GO because they have impacted us so much". 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. Pastor Folashade is warmly described as a lady with remarkable comportment, and beautiful inside out. Her classmates recall her friendly Ademuyiwa Adeyinka 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 five teachers as well as the building. "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." 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. She Keeps HerPromise, Says Helen Akpan Melton (Nee Vandapuye) Mrs. Melton, a national of Ghana, was She said: "I know her to be the quiet type who does not make noise. Asilent 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. one of the students, who came with Pastor Folashade Olukoya from Reagan Memorial School in Form 3. They completed Form 5 in 1983. "Our English teacher, Mr. Femi Omodara and the Literature teacher would ask why we find 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

“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. nother testifier to the mother Anature 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

Mr. 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.