ONE of the closest confidants of General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Johnson Funsho Odesola, recently narrated two near death situations in his life, one of which was in Bauchi during a religious riot, and concluded that the Church has an enormous responsibility to be an ambassador of peace; we should preach peace.

That is what Jesus Christ preaches, counselling, of course that Christians should find a way of defending themselves when they come under attack. In an interview with SAM EYOBOKA in his office, Odesola, 54-year old Special Assistant to the G.O. on Administration/Personnel and the father-in-law of Adeboye’s son who started life as a civil engineer but now specialises in winning souls for Christ, argues that missionaries are in a better position to handle schools, teach morality and instill citizenship on the coming generation, stressing that government should encourage churches, non-governmental organisations to take up some schools government cannot manage. Excerpts…

What is a trained civil engineer doing in ministry?

I knew right back in my university days that I was going to preach the gospel. God has been speaking to me that I am going to preach; but I am the type that would wait for people to bring money before I can eat. So, I decided to go work to support the work of the Lord. But I remember vividly when I was writing my last exam paper, the Lord spoke to me that I won’t need the certificate for long. I thought it was the voice of the devil and I started rebuking the devil.

One of those days when I was still practising engineering at the Low Cost Housing Estate, Ijebu Ode, I was coming out of my office when a snake came from nowhere and attacked me. I just wedded and my wife was pregnant with our first daughter. I was struggling and crying when I heard a voice that I was being disobedient and that if I don’t obey I will die. Immediately, I started praying for forgiveness; asking God ‘if I obey Him will I still die?’ It seemed I heard yes. The people on duty wanted to carry me to the hospital but I told them to take to my home in Ibadan; as at then my wife was teaching in one of the schools there.

I only instructed them to tie something on the right foot, at the snake bite area.
When my wife heard about the incident she rushed out to our church and my pastor with other three brethren rushed to our house and began to pray for me. While they were praying I slept off without using any medication; but within that period of severe pain I promised God that I would preach the gospel once I came out of the pain alive.

One year after that experience I started preaching the gospel. I came in as a volunteer and I was the campus co-ordinator of all Redeemed Christian Campus Fellowships.

In your introductory remarks you said you were also the pioneer co-ordinator of all RCCG churches in the North where you spend several years. In view of the current security challenges in that region, if you are posted there now, will you go?

Yes I will go. I will be in Katsina very soon to open one of our churches. I know we have challenges in the country but I still believe in one Nigeria and I know God has reason for putting us together. I lived in the North before I became a minister. I was posted to Kano in 1990 to 1996 and the northerners are a wonderful people.

Today, Southerners are running from the place for fear of their lives. What should the Church do?

The Church is ambassador of peace just like our founding fathers were singing unity and one Nigeria. Therefore the Church message should be that of peace. Ordinarily a normal human being will not take up arms and kill another fellow and blow up himself.  It means something is wrong somewhere. It is abnormal for someone to want to die and die with people. The Church should be an apostle and ambassador of peace; we should preach peace. That is what Jesus preaches. Jesus said if they curse you do not curse back; if they fight you do not fight back and so on, I still believe in that position.

During one of the Bauchi religious riots, I narrowly escaped death. I walked in the midst of dead people. I was captured but what saved me was that I can speak the Hausa language fluently. But when they were arguing whether or not to kill me, an uncoming vehicle swerved towards the crowd and our assailants ran to one side and I was able to escape missing death by the whiskers.

Despite that terrible experience, I still stayed there for another two years. I believe we should preach peace even though some people preach violence. It doesn’t matter whatever you do, some people who want to act in abnormal way will still act; but we should, as much as, possible preach peace.

Will you advise your members in the North to defend themselves if they come under attack?

Of course I will ask them to defend themselves. We advise our members not to cause any trouble but if anybody wants to attack them they should defend themselves.