I was at Warri, Delta State a couple of weeks ago at a Mega Business summit organised by Avenues to Wealth Nigeria. In attendance and speaking as well were Solomon James, Deolu Akinyemi and Prof. Pat Utomi. It was quite a big meeting covering areas like Asaba, Sapele and Ughelli. The hall, Mimi Suites Multipurpose hall was agog with singing, dancing and excitement.

Prof. Pat Utomi gave quite an interesting speech that inspired this post. He said “Many of the things we take for granted now as regular occurencies used to be considered impossible some time ago”. He gave a few examples stating that a man was once considered mad for suggesting that “humans will one day fly in the air” and a few years later his sons where the first to fly in an airplane.

I picked up a few lessons that day:

1. Nudity was all that was possible

When God created man and his wife, he created them naked. Apparently, they didn’t need to create nudity. They had it for free. I can imagine Adam saying to Eve, “Can you ever dream that one day people will wear what will completely cover their bodies? It’s IMPOSSIBLE.”

Every other thing that is now had to be made POSSIBLE. Whatever you meet already in existence is what is possible to you. If all you leave in this world is all you met and the way you met it, you are of no significant consequence. The world could have done without you.

2. Fertilizer or Dung

Most things that exist do so in a form that closes our minds from thinking about them in order forms, states or uses. Crude oil isn’t very useful in its raw state but commands a lot of revenue from its refining. Most of the impossibilities we see today can become POSSIBLE once we change the paradigm with which we look at them. When we think energy, fuel, power; we think crude oil. Perhaps there’s something IMPOSSIBLE you aren’t thinking about that is linked to what already exists.

3. Eat it! Don’t mind the taste!

Whether it’s a frog, crocodile, cockroach, lizard, snake or bed bug; just eat it. I mean after you’ve dreamed up the impossible, then go about making it possible. You may try 10,000 times like Thomas Edison or even die trying like Marthin Luther King but once it becomes possible, you will live forever.

A lot happened in 2010 no doubt and a lot more is happening in 2011. This year started over a week ago and is racing to the middle of the first month. I just realized that I’d  been so caught up in activities this year that I’ve almost missed my goals.

It’s quite akin to what we football lovers call  ”ball watching” on the field of play – a situation when a defender focuses on the ball and forgets to watch and stay with the opponent he’s been assigned to. I have been focusing on the events of the new year and almost forgetting my goals in the new year.

Talking about events and goals, I’m glad though that I’ve participated in a few because they seem to be directing me towards my goals.

I got to Warri, Delta State one of the South-South states in Nigeria yesterday for a Mega Business summit with Avenues to Wealth and listened to a presentation by one of my mentors, Deolu Akinyemi on what to watch out for in the new year. I couldn’t help but start my blogging with those points. I hope they’ll bless you as well.

1.  Stretch Yourself – Set goals bigger than yourself.

Somebody said you’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. In 2011, the goals you set will determine the results you get. Don’t set goals you can achieve. Set goals that are beyond your reach by far. Set goals that will stretch your imagination and ability. Set goals that will push you out of your comfort zone. It is said that “if you aim at the tree you may shoot lower than it but if you aim for the sky, the worst that’ll happen is that you’ll hit the tree.” Don’t let fear keep you from dreaming and setting goals.

2. There’s a right time – Don’t miss it.

Not every time is your time. However, you may miss your time if you trivialise opportunities. Hugh Allen said ” Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there than waiting for one big one to come along.” Your opportunity may come from the least likely source. Stay tuned and keep your eyes open. I like a quote that says “Opportunity is as scare as oxygen. Men fairly breathe it and do not know it.” Benjamin Disreali said “The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it come.”

3. Develop the attitude of giving

Giving is gong to get you more in 2011 than you can imagine. Have a set goal for what you are going to give periodically before the opportunity to give presents itself. Go and seek who to give to if they don’t come to you. Give your love, care, money, time and other resources to bless and empower others and much more will find its way to you. It was Albert Schweitzer who said “You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for others – something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.”

4. Master the Wealth Equation – W = V*N*k

Where W = Wealth; V = Value given; N = No. of people; k = perception of Value given.

Wealth will be easier for you to earn in 2011 if you make up your mind to provide value for as many people as possible, even if the value isn’t much. Once the perception of the value is high, people will pay all the time for it and you’ll become wealthy.

5. Change your Relationship paradigm

Your relationships in 2011 will determine your results from it. Don’t undermine them. Show love when it isn’t even expected. Some one said “If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say?  And why are you waiting?  ~Stephen Levine”

Also some people come into our lives and quickly go. Others stay for a while and leave their footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same.

Have a great 2011

I had an exciting weekend. I undertook a road trip to Ilorin (South West, Nigeria) to meet with over 500 youths at a camp. I travelled with my mentor and along the way he suddenly discovered he had the lovely movie “Sound of Music” starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer on his new iPod. He showed it to me and we both smiled knowingly almost as if one was daring the other to watch it. Instintively, he clicked on it and pronto – the movie started.

We sang along and I watched the whole movie (2+ hours) while in the car on the road. I was moved with emotions at different times as I saw some scenes again and I couldn’t help but understand why it is and will continue to be one of the greatest movies ever shot.

I noted a few things quite pointedly and some of them are from the lyrics of some of the songs.

1.  CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN

Don’t be afraid to venture out. Don’t quit because you tried once and failed. Don’t run away from your fears. Maria went to the Capt Von Trapp’s house as a governess and she fell in love with him. She ran away from the fear. She went to the abbey to hide and then the reverend mother sang this song for her.

Climb every mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow every highway,
Every path you know.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
‘Till you find your dream.

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life
For as long as you live.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
Till you find your dream

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life,
For as long as you live.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
Till you find your dream.

For as long as you have breath, explore all the possibilities and opportunities that come your way.

2. WHEN YOU ARE DOWN….

Many of us have as excuses the current situation of things we are facing. We believe that things are bad and so we are sad. We place attention on the negative things that surround or happen to us. We concentrate on what is wrong. But listen to what Maria tells us to do when we are down, and things are bad.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things.

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles. Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings, these are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in a white dresses with a blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, silver white winters that melt into springs, these are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so bad.

It’s because we are sad that things are bad. What are those things you love? Can you just remember your favourite things or moments? Or your loving pets or children? If we look around enough, we’ll see enough reasons not to feel so down or so bad for no situation is really that bad. We can choose internally to affect our external conditions and situations positively and we will. The other lessons will come up in the sequel…Don’t miss it!

In a moment of decision,
the best thing you can do is the right thing to do.
The worst thing you can do is nothing.
Theodore Roosevelt

Funny isn’t it? My last post was on hating school. Now I’m hating again and the object of hating is my feeling. Everytime i think of writing a post this year, I end up not feeling like it. Almost everytime I think of doing something that is important and not urgent which is the quadrant highly effective people operate in, I eventually don’t feel I’m in the right frame of mind to do it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not naturally a hater but I’ve tried to motivate myself as much as possible but the motivation ends when the adrenaline is used up.

I haven’t written more than 2 posts in almost 200 days. If that isn’t bad, I’d like to know what’s worse. This feeling that I’m feeling or that I feel regularly is really pissing me off. I’ve come to discover that no one ever makes it in life because of their feelings. I’m sure people everywhere also have the same experience I’ve described above with regards different things. I know you are saying, why don’t you then do it when the adrenaline is pumping? why don’t you eat that frog? As if you don’t know there are 1001 reasons why. The frog is bitter….The frog isn’t well cooked yet…I don’t have a fork…The frog is too small….The frog this, the frog that. Simply put, it wont ofcourse be out of place to say that I’m suffering from a chronic case of procastination.

I hear there’s good procastination and there’s bad. That is it may not be bad if I have acute “procastinitis”. Please forgive my word but I just couldn’t help it. Good procrastination some say is avoiding errands to do real work. I’m sure my own brand is in no way good. I’m tired of responding to my feelings especially when those feelings make me put off important decisions or make me do wrong things. I hate the feelings that I’m feeling.

No wonder success is boring and unemotional. Those who achieved it did it regardless of how they felt. If there was something to be done, it must be done. I don’t want to stop feeling, I want “feeling like”, I just want to do. Nike, I need your inspiration right about now. I hate the feeling, I’m sure of the doing. Can’t wait to start doing in earnest what I’m sure of rather than what or how I feel.

“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.”

Hi folks, I know you want to say “where have you been for all these months?” or ” How come you haven’t written a single article in 4 months?” I really don’t know the answer. I must admit quite honestly that even right now I don’t feel like or want to write anything.

It’s not because there aren’t things to write, it’s just because I feel quite unmotivated and unworthy to write them. Anyway, I’m writing now ain’t I? So please just bear with me and read on…this will bless you.

I once heard about the parable of the monkeys. Once upon a time a monkey was placed in a particular cage with a bunch of bananas hanging from the top of the cage. Naturally, the monkey swung up the cage excitedly and reached up for the bananas, he was immediately doused with a jet of cold water from a hose that was aimed at the cage. Immediately, he dived back down to the bottom of the cage. Of course, monkeys don’t give in that easily so he tried again – no one was going to deter him from feasting on the bananas. He swung up again to retrieve the bunch of bananas but as soon as he almost touched it, he got doused with water again. He immediately dived back down looking for the source of his affliction (apes hate water). He couldn’t really see anybody and tried after a few minutes. He got doused again. He tried again and again and each time he got doused again and again. After a few days and many attempts, he stopped trying.

One month after, another monkey was brought into the cage. The monkey saw the bunch of bananas and immediately went for it (Note: The bunch of bananas were changed to fresh ones from time to time). He got the shock of his life as a jet of cold water hit him in the face. He quickly scurried to the bottom of the cage and waited a few minutes for the shock to wear off before trying again. He got the same result and after trying a while and getting drenched, he understood why the first monkey wasn’t as eager as he was to eat “free” bananas hanging at the top of the cage. He also succumbed to fate and stopped trying to get the bananas.

Another month after, a new monkey was introduced into the cage. As custom will have it, he went straight for the bunch of fresh bananas he saw hanging at the top of the cage but the other two monkeys went for it as pulled it down with his legs. They immediately pounced on it and beat it silly and into submission. They did that because they knew he would get sprayed with water  and all of them will get wet. They didn’t want to get wet and they knew that he wont get the bananas anyway so they took steps to ensure it didn’t happen. After a while of trying and getting beaten, the monkey gave up trying. One month went by and another monkey was introduced into the cage. He suffered the same fate as the 3rd monkey only that the 3rd monkey was involved in beating him up and keeping him from getting the bunch of bananas.

After a few weeks, the first two monkeys were taken out of the cage. Now of the two monkeys remaining in the cage, none of them actually had water sprayed on them for reaching for the bananas. They were only restrained with pain by the first two monkeys.

Yet another month went by and another monkey was introduced into the cage. He immediately was giving the customary beating treatment when he tried to get the bunch of bananas. After trying a while and getting beat a few times, he suddenly blurted

“Why are you monkeys beating me and holding me back?”

The other monkeys looked at themselves blankly and said

“We don’t know, we don’t know why we are beating you? We were beating as well when we came and tried to reach for the bunch so we just took on the custom of beating every other monkey who tried to reach for the bananas”.

How many of us are like that? We don’t why we are where we are or why we are doing what we are doing. We just know that that is how it should be done. Who told you that? Who told you that you must have only one stream of income? Who told you that you can not live above sin? Who told you that you can’t own your business? Who told you that you can not be financially free?

We were mostly brought up hearing our parents and environment say,

“Get a good education, get a good job thereafter, work all your life, retire broke and busted with a good pension and die!”

What a big lie!

You are like the monkeys!

Why can’t you dare the jet of water and pull out all stops to get the bananas!

What is your own excuse? Are you pulling others down who are trying to get the bananas?

Have you been enslaved by the system?

Do you merely wish freedom or do you DESIRE it?

Listen!!! those who have tried and failed have been taken out of the cage!

Ask yourselves what they did and how you can do it better?

Perhaps, if the three remaining monkeys planned to go for the bananas together the focus of the water spray would be divided and one of them would have been able to get the bunch.

Instead of proliferating negativity and pessimism, think of another way to achieve your dream and go for it.

LIFE DOES NOT GIVE YOU WHAT YOU DESERVE, IT GIVES YOU WHAT YOU DEMAND.

It seems like yesterday when we all shouted “Happy New Year!!!” It was the dawn of 2009. There were lots of promises and prophesies. My own church had a word that read like this ”2009: My year of signs, wonders, miracles and positive change.” Everyone was in high spirits. We all believed that even though the shadow of the economic recession was looming large over things generally, respite would surely break forth in 2009.

In line with this, many of us wrote down goals, some as usual resolutions whih they have long since broken. We wrote down goals that seemed harder to achieve than dry bones becoming a live army in the valley of the dead. We were consoled by the air of possibilities and optimism. Now, three months down the line. Exactly a quarter of the year gone, most of us have already forgotten our goals. Some of us don’t even know where we wrote them down, not to mention what they are.

What we held on to as possibilities are fast mading in our imaginations as possibilities. We are beginning to become “reasonable” and to settle for whatever comes our way. Those who thought to strike out in one business or the other are balking away. Those who had on their list a new language to learn or skill to develop or degree to acquire or to apply for are giving the current economic landslide as an excuse not to do it again.

Many are beginning to look at and consider the wind. Many have forgotten that they were actually living by faith and hope and are beginning to look at the boisterousness of the sea and the waves thereby sinking into the sea and drowing. We have quickly forgotten that the proof of pursuit is “Desire”. We merely wished for the things we wrote down and seemingly trusted God for.

For if wishes were horses, even beggars will ride. Activity they say is not rewarded, only results are. Therefore, we who have seen the 1st of April should say excitedly to ourselves “Happy New Quarter”. We should pick up our goal list and get re-energised to accomplish all we have set to do. Only those who have wasted the first 3 months and are not taking stock on their achievements or repositioning to perform better are truly “April Fools”.

Life only gives you what you demand and not what you wish, ask or deserve. If you haven’t spoken to that babe, come on speak to her and let her know you want to marry her. What’s the worst that can happen? She says “No”,you cry a bit and you move on..LOL. 

How sad will it be if on the first of July, you discover that not only did you ignore the April fool’s warning, you inadvertently became a July fool as well. I wish you all the best in the new quarter guys and please “GO OUT THERE AND LIVE YOUR LIFE”. “CREATE YOUR OWN FUTURE” and make yourself and generations born and unborn in your genealogy proud of you.

Once upon a time there was war between Japan and China. It was quite a difficult war to fight not because other wars are simpler but because the similarities in the looks of the nationals of both countries was striking. It was an uphill task distinguishing between Japanese and Chinese. As a result, Chinese warriors accidentally shot fellow Chinese soldiers before they could ascertain their nationality and vice versa.
In a bid to make the most out of the war, the two countries called a meeting and decided to agree on some rules of engagement.
“We need to be able to distinguish between our soldiers” they said. After hours of deliberation, someone suddenly came up with a brilliant solution.
“Let’s have two different colours for our uniforms” they finally agreed. And so the Japanese chose black as their uniform colour, while the Chinese chose red. One seemingly smart chinese soldier decided to sew his own uniform black an red. He sewed the front with red cloth and joined a black material with it to sew the back.
On a particular day when the battle lines were drawn, the smart soldier went  and stood in the midst of the battle field with his back turned to the Japanese army while he faced the Chinese army. Right in the middle of both armies he stood with his hand raised in the air as if to say “Who else but me can do this?”
Immediately, cheers rang out though strangely from both sides of the battle field as the chinese and japanese  both hailed the brave soldier, each  army thinking that the soldier was their’s. Amidst so much euphoria and pomp, the soldier decided to turn his back on the chinese army and face the japanese army. He didn’t realise that he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. One of the archers of the Chinese army on seeing the black uniform which was what his rear showed took a shot at him. At the same time, an archer from the Japanese army sent an arrow speeding in the direction of his heart.
SMACK! SMACK!! Both arrows hit him in the chest at the same time. He clutched at them in agony as he sank to the earth in throes of death.
What had he done wrong? Where did he miss it? How come his glory was so short lived? Why was he struck fatal blows by those who just sang his praise a few minutes ago?
He sat on the fence. He thought that he’d be safer if he didn’t stick to one army completely. He believed he could avoid the death, hatred and wickedness that was going on if he didn’t choose any side. He ended up getting killed by both sides.
How many people today are like this smart guy? People don’t want to say a strong “NO” or a hot burning “YES”. They want to be available to both sides of the moral, ethical and right divide at all points in time. They are neither builders nor destroyers. They are dressed in black and red, not in black or red. They are not ready to die for anything and would live and die for nothing.
They don’t want to be loved or hated by anyone. They are destructively phlegmatic. They will be ultimately be disowned and wrecked by both sides. You can not afford to not be known for where you stand. Someone said “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything”. What do you stand for? Where do you stand? What will you not compromise or negatotiate for? Don’t you just join the loudest ovation company? “If you can’t beat them, join them” – Isn’t that a favourite saying of yours?
If you wont be red or black, please don’t come to the battle field for you are not worthy of the honour.

Kuti Olarenwaju Peter, is a philanthropist. A Nigerian with a big heart, he lives his life striving to bring succor to people in the shackles of poverty and make their lives worth living. His consuming passion is to see that citizens are empowered to become self-reliant. To keep this dream alive, he said he has been channeling all his earnings and resources into training of youths on entrepreneurship and skills acquisition.

It is something the 32 years old graduate of electrical and electronics engineering who hails from the Ikorodu area of Lagos state has been doing for the past seven years.

Since he enrolled for trainings with the Junior Chambers International (JCI) in the 2000, he never looked back. Over 3000 Nigerians have benefitted from his programme of economic empowerment.

Peter who also holds a post graduate diploma on development, policy planning and administration said also that he engaged in training corps members for free over the years to prepare them to face the challenges of unemployment in the society when they pass out.

“I train and empower people on how to start their own businesses, that is entrepreneurship and personal development. I have done that severally for youths and National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members. When they come to camp, they come with blank minds, they don’t even know what and what to do within the one year. And from my own experience I discovered that within that one year they can learn so many things in the new environment they’ve found themselves, but how they would go about it is always a kind of problem,” he said.

What Peter does is to put them through on what to do through training. Since February this year, he has set aside 45 minutes to one hour every Friday to train corps members on skills acquisition. The idea, he said is to drive them through their entrepreneurship ideas and help to deepen their knowledge and sharpen their skills for life after school.

He is elated by the results he has been getting since the programme started. Beneficiaries of his kind gestures, according to him, have continued to testify to the potency of the trainings on their economic lives. He said: “From the testimonies I get from the trainees, they have confirmed that the ideas are workable. Some of them, before they came into NYSC scheme have not been earning anything, they just get money from their parents. While they are on their own, the first three months, they would not get employed because they would not know how to manage their resources. They would not still have the feelings that they are already on the way to being on their own.”

In that situation, he said, Peter would tell to start a small business while they are serving so that after their service year, they would still run with the same vision at least, managing themselves and thereby continue to grow after their service year., and this has been wonderful, he insisted. As some of them started practising what they have learnt, a majority of them complained of incurring loses at the start. But Peter said he encouraged and taught them on what to do, adding that risk bearing was also a characteristic feature of entrepreneurship. Apart from Youth Corps members, secondary school pupils and youths generally from his free training programmes.

He said the fund he was using to execute the trainings was largely from the proceeds of his small business. He said he was also getting supports and contribution from his friends and family members, especially his mother, who believed in him and his vision to help the society. He insisted that he was not expecting any personal benefits in return for his philanthropic activities, adding that it was the greatest legacy anyone could leave behind after life on earth.

“One important thing is that whatever money you make, you still need to sow it back into the society. And I know that in the nearest future, people of goodwill will come to assist when they have seen the good works. For now, I sow money from the little jobs I do to empower the youths because empowering people is something I so much believe in. The gain I have in return for this is just the goodwill I get from the people and their testimonies give me satisfaction. There is much goodness in helping people and not being conscious always about what you will get in return. You never can tell, some of the people you’ve helped may still be the ones to help you when you are in need of help,” he said.

Observing that wealth is not everything, he said leaving a legacy is more helpful to the society. And Peter, the only meaningful legacy one can leave is the empowerment given to others. “It is the vision that other people can continue with after you have left this world. So when you amass wealth, you are busy thinking about yourself and not considering the society or touching on lives. As a result, there would be nothing to remember you of after you have left. So it is all about leaving legacy. If you want to leave legacy, you must definitely empower people,” he noted.

According to him, those who amass wealth are people who do not really have any vision, and would neither want to leave anything behind nor be remembered for any good they had done. On the other hand, he said, those who are most remembered after they had gone are those who assisted and empowered others who would continue with their visions after their death. He believes that nobody is too poor to affect lives positively. “Even if you don’t have much, you can sow into the lives of people and everything would work out well and the society will be a better place for all to live in.”

Peter is convinced that when this spirit has been imbibed by a greater number in the society, there would be very little margin between the poor and the rich. Heaping praises on Rochas Okorocha for choosing to spend his money on the poor, he said those who dismiss the gesture on the ground that Rochas is a politician miss the mark: “What of other politicians that have the money but are not doing anything with it, so what do you say about that? When you have money, touch lives. Create something that people can benefit from.

Do community based projects. Do things so that people can benefit from your good will.”

Through his organization, PETCOM Integrated Training Consult, the he trains people for free on soap making, hat making, candle making amongst others. For those skills which he lacks, he pays experts who have them to train his beneficiaries on them in order to achieve his dream of making his fellow youths entrepreneurs. “This is the best thing that will happen to any nation,” he said.

I love and respect a few pastors around the world. I love a lot less of them in Nigeria because I feel their presence is not an indication of the presence of the kingdom of God contrary to what Jesus wanted to happen. Loads of them seem to practice what I call witchcraft. Get a crowd of people to submit and be loyal to you boy proving that the miracle working power of divinity rests with you (whether by righteous or wicked means). Needless to say that many forget that the purpose of the anointing is not for profit but to solve problems. Jesus Christ, while on earth solved every problem that was brought to His attention and left his followers empowered.

Some of these pastors just brainwash their congregation, motivate to give themselves and their belongings and earnings to the church under the guise of sacrificial giving and in no wise seek to improve the standard of living of their followers. Loads of church goers know next to nothing about personal and self development, excellence orientation or even financial intelligence. I’ve noticed that the only product that Nigerians have been able to export successfully year in, year out is religion. Every denomination that was founded in Nigeria or most denominations have one branch or the other in the UK, USA, Carribean or Europe. Interestingly, the largest congregations in Europe and in the UK are led by Nigerian pastors. I can not help but believe that we need to borrow a leaf from the model of church replication and multiplication and apply the lessons learned to our businesses, industries and corporate entities. Maybe Nigeria will then begin to look like the Nigeria that we all dream about.

Anyway, I was talking about some of the pastors I loved. Noteworthy among them is the man I’m writing about today. I’ve written about him a while ago. His interview at the “Take the lead” excellence in leadership conference recently concluded at the Daystar Christian Centre,  Oregun, Ikeja is quite insightful especially because he’s been in the centre of transformation of a country from regression and poverty towards wealth and empowerment. Please read on and form your own sentiments.

Written by BILESANMI OLALEKAN
Sunday, November 23, 2008

Pastor Sunday Adelaja, left, prays with parishioners before delivering his sermon at a service in Sacramento, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007.

Sunday Ologi was the name while hawking pap on the  streets of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. He didn’t have his first shoe until he  was 12. He had no father from birth. But today, Sunday Adelaja is the founding pastor of God Embassy based in Ukraine, presumed to be the biggest  and largest church in Europe.

THIS is a ladies’ man, anytime! He’s got the  hallmarks of success: The looks, the dress sense, very confident and, above all, spiritual. He is the type that any woman would be willing to take home to see mama. With his blue blazers, blue shirt, orange striped tie, light brown trousers and brown  shoes to match, you will most likely take him for a model or, better still, a bank executive. Perhaps, that is why it may be pretty difficult to believe he is a pastor not to talk of being the presiding head of the presumed largest church in Europe-Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of all Nations also known as God Embassy Church, Kiev, Ukraine.
Adelaja was in the country, penultimate week, to participate in the Daystar Christian Centre annual leadership seminar. He, along with  several invited guests, including Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, delivered speeches, in the course of the three-day programme. Shortly after his ministration, Adelaja retired to Daystar junior church, also within the premises, to talk to the media on  his personal life, his church, his latest project in the country and the Nigerian nation. Adelaja is the only African preacher to have addressed the United Nations and the United States Senate.

The beginning, however, was rough for him. He was labelled a bastard. Indeed, he was, at least going by the  Yoruba culture. The ‘Adelaja’ he bears is actually his mother’s maiden name. He never saw or met his father. He never had fatherly care.  Adelaja may have been born out of wedlock but his birth, in his estimation, was for a purpose: “To deliver the world”. According to him, he was told, in two versions really, that  his father, shortly after he married his mother, became brutish.

The royal parents of the mother felt their daughter did not deserve what she was getting from her husband, so she was taken away  from him. The other version was that, “my father was poor and my mother’s parents thought the best way to protect their daughter was to take her back home. Six months after the separation, they discovered she was pregnant. That was how I came into this world. I never suffered from the rejection of not  having a father because I have a heavenly father. Besides, God did  that for a purpose. God probably knew that the only blood vessel and cell  that will produce this particular material is the blood cell of that  man and the woman.

“They used to call me bastard in the village and my grandmother would be fighting them here and there. I was a bastard in the eyes of the people but God saw me differently. He saw me as a deliverer in European countries. God knew this material (referring to himself)  was not going to be produced by anybody other than this man and woman. God  allowed certain things to happen because of the infinite knowledge of the future. “God is saying even though this man didn’t do anything tangible in his life, he did the most tangible in his life, by sleeping with the woman which produced me.

It is the same thing with Barack Obama (United States of America president-elect). His father never did anything tangible through out his life, he grew up in  the village, met a white lady, impregnated her, went back to Africa,  and I think that was the only tangible thing he did in his life by giving birth to Obama. And I think there are several of such in the country  that are being pressurised to abort and there is the need to do away with  such stigma.

They were calling me omoale (Yoruba word for bastard)”. Adelaja is not diplomatic  particularly on issues relating to what he considers the truth. He says it the way he feels it. This explains why he is pained that his colleagues have turned their  congregations into money making projects for selfish gains. He expressed his feeling this way: “Everybody says Nigeria’s problem is about leadership but I disagree  with that assertion because a nation get a leader it deserves. The leaders  came in from this country, they were born, grew up within this same  environment.

They were not imported from Guinea-Bissau or Ukraine, they were brought up here. It is really not about leadership but our value system. Three things determine the value of a nation. The  family, the educational system and the Church, because, nobody has the opportunity of speaking to over 40 million Nigerians every  week like pastors. “When people go to Church, they are not going there  for argument, whatever the pastor says, you  are obliged to just accept it even if he is saying rubbish. Even the  president of the country does not have the kind of power we have. So, we have a very huge responsibility upon us.

And most of us, instead of releasing values and information that will facilitate progress, we are talking  of breakthrough today, breakthrough tomorrow. What we are cultivating  from the pulpit is the culture of instant gratification. We are telling people, raise up your hands if you want to be millionaire by the end of the year, na thief?

And everybody will raise up his hands. You must teach them the process of production, perseverance, endurance, how to work with their hands. “Miracles could happen but nations don’t get developed that way. And the money that is coming to the man before the end of the year, if he gets it, is it not robbery? Because you have  transferred the money from the one who worked to the one that didn’t work. That  is corruption from the pulpit. That kind of  preaching generates mentality of instant gratification.

“Every message now in Nigerian churches must end with offering. You give offering for breakthrough, healing, second born, thanksgiving, celebration, so that by the  time the people are being impoverished, the pastors are going about in Jeeps  and jets. They are the oppressors of this world. You have 24-hour breakthrough programme. These are dubious methods of extracting the little the people have left. It is day light robbery and you are using the name of  God to do it.

They will say 30-day miracle, you no go sleep?” I must speak the truth to help set my country free. I know it is not right and I know it will be sinful for me to know it is not right and I don’t speak about it. Prayers don’t develop a nation. It is the work of your hand that develops a nation. Look at China, Japan, they don’t believe in God, but they are more prosperous than Nigeria. Why? They believe and strongly so in hard work. They are workaholic.

The Japanese who don’t believe in God will go to hell but, while here on earth, they will be prosperous whereas Nigerians who are religious will make heaven but while here on earth, will continue to experience what we are  going through. God does not and will not go back on his words. He said, `I will diligently reward the works of your hands’. Prayer does not and  cannot develop a nation. We must learn the virtues of hard work. The value  of hard work, we don’t have. That is why we don’t want to know how the man makes his money, whether he is a ritualist, 419ner, fraudster, we don’t want to know  provided we can take from him. Where is our values?”

Over 70 churches have been planted by Adelaja in various parts of the  globe. Would he consider having a branch of his ministry in  his mother land? He said he would rather do something to improve the  lives of Nigerians than plant a church in the country, thereby generating unnecessary competition.”Is it another church Nigeria needs? Just for me to add my own name?

It is all about egocentrism. You must bring the success of overseas back home. I am not coming  to Nigeria to build church and I will not have church here. I don’t  want to send fears to other pastors. I also want to give my colleagues chance and that is why we are working together. They are my  friends. When I start doing my own thing, I become a competitor. We have too  many churches already. Infact, the challenge now is even how to do Church properly”, he replied.

One of the ways of improving the lives of the people is the  inauguration of a micro-finance bank which he said Lagos State governor has  graciously accepted to launch on Saturday.”It is a joint effort between I and some of my partners. I had to dispose some of my  investments both in America and Ukraine, the same thing with my partners, in order  to bring this project alive. It is going to be collateral and security  free. It is mainly to help reduce and alleviate poverty for 40 million Africans for the next 20 years. We want to go to 4000 villages in Nigeria and 40,000 villages all over Africa. Poverty is one of the most endemic problems in the continent”, Adelaja explained.

Unlike his colleagues, the pastor is not running any radio or television programmes. Is it that he does not want to expand the work of God  further or he does not believe in the medium? He pointed out that it is not his style to follow what is in vogue.”I am a strategist”, he shot back. Besides, he stressed that some of the television programmes are artificial.”Most of them do it not because they are really effective but because of ego. They are there because they want to say, through such programmes, that ‘I am a national celebrity, I have arrived’. It is not very strange that I am not on television or anywhere.

When you see me on television or in the newspapers, it will be through press conferences like this but I don’t have a programme that is television or radio based. “People in Nigeria don’t know me. I am a strategist. I do things that will give me maximum delivery. I know a lot of my friends, not just in Nigeria but all over the world, who are on television and radio.

I know  people, not only in Nigeria  but abroad, who spend 12, 10, 20 million  dollars on television programmes every year. Do you know who pays for it. It  is actually you that pay for it. I cannot  imagine that happening to me. “The poor people who are not as poor as  that of Nigeria here, that they will be bringing their sweat and labour, and me pastor, because I want to expand my reach and be more popular, I  will be putting pressure on them by organising church programmes. No I  don’t do that. I am different. People who do the unusual are usually different. I don’t do what people do. I do something differently”.

One of the reasons God Embassy became a phenomenon in Europe, Adelaja stated, was the church’s pragmatic move and actions on issues affecting the environment. The church, it was learnt, spearheaded the popular orange  revolution that brought the new leadership in Ukraine in 2004.

Between  one to two thousand people are fed daily in the church’s Stephania Soup  Kitchen, making it two million in the past six years. Over 3000 people  are set free from drug and alcohol addiction. There are homes for  street and abandoned children where over 2000 have been reconnected to their  families”, he added.

Hi guys, remember in The Best Medicine – 1, I wrote about the frustrated and disgruntled man who was at his wits end and suicidal until he went to see his doctor to complain and was instructed to do what he loved doing most when he was young (going to the seashore). He told him to stay there all day and first Listen (at 9 am) for three hours and then reach back (at 12 pm) for another 3 hours and ponder on all that has happened to you in the past, what you’ll change or what you wont or what you’ll do better if given another chance. For more on the first 2 doses, please click on The Best Medicine – 1

In continuation, at 3.00pm, he tore open the third prescription. It said, “Reexamine your motives.” This took so much intense thought and concentration that the remaining three hours slipped by quickly as he reexamined his motives – his reasons for living and fulfillment. He clarified and restated his goals.
Motive is everything. That is why God always checks our motives. The “how” may be important and exciting but the “why” will always be revealing. Why are you doing what you are doing currently? Why are you at the level you are? Why have you not started to write, joined that group, proposed to that lady, taken your family out, prayed through, read a book, read your Bible, taken that course, called that person, priced that good? Why? Why? Why? They say “He who knows how will get the job, but he who knows why will always be his boss.”
And at six o’clock, under a gray, darkening sky and with a taste of salt mist in the air, he read the final prescription: “Write your worries in the sand.” Pausing for a moment, he knew there was something that seemed to be gnawing inside. With his pants rolled up, he grabbed a stick, walked to the shoreline, and wrote his worry in the sand. Before leaving, he stared at what he had written. But as he walked toward his car, he looked back and saw that the incoming tide had already erased his words. A smile eased onto his face as he got into his car and headed for home.
Nothing can change by reason of your worrying….which of you by worrying can add one cubit to your height? – Matt 6:27 Learn the lessons and forget the details.
Ingest now these four doses. Begin to listen, to reach back, to reexamine your motives, and to write your worries in the sand. Begin now to place your troubles, difficulties and past failures into perspective. Take time out now to discover yourself, where you are going, and how and when you will arerive at your destination. Remember, there are no unanswered requests in the universe. If you do not like what you are receiving, you can learn to ask for something different. Then you will find what you wish.