In this interview with Emmanuel Akaolisa of The News Chronicle, Dr Bolaji Akinyemi, a renowned minister of the Gospel and activist, bears his mind on issues troubling Nigeria; FFK, restructuring, the constitution and way forward for the country.
TNC: Thank you Sir for granting us this moment to discuss with you. Kindly tell us about yourself; education, work, family and how these have contributed to who you are today
Dr Bolaji: Born on a Friday afternoon, 55 years ago to Dorcas Aduke Ogunseye, nee Ogunremi now late and Alhaji Nasir Adesina Babatunde Ogunseye, I was named on the 8th day as Hamed Akinyemi Bolaji Ogunseye, until circumstances of life necessitated an adjustment in name to Bolaji Oluwayanmife Akinyemi.
I am married to Joy Osawaru-Akinyemi, who serves as the Mission Director of Voice of His Word Ministry. She is the On Air Presenter of “Marriage No Sabi Grammar”. Together, we are blessed with wonderful children.
My first work and leadership exposure can be traced back to my days at NIFES, when I served Lagos Polytechnic, Ikorodu Christian Fellowship as Prayer Secretary.
When I left school in 1987, I pioneered 7B Farm as part of the Betta Hospitals Ltd investment portfolio. The call of God came in 1990 and almost immediately, I joined Ebenezer Obey Music Ministries as an Evangelist, and I later served as an Assistant Pastor of Decross Gospel Church when the church ministry started. I am a Bible teacher with an apostolic mandate to restore order and initiate change. I have enjoyed exceptional grace, with a prophetic touch in Biblical interpretations. Sincerely, l am humbled when such comments as “Word bank” is made in relation to my teaching impact.
I stepped out of Decross in 1995 to pioneer Sure Foundation Bible Church, which metamorphosed into Voice of His Word Ministries, as a result of some hiccups experienced during registration. Attractions brought patronage and patronage brought recognition as a sought-after speaker with numerous awards, including a doctorate, I lay them all at the feet of Christ.
I need to be emphatic about this; I was not privileged to have formal university education, God has been my VC and men my University. Aduke, my mother, the university I attended for sacrificial living, Nasir, my father, the institution for accountable life style. Commander Ebenezer Obey impacted humility on me while a night with Late Dr Benson Andrew Idahosa made a full grown lion out of a cub that night of December 1991.
My passion for advocacy and the desire to see a greater and better Nigeria led to the formation of Project Victory Call Initiative, aka “PVC -NAIJA”, which I currently serve as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. PVC-NAIJA’s vision is to chart a New Course for Nigeria by enlightening citizens to be interested and fully engaged in evolving credible and productive leadership at all levels of governance, be it in the public or corporate sectors.
I invented The Spirit of LAGOS, a public leadership campaign that champions The LAGOSIANS, a movement that advocates for justice and equity for a greater Lagos. Drawing inspirations from Acts 13:22, LAGOS stands as an acronym for “Leaders After God’s Own Spirit,” and LAGOSIANS stands for “Leaders After God’s Own Spirit Initiating A New State.”
I am also a freelance contributor in online journals, as well as the author of several published books, including “Money, Sex, and Communication”, with a foreword by Folorunsho Alakija. Senator Ade Fadahunsi wrote the foreword to my new book titled Voter Education For Legislative Revolution.
As a peace mediator, I co-mediated the Peace Conference on the Benue and Taraba States border crisis convened by the Congress of Northern Nigeria Christians.
My principle is to be a change agent wherever and whenever it is needed. To bring revivals to Churches and revolution to the nation. This made fans to nick-name me the BID, Bold, Inspiring and Dynamic.
TNC: You have been very active both in church ministry and in societal activism, how are you able to combine these tasking duties? Which comes first for you, or are you working towards the bible verse which talks about the complete man?
Dr Bolaji: Nothing eases burdens associated with certain tasks like the innate passion for such duties. Combining ministry and social activism for me is like walking on two legs, though I am perceived by many as a contradiction. The bible says we are the light of the world, if there is no world, there won’t be need for the light. Churches in the Bible are defined and identified by their host communities.
The book of Ephesians was written to the church at Ephesus which interestingly is in today Turkey. All the churches Christ wrote in the book of Revelation were all identified by the host communities. The understanding I have of this is the reason the duty is made easy to combine. If the Bible were to be re-written, there will probably be an epistle to Nigerians and I bet Christ will in it hold the church in Nigeria culpable, and Angels of the Churches in Nigeria, the likes of WF Kumuyi, Matthew Hassan Kukah, E.A Adeboye, Esther Ajayi, DK Olukoya etc would have received commendation or condemnation.
Name one single church in Nigeria that has completely influenced a local government leadership in this country. The chairman of Ifo Local Government where you have Cannanland may possibly be an Egungun worshiper. The chairman of Shagamu Local Government hosting Redemption Camp may be an Oro worshiper. These same leaders are screaming for a change at the center, how will this happen?
TNC: Recently, the president asked journalists to change the phrase ‘rising insecurity’ to ‘declining insecurity’ in their reportage. In your view, is insecurity rising or declining? What do you think should be effective measures to tackle insecurity effectively in Nigeria?
Dr Bolaji: It is not the business of the President to spoon feed journalists on how issues should be reported. This insincerity is complicating things already. Terrorists are at war with Nigerians while the president chooses to call them “bandits”. These “bandits” have brought down an Air force Alpha jet, blew up rail track, and invaded NDA.
The peak of our anger against GEJ led administration was the Chibok girls’ abduction. How many schools’ abduction have we witnessed after that under Muhammadu Buhari led Presidency? Insecurity is measured by lives and properties lost. Nigerians should conduct investigations on this under previous administration and this administration. I leave that judgement to the people to make.
The measure to tackle insecurity is simple, President Muhammadu Buhari should resign. His plea to journalists, for me is suggestive of a man who is not ready to face this fight as he should. Let the APC Vice President step in. The National Assembly should pass the bill to localize security apparatus. Every crime is local.
Take for example the problem in Katsina, the home state of the president, where Fulanis and Hausas who have cohabited together and are both Muslims, are killing one another to the extent that the Governor cried out, accusing Fulanis, the tribe of the president, as the culprits fanning insecurity in Katsina.
Go to Kaduna where Fulanis and Hausas are the major tribes but they are divided along the line of religion into Islam and Christianity. If we accept the narrative that Muslims are killing Christians in Kaduna, who are the Muslims killing Muslims in Katsina?
The Governor of Kaduna State who is Fulani by tribe had also cried out to the President to designate bandits as terrorists. This President must necessarily resign or be sacked by the National Assembly for peace to return to this country. This Government can’t conduct a meaningful election given her body language. Anambra will prove me right on this.
TNC: You have at various times written quite critical views on Femi Fani Kayode, some writers have written in his defense claiming that you are only being used by paymasters behind the scene to condemn a hero of the defenseless like FFK. What is your take on this?
Dr Bolaji: I don’t want to waste my time on an inconsequential person in national politics. There is nothing he has earned that he didn’t bully establishments or individuals to get. It is natural for those who are being bankrolled to believe everyone has a paymaster. If FFK is such a hero of the defenseless like they want us to believe, charity should for him, begin at home.
Are you aware that FFK is in court with his orphaned wife and the mother of his 4 sons? A beautiful poor orphan he possibly bullied into marriage, God graciously through her made him a father of sons, four of them, and he choose to shamelessly drag her in public that she deprived his children breast milk on account of the need to preserve her body shape, “coupled with a contrived medical condition which she claimed would not permit her to breast-feed them.”
All well-meaning people should be concerned about the state of mind of this individual. It is a general knowledge that those who go through IVF to make babies don’t breast feed. Now, he is bringing to the public his own impotence by letting the world into his privacy using the phrase “coupled with contrived medical condition”. We might not have been privileged to be schooled at Oxford like him, but we have made judicious use of the opportunity of journals, literature and books.
We are above the crowd of his unintelligent followers who cannot read in-between the lines and will celebrate such entity a hero.
TNC: The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the main written code on which the country is run, at least in theory. It is considered sacred, but in a recent video which went viral, it showed where you tore the Nigerian constitution in public. What was the message behind this act?
Dr Bolaji: Your question is an indictment on the constitution, I quote you, “at least in THEORY, it is considered sacred” emphasize ‘theory’ please. Sacredness is not just about thoughts, but of commitment and action made in purity. Where is the purity of a lying document, wanting to earn its sacredness from WE THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIA? That document got what it deserves from me and it should, from every Nigerian.
TNC: There have been calls to restructure the country; do you think it is necessary? If yes, what nature or steps should the restructuring take?
Dr Bolaji: The call for restructuring is the lifeline upon which Nigeria is hanging. If there is hope that this nation will continue to exist, it is in the hope of urgent restructuring. The only other option to it is a revolution. This government should better face the sacrifice of restructuring or the force of peoples’ revolution.
TNC: What do you think should be the role of the youths in building a better Nigeria?
Dr Bolaji: The capacity was proven at the Lekki Toll Gate during the #Endsars protests. We saw leadership which is the bane of the country, we saw information management, intelligence gathering, we saw oneness, and there was no tribe and religion. We witnessed transparency; their donations were in the open, same for expenditures. What else do you need to make a multi-ethnic society like ours work? Our new Nigeria was born by the Nigerian youths, but this administration threw both the baby and the bath water away. Nigerian youths must reach for their baby, a new Nigeria, pick it up, bath it, nurture and enthrone it come 2023. They have what it takes.
