Could you explain what is gradually becoming your nomenclature, Shine your shine and I shine my shine ?
In Genesis Chapter 1, vs…., the Bible says, God made two great light: the lesser light to rule the night and the greater light to rule the day. And the bible says, He made the stars also. He did all these in the same day.

Now in Corinthians 15Vs 43, it says, one star is different from the other in glory. The illumination of stars is different from each other. One star can shine brighter than the other. Now when I studied the bible better, I found out that I may not be the sun, I may not be the moon but I know that I am a star.

What makes the star unique is that there is only one sun, only one moon but many stars. So what that means is that at Calvary Kingdom Church , I don't allow any other Church or ministry to intimidate me. I don't compete with anybody. I shine my shine and allow others to shine their shine. You may be the sun or the moon, allow me to be a star. The sky is too wide for us to compete. You shine there, I shine here.

So, this ministry work is not competitive. We are complimenting each other. There are people who are building large Cathedrals so as a facade, while they don't have enough people to fill half the space. That is foolishness. I wrote a book on this, Born to Shine where I explain the concept of Shine your shine and I shine my shine.

Did you set out in life to become a pastor?
This is a long story. I never ever thought I will be a pastor. I had become one before I knew I was one or meant to be one. I was ordained a deacon in 1976. In 1979, I was a business man, using a Volkswagen beetle. One day, I drove to the Church where I met Idahosa. He called me to his office and handed me a letter. He then held my hand and said let us pray. He said in prayers that … “Father, you know Your son more than I do, he has served me faithfully as an usher in this Church. Now in his new post as a pastor, I pray that You will grant him the wisdom…..” he prayed and prayed.

After the prayer, I asked him what was that suppose to mean? And he said, you are transferred to be a pastor of a new branch and the pastor there, who had been ordained long before me will be my deputy. I objected that I am a deacon and the pastor there, who he said will be my deputy, had bee ordained long before me. He said No, I should go and be the pastor. He said “God told me that you are a leader, a pastor. I cannot keep you away from what He has ordained you to be”. He said I do not understand but I shall understand all these later.

Reluctantly, I went to the Church he said I was posted to. Soon some problems began and the Church did not take off again. He then posted me to take over from another Church. Reluctantly, I went there and the youth in the Church protested against it. I then went to the Miracle Center to meet Idahosa. When he saw me, he said the Youth of the Church wrote to him that they don't want me. I said yes, they said I am a deacon not a pastor. He said they were wrong and I am also wrong, and I will understand all these later. I had to leave everything to God and fortunately, the Church grew rapidly. When the job was becoming very absorbing, I had to fold up my business and became a full time pastor.

Recently, I taught some students at our Bible school that the size of a man's heart is equivalent to the size of his fist. The size of a pastor's heart is equivalent to what he has done. By His grace, what God did through me in Church of God Mission showed that I had a large heart. So the Lord said “in everything, give thanks. So it never bothered me.

But after I became a pastor, I began to preach to my parents, my mother especially to become a Christian. She said it was me who was ordained as a pastor, I should leave them alone. One day I asked her to explain why. She said when she was carrying me, she went to a native doctor, as mothers then do, to ask for ways to have normal delivery. She said as soon as the native doctor threw down his materials of divination, the man hurriedly picked them and said she should go away, because the child she was carrying forbade fetish practices. She warned her never to come to her place again on account of the child.

She said she went to another native doctor and the man also told her the same thing, adding that the baby inside her was cursing him already. She said she was sent away and that was how she began to pray into a cup of water and drink till she had me.

She said my own pastoral work was a matter of destiny and so I should leave them alone. But I thank God that before she passed on, she gave her life to Christ and worshiped at a branch of the Church in Benin .

What were you doing before becoming a pastor?
I was worked at the Ministry of Works in Benin , and then I set up a transport business where I had three taxis and a mechanical workshop. I was ordained a deacon at age 27, became a pastor at 30. As at the time I became a pastor, many people hated the job because there was no money and glamour in it as it is now.

What was your relationship with Idahosa like?
He brought me into all these. Let me say with all honesty that apart from his immediate family, no one was closer to him than me. I was very close. There was a day he told me that before he had children, he had had me. I was with him for 26 years and one month. I also stayed with his wife, whom we call Mama for four years and two months, making a total of 30 years and three months.

Day Idahosa died.
I was here in my house at Okokomaiko in Lagos . I was to travel to Benin on March 13 for a meeting we were to have with him. But on the 12th, I got a call from Rev. (Dr.) Akioya, one of the leaders in Benin asking if I was coming to Benin . I told him yes, tomorrow. He said he would like me to make it immediately, I said why the hurry? After all, tomorrow was just some hours away. He pestered me to come immediately that Idahosa was not feeling too good and that he was in the hospital. I was surprised because since I knew Idahosa, he was never ill.

The next day, I left for Benin and straight I went to the Miracle Centre where I saw few sad people. Still I never knew he was dead. I then went to Faith Arena where there were still few, then went to his house where I met people crying. There I was told he had passed on. I said it was a lie that until I saw his body. They took me to a room where his remains was kept before I believed.

I left because the situation was getting so bad. I remember that one day, at a meeting of the top shots in the Church, an elder in the Church, one Major Bawado stood up and said he was speaking the minds of 70% of the people sitting there that mama could not succeed in leading the Church as long as I was there. Hew said it was either I leave the Church for Mama or Mama leaves the Church for me. It was as bad as that.

There were media speculations that his death was followed by controversies on who should become the next GO. What actually happened?
Speculations would always be there but the will of God prevailed. I believed that if it was the will of God that I should take over from him, nothing, nobody could have scuttled it. So I want to believe that it was not His will that I took over. It was passed to Mama and I have no bitterness. Like I said, nobody knew Idahosa would die so soon so nobody, including me was thinking of any succession.

People outside the Church had their freedom to speculate. The print and electronic media had their say. But I was an insider and I knew where the pendulum was likely to shift. It did not bother me at all. I had the peace of God and I'm grateful that all that happened happened to the glory of God.

The truth was that, though I was not the Number 2 man. We had other Bishops, but I was the foremost Bishop. My province, Lagos and the West also spoke of my ability and demonstrated that I was next to him.

Recently, I taught some students at our Bible school that the size of a man's heart is equivalent to the size of his fist. The size of a pastor's heart is equivalent to what he has done. By His grace, what God did through me in Church of God Mission showed that I had a large heart. So the Lord said “in everything, give thanks. So it never bothered me. That was why I remained with Mama for another four years so that the people will not say I left because I was not made the Archbishop.

When it became very obvious that I had to go, I had to go to God in prayers. After 30 years of service, I did a Letter of Appreciation to Mama, thanking her for allowing me to contribute my quota to God's work through CGM and I am requesting for retirement. I did not say resignation because after 30 years, only a foolish man will talk of resignation.

Not only that, after sending my letter, I went to Benin , gave one of my sons in the Lord N50, 000 to buy a cow and take to Mama's house, that was on Friday 24 th , 2002. On Saturday, I went to her house. On seeing me, she said ‘Bishop, I saw the cow, what does that mean?' I then said I thank her for allowing me to serve for these years. And when the Igboman (an ethnic group in Nigeria ) have served his master for years, he does what we call freedom (graduation). That cow is for my freedom. I told her I need her prayers so I can retire. She laughed hilariously. I knelt down, another Bishop who was there and Mama then prayed for me. I felt so relieved and peacefully, I left.

But why did you leave?
I left because the situation was getting so bad. I remember that one day, at a meeting of the top shots in the Church, an elder in the Church, one Major Bawado stood up and said he was speaking the minds of 70% of the people sitting there that mama could not succeed in leading the Church as long as I was there. Hew said it was either I leave the Church for Mama or Mama leaves the Church for me. It was as bad as that. They saw me as a threat. They thought because I was not made the Archbishop, I was hurt. I kept telling mama not to believe them. Anything I did was regarded with suspicion. So I had to leave.

But today, thank God for our relationship. It is cordial. She has come to preach for me here and I have also preached for her. I still go to Faith Arena and Miracle Centre. Its still my home.