God's Timing, Apostle Otaru's Vision: 37-Year Wait Ends With Resounding Success
By Charles Segun Adegbite
When a man is running with a vision, in accordance with God's timing and divine direction, every obstacle becomes easier to overcome. This clearly explained the secret behind the success story that the Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Ogun State chapter, Dr David Ahmed Otaru shared recently at the official dedication of Pastor E.A. Adeboye Legacy Hall.
The DAY Of Glory
It was a day of glory for the state chairman and his team of Season 8 Executive who succeeded in establishing some legacies that will endure.
The epoch-making dedication ceremony, held on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at the Legacy Secretariat of the Ogun State PFN, Kobape, along Sagamu-Isiun-Abeokuta Highway was a great event that would never be forgotten.
This is simply because if people forget to remember many things that happen that day in future, which is certain, the magnificent building named after an internationally renowned pastor and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, can't be forgotten.
Whenever people see the building in future, maybe 50 or 100 years time or more, an argument may arise over who built it, whether it was Pastor Adeboye that built it or owns it.
READ THIS: EXPOSED !: What Pastor Adeboye, Bishop Oyedepo did to Apostle Otaru and the secrets behind his 3yrs of laudable achievements as Ogun PFN Chairman
Then, the truth will emerge because internet doesn't forget. It would be revealed that the man of God, Apostle (Dr) David Ahmed Otaru, the State Chairman of PFN in Ogun State built it. It would further be revealed that the National President of the PFN, His Eminence, Bishop Francis Wale Oke was the one who performed the dedication. That's the LEGACY!
Not An Express Road
Despite having God's backing doesn't mean there weren't challenges. The road to the attainment of the goals had many roadblocks on it. However, with God's involvement, every obstruction was removed with prayer, persistent efforts, determination and unwavering faith.
The dedication ceremony which started with prayers, followed by praise and worship, as Dr Olayinka Sr. put it, "...almost turned to a Holy Ghost power- display, reminiscent of the day of Pentecost, as people sang and danced with extra-ordinary joy, to appreciate God for making the project a reality, despite obstacles on the way to its actualization".
How It Started.
This man of God, Dr Otaru, while delivering his speech during the dedication ceremony, said:
"As Prophet Amos once humbly declared, 'I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was busy doing my work by the sycamore tree when God called me' (Amos 7:14).
"Similarly, my journey as State Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Ogun State, began unexpectedly," he added.
Pastor Abatan: Ogun PFN Founding Father READ THIS: Successful People Man-of-the-Month: Apostle Ahmed David Otaru
My Inauguration And Mision:
"On July 18, 2018, I was elected and inaugurated as State Chairman. Our clear-cut vision, encapsulated as TEC (Training, Evangelism, and Charity), guided our mission." He explained.
Otaru’s election as the State Chairman and his inauguration later, was ordained of God. Although he was the least qualified among the candidates who contested for the post.
Like the biblical King David, this Apostle David who is also a prince from Kogi State, wasn’t even among the initial contenders.
“God in his own way made it possible because I’m not from Ogun State.”He disclosed.
Like the biblical David however, God as usual, just brought him out for the assignment he has prepared for him in the state.
Of course, with the establishment of Ogun PFN Legacy Secretariat by him, through the support of God, it's clear to even every doubting Thomas that he is the God's choice for the job. And those who chose him in 2018 didn't make a mistake.
The Root Cause & God's Involvement
For about 33years the Ogun State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, did not have a plot of land let alone a place it could call its permanent State headquarters or Secretariat.
The entire years Jesus Christ, the son of David, spent on earth physically, about 2000 years ago, to start what is known today across the world as Christianity, was just 33 years.
God apparently wasn't happy with that situation; that the PFN in Ogun State, which has as its members, churches with the largest congregation in Nigeria like: The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Living Faith Church (a.k.a. Winners Chapel), Mountain of Fire and Miracles, Deeper Life Bible Church, , Foursquare Gospel Church, e.t.c, and many smaller pentecostal churches, could not get a place they could call their State headquarters for 33 years.
So, in 2018, God sought for another David of this generation, who was not even a Yoruba man, but will do His will and bring down every Goliath trying to stand on the way of establishing His agenda in Ogun State.
It was at the time the then incumbent Governor of the State was scheming and trying to install a man of same faith with him, as his own successor, contrary to the Christian faith in 2019.
READ THIS: Apostle Otaru Discloses The Secret Behind The Success of Ogun PFN 2021 Leadership Conference
God however began to unfold his own prophetic agenda in a way that was beyond human reasoning. On 18th July, 2018, he brought in the David, who have been living in the state for decades, Apostle Dr. David Ahmed Otaru. A man who described himself as the least qualified among the contestants for the chairmanship election of the PFN in the State. for that year.
Moreso, God ensured that the person who became the State governor the following year (2019) is also a Christian, contrary to the plans and desire of the previous governor. He also enabled the new State Chairman to catch the vision of building a state Secretariat for the PFN.
According to Apostle (Dr) Otaru during the dedication: "Initially, owning land or building a Secretariat wasn't part of our plan. However, God had other plans. Today, we witness His mighty hand in Ogun PFN, building an Altar of unity, hope, and possibility".
He disclosed that the founding fathers of the PFN in the State had a vision of having a permanent Secretariat for this Christian ministerial association.
The reason the previous leaders of the PFN couldn't pursue the vision was obviously because time for the fulfillment of the agenda wasn't ripe until the election of this Kogi State born Muslim was converted to Christianity and fully prepared for the assignment.
How did this happen?
He told Successful People Magazine in 2020 that when he emerged the 8th Chairman of the PFN, he was the first State chairman to have his office/state secretariat outside Abeokuta since it was created.
So, the PFN leadership power shifted from Egba to Remo that year for the first time. More importantly it was shortly after the state headquarters of the PFN was brought to Remo that a full-blooded Remo man also emerged as the Ogun governorship candidate of APC in 2018. And eventually the Remo man became governor as well in less than a year that Otaru emerged as the State Chairman; in spite of all the tough battles the governorship candidate faced. So, the political power also shifted from Egba to Remo.
The Divine Involvement
Sometime in March 2020, this David, in his capacity as the current State Chairman, was divinely led to visit Pastor Adeboye in his Redemption Camp, to felicitate with him on Adeboye's 78th birthday, . During the visit Pastor Adeboye asked him what he wanted. This was an opportunity he neither expected nor thought could come.
Rather than asking for his own personal needs he quickly told the great man of God the urgent need of the PFN in the State: To get a land for building a state Secretariat they could be using to hold their annual programmes rather than moving from one place to another, as they have been doing or borrowing the Deeper Life Camp Grounds they have been using for years to hold their annual convention.
Pastor Adeboye who rarely do things without involving God simply told him to let him(Adeboye)pray over it, to enables him know what God wants him to do over the matter. So, Otaru left the place.
To his greatest surprise, the Personal Assistant to Pastor Adeboye just called him one day that he should come and collect a cheque of N10 million from Daddy G.O. for the thing he told him about. With this donation, a great turnaround began in the Ogun PFN.
The Divine Direction
Where should they buy land for the State Secretariat to be located? Should it be in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital or Remo where his own office is? These questions filled his mind.
According to him, God led him to Kobape, a sleepy emerging town in Ogun Central, to see the traditional ruler. The town he had never been to, which he even thought must be a village.
Since God would never mislead a man, he took the steps of faith and located the town, along Sagamu-Isiun-Abeokuta Express Road. He sought for a direction to the palace of the monarch, and went there.
In his words, "The lord led us to Late Oba Johnson Taylor of Kobape town. The issue of Timing can best be appreciated because the King died less than two years later, after he sold the property to us"
The monarch had bought a parcel of land near the Express road, some years back, fenced it and just kept it. So, when this apostle, David Otaru, got there he told the King that God sent him to go and ask for the land he has reserved for them from him. The monarch asked him which of the parcels of land, because he has some in the forest. But he told the Oba that what they needed was near the major highway.
Eventually they ended up buying two and a half acres of land, located near the highway. And God even granted them favour before the monarch that he simply asked them to pay for 12 plots out of the 15plots; while he dashed them the remaining three plots of land.
Speaking on this, Dr Otaru simply said:
"...we have acquired two and a half acres of land. The achievement is traceable to Favour and Divine Direction. On July 20, 2020, amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted the groundbreaking ceremony for our Secretariat on a 2.5-acre property, sold to us by the then monarch of Kobape, Oba Johnson Taylor (now deceased). God led me to his palace, and he agreed to sell the land."
L-R: Pastor Bolarinwa(in Suit), Rev. (Mrs) Yetunde O. Sadipo and the Guest Speaker From UK. Divine Provisions
With the money gotten from Pastor Adeboye, they purchased the land in that 2020, got the necessary approval from the State Government, and started building the ultramodern hall.
In 2021, he was contemplating whether to organize or cancel their next annual Leadership Capacity Building Conference, LCBC, in view of the poor attendance recorded during the last one held in September at the Deeper Life Campground, Abeokuta.
My next goals, apart from the physical structure is to leave behind a well motivated officers ready to do things in a new way to reflect our shared values as handed over by our founding fathers
Divine Guidance
He said however that God spoke to him in a night vision in which he saw that the program was held at their new State Secretariat, Kobape and the place was fully occupied by numerous participants.
Through that divine revelation on the steps to take to get the program organized, he quickly took bold steps.
"When I woke up I wrote it down boldly. And I said the LCBC must hold. That was the confidence I had. At the state meeting I announced to everyone who attended the meeting what God told me about how today would be; that it's going to be successful. Now, has it come to pass or not?" He said questioning.
Those in attendance at the meeting replied loudly, in a chorus : "Yes ooooo.!" And a lot of people clapped, and also shouted "Hallelujah !".
With unwavering faith, he took bold moves. Some were sceptical that how can he leave Abeokuta city in which attendance was poor last year to now organize the conference in a bush in Kobape. Consequently those who couldn't see any sense in that decision were waiting for him to fail, so that they would say they warned him but he didn't listen.
The Challenges
Of course, he and everyone involved in the planning committee for the programme had a lot of reasons to be discouraged because it was the first time they were planning to hold the LCBC program outside Abeokuta.
While the usual venue they had always been using, Deeper Life Bible Church's campground, Abeokuta, have all the facilities needed to host participants, the new PFN State headquarters, at Kobape, didn't have any of the facilities to use.
READ THIS: Ogun PFN Chairman, Otaru commiserates with Gov Abiodun over father's death.
They needed to clear bush at the venue, erect sufficient canopies, supply all the chairs, tables and provide all other necessary logistics. And they also had to ask members to come out of the state capital, Abeokuta and other major cities and developed towns in the state, to attend the conference in a sleepy town of Kobape.
With unwaivering faith in God however and availability of money, he and his team embarked on the goal of clearing the place for the conference. The outcome was a huge success. The 2021 Leadership and Capacity Building Conference (LCBC) was attended by many people.
"Let's go and see what would happen in that their new site" was what led many people who had never attended the LCBC program before, to attend that Kobape program for the first time. That was how many of them participated in the PFN programme at the new State Secretariat.
Of course, that marked the beginning of the organization of the PFN State programmes in that place they call PFN Legacy Secretariat, Kobape, till date.
The Maiden LCBC & The Success Story
Pastor Poju Oyemade, the Senior Pastor and Founder of The Covenant Nation (TCN), Lagos State and convener of The Platform Nigeria, was the guest speaker at the first LCBC to be organized at that Legacy Secretariat in 2021. He spoke on the theme of the conference, "LET THY KINGDOM COME"
The State Governor Dapo Abiodun was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi; who expressed the need for church's support in making government's COVID-19 vaccination programme successful.
When it was time to raise offerings for the Legacy Project, the Archbishop John Osa-Oni, who anchored it, disclosed that N5 million was needed to complete the roofing of the building.
He demanded that 100 people who could contribute fifty thousand naira each to meet the required funds, should kindly raise their hands up for recognition. And that they can either give them the money via cheque, E-money transfer, or make pledge.
However, Pastor Oyemade who had finished his speech and was already sitting beside Apostle Otaru, simply asked him to stop the raising of the fund and demanded that the PFN account details be given him so that he could transfer the money immediately.
He however instructed that his name should not be mentioned as the one donating it.
READ THIS : Ogun PFN to hold 2021 leadership capacity building conference at Kobape on Saturday.
That was how God effortlessly solved the multimillion Naira needs of the association through obedience to God's instruction in organizing the program there. Just for God to prove that it's His own agenda to build the costly hall at His appointed time. And to reward those who have faith in Him by obeying His instructions.
Dr Otaru however disclosed the receipt of the money and the donor during the dedication of Pastor Adeboye's Legacy Hall, while appreciating the various benefactors who contributed to the success of the building project and the State Legacy Secretariat.
Kudos To Dr Oyedepo
He also disclosed how he was led to meet Bishop David Oyedepo on the project, who also donated N10 millions to the construction of the building as well.
"God chose his faithful servants to fund the project. Some of these benefactors had no prior relationship with me, but God inspired and instructed me to reach out. The sanctuary is named after Pastor E.A. Adeboye in recognition of his counsel and support." Dr Otaru said.
After the completion of the edifice, he and his team decided to name it Pastor E A Adeboye Legacy Hall, in honour of the Octogenarian General Overseer who is a spiritual father to many great men of God today, not only in Africa but across the world, among whom he is.
For the dedication ceremony of this magnificent building, the national President of the PFN, His Eminence, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, was the most appropriate man for the assignment. Of course, he was also one of the spiritual lieutenants or sons of Pastor Adeboye, who disclosed that the man Adeboye famously nicknamed Daddy G.O. was the one who commissioned him into ministry decades ago.
Pastor Adeboye couldn't come for the historic dedication but he sent Pastor Josiah Akin Bolarinwa, the Assistant Continental Overseer of the RCCG on Research & Development, to represent him.
At the event were the Ogun State Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, C.A.N, Rt. Rev Emmanuel Adekunle, who also represented the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun at the event.
Notable other dignitaries included the pioneer state chairman of Ogun PFN, Pastor Israel Abatan of RCCG, Pastor Lanre Adenekan (the Founder of Chapel of Victory, Sagamu) and many other notable ministers of God.
His Mission & Role of Faith
Speaking on his unwaivering faith in God, which was the theme of the dedication program of the Pastor Adeboye's Legacy Hall, Apostle Otaru said, "Faith is the only currency in the kingdom that get you to your desired goals. The project began during COVID-19 when the world was shut down but we were able to forge ahead."
He then made public appreciation of Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor Poju Oyemade, Rev. Sam Aboyeji, Pastor Bolaji Idowu, and many others too numerous to mention.
"We now have a permanent address where affairs of the body can be fully conducted without let or hindrance".
"We now have a permanent address where affairs of the body can be fully conducted without let or hindrance".
On that red letter day, Bishop Wale Oke who arrived later, made his brief speech, prayed for the people and led the team of ministers of God, and other attendees available, to the new building. There and then, he prayed for the dedication of the Pastor E.A. Adeboye Legacy Hall, cut the ribbon both at the two entrances of the building.
He then led everyone inside the hall, moved to the platform of the hall, anoint the place, after praying briefly with prophetic utterances that every prayer people offer in the Hall shall be answered by God.
READ THIS: Apostle Otaru Discloses The Secret Behind The Success of Ogun PFN 2021 Leadership Conference
With the completion of the dedication of the Pastor E.A. Adeboye Legacy Hall, the chairman of the PFN, Apostle Dr David Ahmed Otaru succeeded in putting m place not just PFN State Legacy Secretariat, he accomplished the dream many of the past seven (7) State Chairmen of the association would have wished happened during their tenure.
This apostle however is not allowing the success to be-cloud his reasoning or make him proud. He told Successful People Magazine in an interview:
"I was privileged to be the first State chairman outside the state capital.
I was also privileged that God chose 8th season to build a Secretariat for the body of Christ.To God be the glory.
"The building of the Secretariat further established the vision of our founding fathers in Ogun state and the Nation in general."
"The building of Secretariat further establishes the vision of our founding fathers in Ogun state and the Nation in general."
He noted that he was only privileged to be the person God chose and helped him to achieve the great vision. And he gave the glory to God for that.
He said further, "We now have a permanent address where affairs of the body can be fully conducted without let or hindrance".
Speaking on the impact of the Secretariat on members and the host community, Dr Otaru said: "The members now can have meetings, spiritual programmes as at when due. The social -economic impact on the community is huge."
Top Dignitaries & Guests At The Event
The commissioning witnessed the presence of several eminent leaders of faith including the pioneer Chairman of the Ogun State PFN, Pastor Israel Abatan, Pastor Josiah Bolarinwa who represented pastor Adeboye, Pastor Afolabi Testimony-the representative of Bishop David Oyedepo, Rev. (Mrs) Yetunde O. Sadipo that represented Rev. Sam Aboyeji of Four Square Gospel Church, the traditional rulers from Egba and Remo land, representative of the Commissioner of Police, among others.
Next GOALS & Message To Coming LEADERS:
"My next goals, apart from the physical structure is to leave behind a well motivated officers ready to do things in a new way to reflect our shared values as handed over by our founding fathers. I want to do my bit and leave a legacy of transparency, hard work, progress and development.
"My message to coming leaders is to maintain the link and be ready to build bridges. The bar of leadership has been raised and they must be ready to keep it higher to meet the expectations of the stakeholders", he said in clear terms.
These Are The Legacies
With these, Apostle (Dr) David Ahmed Otaru has laid some legacies for future leaders of PFN to see and emulate.
A legacy of unwavering faith. A legacy of great vision and obedience to God's direction and leading. A legacy of hard work and determination to succeed. A legacy of good leadership. A legacy of bringing something out of nothing.
A legacy of immortalizing great leaders. A legacy of obedience to God's instructions and being sensitive to His agenda.
To impact younger Christians to always choose leaders in accordance with God's leading and not based on sentiment.
The Legacy of accomplishing great goals and being vision driven with optimistic mindset.
These are the
Successful People Enduring Legacies.
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