Eighty-nine-year-old founder of The Ark of Covenant Church Aladura, Primate David Olonade speaks with KAYODE FALADE about his life, church proliferation in Nigeria among others
When and where were you born?
I was born on May 18, 1925 in Lagos. My parents were prophets. They were from Abule Ilota near Abeokuta, Ogun State. I am the last born of my mother and she had five children for my father. My mother was also a big time trader. She would go by boat to buy palm kernels, cocoa and palm oil and sell them at Ebute-Ero in Lagos. It was during one of her trips that she fell into labour and she was taken to her mother’s house at 30, Ago Isofin Street, Lagos Island. From there she was taken to Mercy Hospital, Itafaji. There I was born. Then, birth certificates were given to mothers immediately after child births.
When did you start schooling?
I don’t really remember the year I started schooling but it was in Abeokuta. My father who was also a farmer and carpenter never loved education. He preferred farming or carpentry to schooling. After spending some time in school, he wanted me to join him on the farm but my mother loved education thus she quietly took me to Lagos to continue my schooling. I continued at St John’s School, Aroloya in Lagos where I stopped at Standard Four. I continued at Holy Trinity Methodist School, Tinubu, Lagos. Where the Tinubu Fountain is, was the location of the Supreme Court while the present site of the Central Bank of Nigeria was occupied by a police station and fire brigade station. I left school in 1944. The World War II started in 1939 and ended in 1945. Before I was Daniel but my father was also Daniel. Later I changed my name to David Oluyemi Olonade
How was your growing up?
After my birth, my mother refused to allow my father sleep with her again because she wanted to dedicate herself totally to the service of God. This became a major issue in our family. After series of family meetings, my father agreed but only if she could get him a young virgin for a wife. One day, she approached the local seer, Pa Jacob, to help pray for a young virgin for her husband. The man said there was no need for prayer as such a girl resided in his house. That was how his daughter, Wuraola Felicia, Pa Jacob’s daughter, got married to my father.
In those days, brides were escorted to their grooms’ houses late in the evening (usually around 10pm). The groom was not expected to be at home. He would be in some houses near his; with his wrapper tied on his waist. In those days, the bride, even when living on the next street must not walk through the street her betrothed lived on until the day of the wedding. She must not also enter his house or residence until her wedding day. The bride was usually accompanied by a Seli band from her father’s compound. On her arrival, water would be poured on her feet after which she would be taken to the husband’s bedroom. The husband would now go into her to confirm whether or not she was a virgin. If confirmed a virgin, the crowd outside would applaud loudly and dance home to give the household the good news. Such was the tradition then. Sadly, things have changed and virginity is no longer treasured that much.
What did you do after schooling?
When I completed Standard Six, I enrolled as an apprentice to a carpenter. I had some skills in carpentry because my father was also a carpenter. I decided to hone my skills because one of my elder brothers who returned from the WWII was a carpenter. He was then employed at the Yaba Trade Centre now known as the Yaba College of Technology. But while doing this, I still enrolled at an evening school. After completing my apprenticeship I crossed to another profession: electrical installation.
Why did you dump carpentry?
It was a strenuous job. I learnt electrical installation under Bisiriyu. After graduating, I started working for the Europeans at Lagos. Then I also worked with a shipping firm. I was a ship electrician. It was on one of my numerous trips that I went to Liverpool in England. That was my first trip abroad. After that I crossed to the Electrical Corporation of Nigeria where I was also working under some Europeans. Nigeria was still under colonial rule then.
When did you buy your first car?
I bought my first car at 21. It was a used car. I bought it for three pounds. A driver friend of mine came to inform me that a car had been put for sale and if he had been buoyant enough, he would have bought it. We went there together and bought it. Prior to this time, I already had a Chevrolet kit car given to me by the ECN. It was this same friend who taught me how to drive.
When did you get married?
My first marriage was in 1950. It was a society wedding. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola’s father, was our big uncle on the street, and he spearheaded the wedding. But I later lost my wife and son who was born in 1950 during a terrible illness. My wife left me during the illness and got married to a traditional medicine man. But she later died during childbirth while the child she had for me too died.
How did you become a prophet and church founder?
In those days itinerant prophets were many in Lagos. Thus anytime there was a prophet going round the streets or praying for people, and there was a lot of people, my friends and I would go there. What I discovered was that any time the prophet was prophesying, he would pick me out of the multitude and say I am an anointed person who would eventually work for God. Initially, it was fun and I would kneel before them while they prayed for me but later these got embarrassing and I was fed up. So anytime a prophet prophesised about me, my friends and I would beat him up. Then, I was a very tough young man. Those days, I was not attending churches. I was too busy working and making trouble around. There were eight of us. We were all friends and we dressed alike. It was real fun. We knew each other’s girlfriends. We also had nicknames. Mine was Dogoman. Then if robbers would strike on Lagos Island, they would write to the residents of the street asking them to be prepared. But they were not armed robbers. Then, we the boys of the street would now turn sentries, keeping vigil, guarding the street. I did not go to church. I only attended churches on New Year’s Day. The church I attended was St John’s Anglican Church.
However, when the time came for me to serve, I was still resisting God. I was very reluctant. I never wanted to be a servant of God. One day I was working and trying to connect some cables, as I was doing this, one of my boss’ sons was holding the ladder, the boy called from below that I should come down. I asked why and he told me that the ladder was shaking. Though I could not feel this, I was feeling something worse. My whole body was covered in cold sweat and I felt weak. Eventually I dismounted. As I was making my way towards the office, I fainted. There was commotion,. Eventually, I was revived and was taken to the hospital. The doctor attended to me and I went home. I thought I would be better but that was the beginning of an illness that left me crippled. The illness persisted and I could not return to work. Eventually I was taken to traditional doctor who said he would not bill me much if I could help him copy his recipes into one large big. This I did as he treated me. After spending months with him and there was no improvement, I was taken home. By then I had lost my job, returned the Chevrolet and sold everything I had including my personal car. By then, I lad lost the use of my limbs. What happened after that? My mother died. She died on April 1, 1947 but my father sent for me. He asked me to be brought back to the village. I was packaged and put on a lorry and returned to our village. As I was being carried to the river bank to join the boat that would take me home we were stopped by someone who turned out to be a friend and former classmate. He was the dispenser of the village. He saw the state I was in and came looking for me with a colleague later in the day. He commenced treatment but it was to no avail. I was urinating and defecating on myself. I was in this state for three years and seven months. Out of the period, for three months and 12 days I neither ate, drank nor spoke. I was just on my own, lying on the ground. Now, I could not move again. I was just there. They only turned me over when they remembered to. My sides were swollen and covered with bed sores. I was stinking. At the end of the three months, 12 days, I spoke and demanded to eat pap. Quickly, my father who had just been called from the mountain where he had been praying, organised pap and fish for me. Of course, I was fed like a baby. I didn’t eat more than three morsels when I started vomiting, urinating and defecating. The stench was so much that everybody fled the village. Eventually I fell into the mess and lost consciousness. The people prevailed on my father that I was dead and thus should be buried. My father complied and made a coffin. Around 1pm, they had prepared me for burial when Pa Jacob, the village seer stormed in and called my father, “Olonade, why do you want to bury a living man?” he asked my father. He continued, “It is I the Lord that bind him.” This made my father to put the coffin away. After three days, I was told that I came to again and they started nursing me back to health. However, I was still paralysed in my limbs. I could neither move my legs nor hands. They were all stiff. This continued until one day when I persuaded one Sakariyau, my cousin, to help me out. I forced my legs to stretch out. All the time, my after was in the mountain praying. They were told not to give me any medication, only ‘sanctified water’ which my father gave. After a while, I started walking through the aid of a walking street. Then one day I decided to return to Lagos. And I did. I returned to my brother’s house where his two wives were always making fun of me and my travails. After some time, my brother asked me to start attending a white garment church near his residence. At the church too, they told me I would serve the Lord. I was very annoyed. How could you tell me that I would serve the Lord without telling how I would be whole again?
When did you finally agree to serve God?
I was very reluctant. I saw myself as a popular and social person who was hardworking. How could I now be going about preaching and praying for people dressed in prayer robes? I just could not take it. Eventually I started training at Cherubim and Seraphim Church at No.2 Ajibode Street, headed by Omobua under the leadership of Captain Abiodun. There I spent seven years though the training was actually three and a half years.
When did you establish your church?
Eventually, I totally agreed to serve God when I was on Banjo Street in Lagos. I started with only two members -Dorcas, my niece who was attending a secondary modern school and myself. I would be ringing the bell while Dorcas would be singing. To the glory of God, people started trooping in. We were holding service in my bedsitter until the room could no longer contain us and the members asked me to get another place as church. I had no money but God provided through a man.
The first anniversary of my church was held on the first Sunday of August, 1960. The preacher of that day was Alogbo of Ayo Ni. I named it The Ark of Covenant Church, Aladura C and S. I moved to my current place at Idi-Araba in 1964. I received the Ark of the Lord in 1966. After that the Lord helped me to establish branches of my church in Ibadan, London and the United States.
When did you remarry?
I remarried in 1964.
How did you meet her?
Her name is Simbi. I met her at Banjo Street, Lagos where I first established a church. We were neighbours. She was a trader. Her parents were vehemently against our union because I was a prophet and lame. But at the end of the day we got married. She gave birth to our first child who is my eldest child in 1964.
How many wives do you have?
I have many wives but now I live with only two.
Why did you marry more than one wife?
I am a man of peace who abhors violence, nagging or bickering. I don’t have time for such things. I see women as fragile vessels. I have never laid my hands on any woman before in my life. I don’t see any reason for a man to beat his wife. I take care of my wives to the best of ability. I even pamper them. I don’t allow my wives to wash my clothes. I see giving clothes to one’s wife to wash as a kind of punishment. As such, I have always had a washer man to do my laundry. But some women being what they are will still misbehave. When a woman becomes uncontrollable under my roof, after many warnings, I invite her people and ask them to take her away.
Why are you not living with all of them?
I am a man who does not like bickering and quarrels. If a woman is getting too quarrelsome or belligerent, I ask her to leave.
Where are your children now?
Four of my children and their own children are in London. Others are in Nigeria and they are all doing well.
Which food do you like best?
Eba used to be my favourite but I have since stopped it. Now it is pounded yam, semovita and wheat. I love these meals with ewedu soup.
What is your take on the proliferation of churches?
That churches are many now is the fulfilment of the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. He said many churches would come. When I first got to this area, mine was the only church but now they are numerous. When truth arises, some untruths will also appear. The wheat and weed will grow together only to be separated on the day of harvest. There is one prayer often said in many churches: we always ask for sheep to come. Many unemployed people now think the easiest thing to become is a pastor. Thus without hearing the call and being properly trained they become pastors and establish churches. In all, it is a welcome development.
Some people are also asking religious organisations to pay tax. What is your take?
Jesus told us this in the Bible. Some of his disciples were asked to pay tax and they came to him. He asked them to go afishing and they caught a fish. They split it open and found a coin. At the end he asked them to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to the Lord what is His. Members had already paid tax so asking churches to pay tax from what members give will amount to double taxation. Only churches that have financial investments could be asked to pay tax; not everybody.
What would you say is the secret of your longevity?
It is nothing but the grace of God. Also, my father died at the age of 122 and eight months. So I’m also destined to live long despite my disabilities.
Do you exercise?
Some time ago, I was attending therapy sessions at the physiotherapy department in the general hospital. But now I don’t do again. However, my knees are hurting now. They say it is age related.
Do you have any regrets?
In every situation, the Bible tells us to always be thankful. No matter how sunny the sky is, there is always a dark cloud. No matter how happy the life of a man is, there will be moments of sorrow. But in all, I give thanks to the Almighty God. He has been so faithful. I have no regrets whatsoever.
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