Bishop Kola Onaolapo is the visionary of Superfest and the founder of Abundant Life Gospel Churches with headquarters in Agege, Lagos.
HOW much of your childhood and growing up can you recollect?
I was born in Kwara State. I had my primary education in Kwara before moving to Zaria in 1968 to complete it. I came back to Kwara State for my secondary school. I got admission to School of Basic Studies of the Ahmadu Bello University in 1975. From there I did my university at the same university.
How would you describe the North where you lived to what you see today?
The North of those days is not so much different from the North of now. I won't forget that as an undergraduate every Friday we were in fear of what would happen. It became more serious in the late 1970's. I remember it was about 'Ali must go'. It was the first major riot that I witnessed. What precipitated Islamic fundamentalism was the issue of South/North. It was religious. It came to a time that every Friday whenever they were coming from the mosque, you couldn't be sure. Everybody would be in fear. When we left the university, it became worse. When a problem begins and it is not put under control at the early stage, it gets to this stage.
If you had not become a preacher, what would you have done?
As a graduate of Chemistry, I was to teach. But the same time I was to teach, I was to get employment to NASCO group of companies in Jos. I was to work in the chemical segment of the household products. I didn't work with them but I was to work with them. But in the midst of all preparations, I had my letter of employment to teach; NASCO was calling me for interview which I knew would have worked. My obsession was to work in an industrial based firm.
Right from my undergraduate days, I have been a preacher. Some people did not know whether I was a student or a pastor because I was involved with the Samaru Gospel Team which was started as a result of a yearly mission to ABU. It was a campus crusade. The university is a city on its own. The late Kehinde Aina was the first to invite me to where they were taking care of the converts of mission to ABU.
Those converts were not students. A fellowship was started for them; many of them were in the employ of the ABU. We were using the Assemblies of God Church in Samaru. It was an interdenominational fellowship. Sincerely that was where God trained me in pastoring and evangelism. A time came that I was like the evangelist of the church. We used to go on crusades. We were so obsessed with soul-winning.
As a student, I preached in so many crusades and I never knew that it was leading somewhere. After I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I knew that a radical change had occurred in my life.
You claimed to have had an unusual visitation when Jesus visited you in your room. What really happened?
I didn't leave the university with the vision to becoming a pastor. Some people predicted it but I didn't take them serious. I had an ambition; I wanted to work in a chemical based industry. As a graduate, you would press many buttons that was why I was given a teaching appointment with the Plateau State government because I was based in Jos.
I thought the baptism in the Holy Spirit was the end but now I know that it was just the first phase in that encounter. I usually woke up around 3a.m to pray. After the prayer, I slept off again. Then I heard a voice that 'I will be calling you to preach the gospel.' Exactly two weeks later, the same voice came asking me to fast and pray that God wanted to speak to me. I was not good at fasting. I thought I had to do several days and night which I had never done. I knew that if God told me to fast, he was going to give me the grace.
I started that prayer the following day and by 4p.m. I was trying to rest. I lay down to rest after a session of prayers. My eyes were opened but I was suspended. My door was open and I saw Jesus walk in. How did I know him? I just knew. I could not talk. Every movement was suspended. He walked as far as to my bed and took my hands in his. It was as though I was holding an electric wire because the shock was much. The whole of my body was vibrating. He did not say a word, he just held my hand. I believe he was trying to pass the anointing into my life. I can't remember how long. I could not scream. Then he left my hands and vanished. As he vanished, an audible voice came saying 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel.'
Immediately, I came back to my normal self, and then I knew God was calling me. If he had not visited me in that way, I might not have responded to divine call for full time ministry. My mind was not there at all.
Your church is one of the biggest in Agege where the Dana air crash occurred. Reports have it that many of the residents are living in the fear of being haunted by the dead, considering the mass deaths of the crash. What would be your reaction to this?
I have never heard that they are afraid of that. I heard a lot of calls from within and without. I told someone that God has exempted us. It is an unfortunate incident. For people to say that they are being haunted by the dead, I don't understand. You see the bottom-line is for people to know God. If you are born again, ghosts won't chase you. The incidence should draw people to God. It should be a stepping stone to new decisions. Death does not write application. The best is for people to surrender their lives to Jesus.
I have a lot of members living in that area and on Sunday we had a lot of testimonies after the incident. One of my deacons said that the incident happened about three buildings away from his house.
I have serious optimism about what God can do in this country. The greatest problem we have is corruption. As it is in the high, it is in the low. Many of our leaders travel out and see democracy and way of life. They come back and the best thing they can do is to steal money and still take them out. They are educated but education has not helped them. The average Nigerian does not fear God and so is not bothered about the destiny of the nation.
