As I watch him on this stage this morning a few weeks after the passing of his lovely wife i can only marvel at his strength.
His son had already posted on IG an image of him leading praise worship a few days after the sad occurrence and captioned it ‘you be man’
Well as i watch, i could see why he was a man. The songs, the power erupting from them can hold anybody turning a wormlike creature like Chinua Achebe’s Unoka into a vibrating and pulsating warrior talk less of a spirit filled soldier like Pastor Odukoya.
My last encounter with him was almost 10 years ago. I had been reported for severe domestic violence. I was still mad that time and had gone on a violent binge attacking everything and anything on my path.
I was summoned and I went. A lot of people summoned me but i didnt go. Not even interested. I had no respect for any authority. Needed to calm down by myself.
Then the call came. It was Pastor Odukoya himself. Edgar, come see me. I was his stockbroker by extension. I dealt through a close relation who i just saw now this morning and dodged.
Pastor Taiwo will not call me and 600 demons will stop me. I went. I sat in his office, head bowed as he watched me with pity.
He said let me pray for u. He placed his hands on my head and i gave up. My legs turned to jelly, the madness seeped out of me and inner peace came by me.
He said,’ joseph, you have a wonderful name. You will live to fulfil his destiny in your life’ he said stand up and go and be the man you are destined to be’
I stood up and looked at him. No preaching, no judgement, no stupid examples of how he too was worse than me when he was in the Lord- that one used to irritate me- he just laid hands and said go.
Since then i have not laid my hands on any woman again.
So when the news of Pastor Nomthi came. I was weak. I knew the woman and i saw her in church once in a while.
I liked the fact that she didn’t try to suppress the structure she met or build her own structure. She just subsumed herself into the church and became a strong helper and a dear sister and aunty to all.
We Fountaineers- forget that i have not reached this church in almost a decade, except you want to count when traffic will catch me in Ilupeju and i will branch to kill time or when i get home and i have been locked out and had to rush to church to pick up the keys from Chantal, i am still a Fountaineer
It is usually on one of those rare occasions that I stumble on Pastor Nomthi, marvel at her beauty and ask how Pastor Taiwo scored this one.
I will conclude and say Holy spirit put hand. Pastor couldn’t have done this alone.
As i listen to the powerful songs, the Pastor on his knees on stage, the spirit filled ambience of the very beautiful auditorium, my body ensconced with goose pimples and tears beginning to erupt from my tired glands, I feel GOD.
Pastor Nomthi came here for a purpose. All the way from her homeland to make a very powerful point and she made that point with heavy impact.
This is why i have broken my church drought and came to church this morning once again cos Pastor Taiwo ‘called’.
His pain called and not that he needed me to soothe it but because i needed to share in his strength while also giving honour to the very beautiful and sweet angel we all know as Pastor Nomthi Odukoya
About the Duke of Shomolu
Joseph Edgar is a maverick investment Banker, theatre producer, columnist and essayist.
Over 65,000 people have seen his stage productions with the most recent Awo and Aremu attracting the Vice President, Prof Osibanjo, The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu and Fmr President Olusegun Obasanjo
His column in Thisday- Loudwhispers is one of the most read in the country.
He has authored four books and two coffee table books including the hot selling Anonymous Nipples
