Bishop (Prof.) Leonard Umunna is the General Overseer of the Bible Life Church Cathedral International (BLCC), A.K. A Favoured Church. Apart from being one of the sought after firebrand ministers of God in Nigeria and Abroad, he covers all professions including education. A minister of God with creative and intellectual integrity to the core.
His celebration at 50 on the pulpit is not 50 days but 59 years on earth which he has done many great things which cannot be eased in the sand of time. He has able to demonstrate God’s love on the poor people in Nigeria and never wants to be a minister of God that accumulates wealth alone but wants to see beyond the four walls of the altar .
He has made many people from zero level to hero level in all professions in Nigeria. Professor Umunna is a household name in the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and others. His ministerial calling was a misery but he was able to prove his enemies wrong that God is the ultimate goal of our lives not man. He is a great teacher of word of God. His legacies and achievements are uncountable and the only Ajegunle minister of God that has sagacious love for both print and electronic media in Nigeria. His visionary prophecies and views are indubitable and undisputable in Nigeria.
He is a man after God’s heart. The only missionary proprietor that pays his school staffers before 28 of each month and even paid them for 8 months to 3 years without making a profit as a trained entrepreneur to the core. The only Nigeria minister of God that receives his calling at 9 and never backslided, defeated or recorded any malicious scandal as some ministers of God in Nigeria have been accused in recent times but believes on forward only. He has also received many merit awards from all walks of life through his regular selfless services to humanity. He is one of the polished writers in Nigeria that has ever being produced and still remains humble to God. He is not a commercialized pastor but a pastor with the fear of God in his life and blessed with children and adopted ones that are towing the same path with him.
He is a man who never went through primary or secondary school but became a renowned Professor with self-determination. He is a man of God that has never-ending and extra-ordinary successes in life and chairman of many blue chip companies in Nigeria. Bible Life Church Cathedral is one the fast- growing Pentecostal churches in Nigeria and Abroad where holiness is being preached on the altar regularly. His youth choir recently won the best gospel act in Lagos because of his undiluted lectures on drama and music in his calling ministry. In this comprehensive interview with high profile and trained Nigerian journalists in his palatial office, he veritably explained his early conversion to Christ, 50 years on the pulpit without defeat, major challenge facing Nigeria education sector and many other issues.
Excerpts:
Today marked your 50 years on the pulpit, how did you feel about it? .
I am very excited, vivacious and grateful to God almighty for keeping my life till today. I have died several times and God told me to return and complete my assignment on earth. Everything I have today is from God not my making. The day I gave my life to Jesus Christ was the day I was called into the ministry.
Remember that I have been in the ministry for two years before I was born again. I was a Roman Catholic worshipper to the core even intended to remain a Catholic faithful but God arrested me to join him in the fire of undiluted message to the unbelievers.
What were the challenges you have faced since you gave your life to Jesus Christ?
You find some of my enumerated challenges I highlighted in my recent book” Forward only”. My challenges are too numerous to count. A man that escaped death for 99 times. In all my challenges, I passed through in life, I never gave up or defeated. I have a special song on my challenges of life.
Sir, you have affected lives positively in all ramifications, presently, the Nigeria education sector is in shamble, what is your thought towards this?
We have missed our education sector somewhere, till now, we are still missing it. We left the TC11 behind, we have don’t have proper evaluation before examination.
These are people that have great impacts on education but we have neglected them rather employing graduates without required skills on educational development of our children at the basic level which the TC11 is better trained for such impartation. Today in the education sector we have more vernacular than English Language. The dwindling economy has also affected the sector too. Let us go back to the drawing board where our teachers can be re-trained with 21st century knowledge and revived the TC11 so that our children in basic 3 can write well. Even today, it would amaze you that a secondary student cannot write a simple sentence in English Language but Umunna schools remain the best in Nigeria.
Are your biological children towing the same path with you?
All my biological children are doing well in their endeavors. In fact none of my children are lagging behind in terms of 21st century knowledge and information in the world. All are leaders and pastors of their called ministries. My last child just completed eighteen years and he is presently in the University studying education.
What is your stake towards the Unresolved ASUU strike in Nigeria?
ASUU strike is a not physical issue but spiritual. I can say here, it is political but the President has said it before. Some people want to use physical measure to arrest spiritual matters. We should emphasize on leadership and corruption and the country will be better for all of us. We have left the major thing than concentrating on the inconsequential.
Sir, Nigeria at 53, did you think, we have made progress so far?
In fact we have made great progresses. If anybody says we have not made progress since 1960, then such a person must re-examined himself well.
We took from the colonial masters; our aviation sector was flying without plane crashes. Suddenly we could not make up again because Nigeria factor. Look at our electricity problem many a time I have asked people to ask those that in charge of the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECA) on what is wrong with the power? If we know exactly what is going on, then we can improve on our technology and reduce our electricity challenge has crumbled our economy over the years. The problem is that we have left our real foundation to faulty one.
The recent plane crash which claimed many lives in Nigeria and yet nothing has been done to prevent future crashes, everyday you hear that many aviation staffers and airline operators have been suspended or licenses withdrawn, What is your view towards the Aviation regular mishaps?
Nobody in Nigeria who is not experiencing downwards economy now. No one is better except God intervenes in our lives in Nigeria. It is not well with Nigeria in the physical realm. Nobody should blame Nigeria for the cause of the multiple problems. All of us on the knee to plead with God for our total deliverance. We need leaders that can take us to the Promised Land. We left the British foundation and now we are pursuing Nigeria factor. We should build a new foundation with the ideal of the past.
When did you get your conversion to Christ?
I got born in 1963. I was in the seminary before I got converted to Christ.
The recent National Conference being proposed by President Jonathan to Nigeria, What is your response to it?
Nothing President Jonathan will do now that will not elicit high profile criticisms because of the way he started and PDP too. President Jonathan will have good intentions but those people surrounding him are the caused specifically those wishing the country bad. Though proposing the National Conference, he might have an ulterior motive or otherwise which I don’t know. He should fight corruption to the barest minimum now that should be his major assignment to restore Nigeria’s leadership.
Sir , How did your school get instant approval which took some schools over ten years to be approved according to the statement made by the former permanent secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Education district 5 which you invited for your 50 years on the pulpit?
I have said it time without number that we must go back to the drawing board to run our education sector.
My school met all the requirements which the government needed so I was not afraid of anything because the school is set on the standard of missionary and nothing else. I paid my teachers before 28 of each month and most of the students and pupils are on scholarship. I did not set up the school to mint money but to impart knowledge on the younger generational leaders. Our school remains the best among private schools in Nigeria with best SSCE results.
What is your message to Nigerians? We must elect credible leaders that will give us credible leadership in Nigeria.
Written By GODDAY ODIDI
