The Olu of Owode Yewa Land, A traditional Ruler, A Preacher and A Missionary Evangelist, Speaks on How He combines His Multiple Roles
Oba Michael Sunday Akindele, the Olu of Owode Yewaland is a man who God has bestowed with diverse responsibilities. Over his people, he is a traditional ruler on one hand, and on the other a spiritual leader. He is an ordained minister of God and he is not leaving anybody in doubt over that.
From Monday, October 21 through Friday December 27, 2019 Oba Akindele and his New Generation Evangelical Mission International hosted a crusade tagged Time Changing Crusade of five days in a month, in three months where top gospel musicians in the likes of Dr. Bola Are, Lady Evang. Adenike Obiwale and Bunmi Akinaanu Adeoye ministered in songs, as he led other ministers of God in sharing the word of God, winning souls to the kingdom of God. The entire events climaxed in a Royal Praise Banquet Night on Friday 27th December 2019.
PTLNEWS was with Oba Rev. Akindele at his Owode Yewa palace where he shared his calling as a traditional ruler and a missionary with a clear declaration that he has no regret for being a traditional ruler and a missionary.
According to him his ascendancy to the throne was by the special grace of God saying “there is nothing a man can have without God. It is a confirmation of the plan of God over my life.”
Even as an ordained minister of God there had been revelations and prophecies about being groomed to lead his people.
“As a minister of God I had spent nine years as a Pastor of the United African Church and later as the General Secretary of New Covenant Apostolic Church International in Abeokuta. There was also a time I went to a mountain for a prayer and a man of God revealed that I was a traditional ruler. My desire was to live to serve God and humanity.
When the then reigning Baale joined his ancestors in 2009, the search light was beamed into his family which made the plan of God come into manifestation. “The government then wrote to our family and I was presented while the other contestants withdrew. On June 7, 2010 I was the only one elected. Litigation followed, we went to court and I was vindicated on February 1, 2016.”
As a traditional ruler, when asked how he combines the responsibilities of a traditional ruler and a pastor over a culturally plural people in terms of faiths and beliefs, Oba Akindele attributed all success to God. He explained, “In the course of the work there have been series of challenges but to God be the glory for seeing us through. It is not by our power but by the grace of God. There are battles indeed but God conquares because He is with us.
“We bank on the wisdom from God. It is part of the grace I received from God since 22nd May 1995 when I was ordained a minister of God. In my first year on the throne former Governor Ibikunle Amosun indicated his interest in fostering peace in Ogun State. I was installed a day before his own inauguration. I came back and called all our people together. I let them know that the government of the day was not interested in trouble, and that no one should disturb any other. Since my reign, there has been harmony, love with no disturbance. There has been freedom of association and religion and that has been working with us and there has been peace in Owode land.
“Before I was installed, I made them know it is Christ that I hold and that they would not be expecting me to join them to make sacrifices. When I was installed, we made a proclamation that no Oro (a traditional cult group that women should not see) should come out in the afternoon but only in the night, and they have complied under government control. God has been helping us with wisdom, knowledge and understanding .
“Both as a pastor, missionary and a traditional ruler I am here on all ends to attend to community needs, once I would not be available I would let them know.”
On his relationship with CAN and PFN, Oba Akindele described it as very cordial. “We work with CAN and PFN and other religious groups. They have been carrying me along with their programmes and activities. We have joint prayer sessions helping the town and the government at all levels. The mutual interest has been helpful.
His Royal majesty also has his advice for other fellow Christians who may be picked for the post of a traditional ruler, he saw this as a welcome development. “We thank God for that. It is to show that God is turning traditional table for His glory. Apart from me there have been three other Obas who are pastors around here. One came to me I told him that coronation is God ordained from heaven.”
Speaking further he said “We have been making the mistakes in the past to have allowed unbelievers to lead us. Here 95% of my chiefs have been muslim and we have been balancing things up.”
Oba Matthew is a preacher, missionary and evangelist, even before he was enthroned.
He now presides over Oba Rev. Akindele Go Ye Outreach Ministries and coordinates the New Generation Evangelical Mission which hosts Hours of Divine Change on every second Saturday of the month inside Owode Yewa Town Hall, ministering alongside other anointed men and women of God.
On this he said again “I received this vision in the New Generation Evangelical Mission. There was a day I was watching Bishop Oyedepo’s programme, then I went into trance and saw a big hand. The name was written in white and they made me realise it was a vision of the future.
“We began with a crusade in 2017. We now have a programme on every second Saturday of the month called Hours of Divine Change and we have been recording series of testimonies. The outreach is borne out of New Generation Evangelical Mission to go from one place to the other, propagating one message of the gospel or the other. The main focus is to populate the kingdom of God. We take invitations to minister in crusades outside Owode. I was in London in 2017 and in the United States of America moving and proclaiming the message of the gospel. “We are believing God for great things.
Asked about how he funds these crusades and his outreach ministries, his response was simply “El-Shaddai is our source” speaking further he said that reminded him of Bishop Oyedepo’s statement that ‘when God commissions a prophet, He makes the provision for it. God has been providing for us,” he explained.
The traditional ruler also took time to speak on his community, need for government’s presence and what the government can do to improve the life of his people being a commercial centre that shares boundary with the international community of Benin Republic.
“Seeing our environment, one needs no interview to tell the government that we need government’s intervention seriously. We have been making moves and the present governor has visited us to see things on the ground. He has promised us and we are holding to his promise.”
The community also enjoys a conspicuous presence of government’s security agencies, a relationship which the monarch said has been very cordial.
“In Owode here being a boundary community we have the Police, the Custom, Immigration and even the Army and the Civil Defence. In fact we have two big Army Barracks. The Mapping and Surveying Barracks are here.
“This is a border line, and we have cordial relationships in the area of security. We hold regular security meetings with the agencies and there has been peace in the town and Yewaland. They are helpful and we are accommodating.
Owode Yewa also has its own share of the present Federal government’s move to ban imported goods especially rice. “On ban on rice importation, we need to plead with the government at federal level on borderline development scheme. We need that pecular scheme so that our boys and girls can benefit from it. We need the presence of private companies and organisations to establish industries where our people can work. We want the government to intervene.”
On the state of the nation the Olu of Owode Yewa drew his counsel from Proverbs 29; 2 which says ‘Righteousness exalts a nation, and sin a reproach,’ as he concluded “Without righteousness, nothing will work in Nigeria. Let the leaders discharge their duties in righteousness and the people will rejoice and when the people are happy there will be peace and progress in the land.
For who may care to know, Oba Akindele is a man of God without pretense, when asked about how many wives he has in his palace he jokingly responded that I know you would like to ask, and he explained.
“When I came to the throne here, people called me to give me a new wife. My simple answer was that they never knew where myself and my wife were coming from that made them take reverse. I thank God for my destiny fulfilling partner. We are so blessed together. We pray for more grace, My Olori is Pastor Mary Solakemi Akindele. She is a pillar of my life and ministry.”
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