Months after the demolition of the Omega Power Ministry’s (OPM) property, which included a free school for orphans and children of widows along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos, the church’s General Overseer, Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, has purchased a new building and converted it into another free school.

In January, the Lagos State government demolished the property, citing redevelopment plans by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).

The government compensated OPM with N123 million for the demolished school, though the church valued the property at N900 million. After visiting the Marine Base area and witnessing the high population of people in need, Apostle Chinyere decided to establish the new free school there. He observed many impoverished children without access to education and felt compelled to act.

“Since early this year, I have come to the conclusion that any OPM branch that is very close to each other, one will be converted to a tuition-free school or OPM free hospitals, then members will move to the nearest OPM church,” he said.

He questioned the necessity of having multiple church branches in close proximity while many church members face hardships.

“What is the essence of opening church branches very close to each other, while it is the same gospel of Christ that is being preached and while there are many members in the same church that their children cannot go to school or have access to good healthcare because of money?”

He highlighted the plight of widows whose children are unable to attend school due to financial constraints, stating, “My dream is to see all children of the poor have unhindered access to free education, no matter the tribe or religion.

One of the major reasons for the high increase in crime in Nigeria is lack of education.” Apostle Chinyere emphasised that the church’s focus should be on people rather than physical structures.

“In OPM church, we believe that the church is not the building; church is the human being inside the building. That’s one of our major reasons we invest more on the human beings inside the building than the structure of the building. God is interested in human beings, than church buildings,” he added.