I derive joy when others are happy — Odedeji

The Bishop of Lagos West Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rt. Reverend (Dr.) James Olusola Odedeji clocked 10 years as Bishop on April 28, 2023. The cleric who is also the Supervisory Bishop of Diocese of Lagos succeeded the late pioneer Bishop of Lagos West, Rt. Reverend (Dr.) Peter Awelewa Adebiyi who retired 10 years ago. In this interview with CHRIS IREKAMBA, Bishop Odedeji explains the challenges, why the Cathedral is wearing a new look, his visions for the diocese, election of a new Bishop for the Diocese of Lagos and what he should be remembered for including his advice to the in-coming government, among other issues.

Ten years in the saddle as Bishop of Lagos West, how has it been?
First, I want to give thanks to God who has helped us these 10 years of our episcopal journey. Well, it has not been very easy but God has always been there for us at every point in time. When we started the load seemed to be very enormous, but one thing we kept on telling God was that we cannot do it alone and so far He has helped us. These 10 years, we’ve had so many inspirations from God, and sometimes we are at the crossroads as humans there is always a voice from Him telling us what to do and how to do them. It has been very rewarding and those who are very close to us will tell you that we don’t make noise about whatever we have determined to do. So what God has done for us these 10 years is very clear for people to see. We thank God for the comments coming from people who are not even members of Anglican these people knew when we started and are aware of where we are concerning the activities of this diocese.

What are the activities lined up for the celebration?
We have been able to dedicate few churches, six new vicarages and by the grace of God, we are going to commission some lay readers at All Saints Church at Ikosi–Ketu, Lagos. We have also planned to visit some places like the orphanages, prisons and share few things we have with them and also minister the gospel to them.

The Cathedral is wearing a new look, what is happening?
By the grace of God, we are refurbishing the Cathedral, create more spaces and ensure that we have a befitting place of worship because this one is outdated, permit me to use that word and members have been thinking about this even before I came here. It has been in the pipeline all these years. The people who mooted the idea some of them might have even gone, but God’s time is the time. We used to say God’s time is the best but now ‘it is God’s time is the time.’ God has been so magnanimous to us, the drawing has been approved and the synod will be the last activity in this place. We have started moving our materials from here to the temporary place. We are thinking of 13 months maximum but the architects and technical men doing the work are saying, we should give them 18 months maximum to complete the project so that church activities will resume again. We are believing God it’s going to be one in town. We don’t have the fund, but we are trusting God that since it is God’s house, He will build His house because He says, “except the Lord builds the house, they that are building are doing it in vain.” And when God is aware you want to do something for Him, He blesses people.

What are your visions for the diocese?
My visions are pragmatic evangelism, and youth involvement because they will take over from us. There is no success without a successor. You have not succeeded until people after you have succeeded. So, we are trying as much as possible to build on what our predecessor left behind, and ensure that the church is handed over to those coming behind us better than we met it. My vision is to ensure that Lagos West is the leading Diocese in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). We also want to ensure that we maintain integrity of the church, ensure that this diocese is reckoned with as it is now in the Church of Nigeria. Today, if you mention 1, 2, and 3 dioceses you must mention Lagos West. We will ensure that we don’t let the national church down and the primate knows this. The Standing Committee Meeting is coming in February 2024, and it is going to be hosted by this diocese. Therefore, we are trying to make it better than we met it and to ensure that the banner of Christ remains untainted.

What are the challenges experienced these 10 years and how you overcame them?
Initially, some people felt I was too young for the job, while some others felt that the job would have been better handled by some other people, but in six months of our resumption, it was obvious that God was working out something for us. The experience was like what happened to Caleb and Joshua and the 10 spies, who went to spy the Promised Land while they were coming back they broke into two. Some said, “we cannot,” but Caleb and Joshua said, “we can.” So most of the visions I shared with people were always met with “we’re not able.” One of good example was the Bishop’s Court Complex when the idea was mooted, some people resisted the idea of building a new one because the old one was exposed to noise and other things and because I love to read and prepare my sermons in the night. I felt that it is not the kind of place that I should be. One thing with me is that when I knew it was God asking me to do something, I don’t mind people’s comment and many people that resisted the idea of a new Bishop’s Court are happy today we achieved that purpose. Our belief is that God’s vision will not lack God’s provision.

There are other things we have done like the gigantic centre called City of God (Adebiyi Memorial Centre), it was at the foundation level when I came. When I enquired from the architect and technical men doing the job, they said that two things are involved but I opted for the last option. I said instead of 150 rooms, I increased it to 450 and the people felt it was to large, today, the place is occupying close to 1000 people at a time. These are some of the challenges I could mention; other ones are part of the package because as a leader you must expect disappointment here and there. As a leader, if you are fruitful you will attract clubs and javelin. I’m used to it, because I entered the ministry at a very tender age so I have weathered so many storms. Most of the things that I do are not out of self-aggrandisement, but with sincerity of purpose. When I was a priest, I told God that when I get to any parish I want to leave the place better than I met it. All that it will cost me I would do it. Challenges are there, but God has always proved Himself. The Conference Centre is for the women organisation, clergy school, some dioceses are using it for their programmes. It’s like a camp and very large. We have built another vocational centre; a society here built it for us. The good news is that I approached an organisation that promised to build the first and second floor for us, even the road to the place was done by us. A lot of people go there for personal retreat and societies too go there for their retreat programmes. We have also improved from what we met on ground by making them attractive.

What do you want people to remember you for when you leave office?
I love to invest in people. For example, when I came on board, I initiated a scholarship for indigent students. We started with 20 to 30 students, but today, we have empowered more than 500 people yearly.

Paying their school fees, and ensuring that we take people out of the streets. I have sent not less 30 youths to Peter Jasper Akinola Foundation in Abeokuta every year to learn one or two things. I am happier seeing them empowered. Some of our youths that have graduated from there are doing well and that gives us joy.

We also have cooperative society this diocese and people can get loan as much as N20m to N40m at a time. We also bought a landed property at Ijanikin of about 20 acres. It is called Diocese of Lagos West Clergy City, the place is fenced and we have C of O and fully paid. We also bought another 300 plots of land at Semaya at the time we bought it, it was cheaper but now I’m told that the place has increased. So these are the things I want people to remember me for; not number of houses built. I’m not saying that those things are not good but investing in people is the best legacy you can ever leave behind. There is no way, I can forget Papa Adebiyi, he accommodated us and any time you mention his name, people in this community would tell you how he touched their lives. I derive joy when others are happy. My father once told me when I was very young that I should live and let others live.

You have been the supervisory Bishop of Diocese of Lagos for six months now. When is the Church of Nigeria going to elect a new bishop to replace the late Most Reverend (Dr.) Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye?
I am optimistic that before two months a new Bishop will be elected. The Church of Nigeria has been very busy and a couple of other dioceses are vacant. For instance, we lost the Bishop of Katsina; Bishop of Ndokwa Diocese; the Crowther Diocese, the man there was translated to somewhere else. I’m told that the church is planning to do everything together. All we need is prayer so that we can get the right people for the job, sentiments apart. People have to understand the working of the church, especially the Anglican Church. There is no ambiguity about electing a new bishop in the Church of Nigeria. The church is episcopally-led, and synodically-governed. Everybody thinks it is his right and most of the battles we have in the church today are being orchestrated by the clergy. They can’t talk when their oga is there, but they can instigate others to fight for them. We all know this game but struggle, tension, and attack have been part of the church, but the Bible tells us that the more people are scattering the more the gospel is spreading. Just pray along with us, I’m trusting God the diocese like Lagos must not get it wrong, as the premier diocese in the Church of Nigeria. It is strategically located and blessed I can tell you that, having been in the two places now. It must not be somebody who is self-centred, stingy because church is a charity organisation and people who need help must be assisted.

The president-elect will be sworn-in on May 29, 2023, what will be your advice to the in-coming government?
Having received certificate of return, Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not see himself as APC person. He should embrace all and sundry and let people know that he is not the tribal person some people think he is. Sometimes when you hear what people say about leaders, a lot of them are not correct and that is why in this ministry, when any one is accused or blackmailed, I don’t believe it immediately. For example, we bought a property for Papa Adebiyi, the only reason I knew about it was because they needed money from the Cathedral, otherwise, I wouldn’t have known about it. Then, there was suggestion that I should go there and see it. Myself and another person went to see the property as we were leaving the premises, my phone rang and behold it was from somebody very familiar. He said, “Venerable.” I said yes sir, he said he has been so affected by the news that he heard. He said, “we have known you as a child of God, but we don’t know you have deviated.” I said, what is the problem? He said he heard from reliable people that there is a land that they just bought for Papa Adebiyi and that the land was my personal property, which I sold for N350million. I said I don’t have land in such place. He said the people who said it are very correct. I didn’t know anything about the land. So most of the things people say about leaders are not correct.

The rate at which people moving out of the country is alarming, so my advice to Tinubu is that he will not be there forever. I tell people that whatever is tenured must be approached with care. As a Bishop, I am tenured and when I am 70, I must retire and there is no coming back to correct the wrong I did. Tinubu should be wise enough to manage people and ensure that he does not discriminate. As a leader, that will help him a lot. I’m told that he has a way of involving good people to work with him. God will help him but he has a lot of work to do.