Day I got message to raise kings to serve God-Oba Tejuoso

By

AANU ADEGUN

Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, the Oshinle of Oke-Ona, Egba, is one of the foremost ‘born again’ Christian monarchs in Nigeria who steadfastly promoted a robust relationship between earthly and heavenly crown.

And according to the monarch behind the highly celebrated ‘The Kings Day of Praise’, the idea was “was divinely initiated”. Hence, this marks a special day in his life.

Speaking, he said, “one or two people had been bringing the idea to me for some time. Then one day I received a letter from an anonymous writer and up till this moment, I have not met that person. The person wrote that God was looking for somebody who will raise kings to worship. The person was saying how wonderful it would be if I had to be the person who will do it for God. When I got the letter, I read it and did not think much about it. But it kept coming to my mind. Then, I called the coordinator of Oba Karunwi Evangelical Movement. He said: ‘let’s pray on it and see what and how it will happen.’

Narrating further, he noted, “when I was celebrating my 15th coronation anniversary, somehow, it was celebrated with a three-day crusade. We invited a king from Bayelsa State, Bokurao Orukar. He came to deliver a lecture. In the evening, we had a crusade, a music festival so to say. I think about that time they asked me to make a speech. Evangelist Ebenezer Obey who had been doing this for God over the years was there; a king from Bayelsa State and I were there too. God wanted us to embrace Nigeria.

“So I spoke that God has given this vision and that the vision we intend to carry out. I said as far as I was concerned, if this thing worked out, to God be the glory. But if it does not work, God will hold all of you responsible. We must continue to be together.

“We held the first in 2004. We started its preparation about six months earlier. Just before we held the first one, God ensured that he used former Governor Gbenga Daniel to elevate the position of the Osile of Oke Ona from a second class to first class Oba. You may say probably it was a coincidence, but I do not see it as such. God never owes anybody; he will always reward you for what you have done.

“This is the position my ancestors had been fighting for since 1897 when it was established in Abeokuta. It took over one hundred years to get this achieved. Who else could have done it if not God? The following year, 2005, God brought me to some people’s mind and they wrote to me and said I have won an award as the best traditional ruler in the South West Zone of Nigeria. This was again in the second year of the event.

Speaking further, the king said, “in 2006, God brought me into the mind of the President of Nigeria who gave me a national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). Are all these coincidence or God was just showing appreciation for what I have done to please him? Well, God was just using me. I could not do it by my own power anyway; it was God that gave me the enablement to do it.”

“Furthermore, the Bible says that the minds and hands of kings are in the hands of the Lord and that he directs them like the river that flows. If this is your creator and instead of worshiping him, you prefer and worship something you have created with your own hands, it is an act of foolishness.

“People who do this always say that it is their culture; it’s their tradition to worship all these idols. What I always say to them is that, at least both Christians and Muslims agree that God created this world. Noah became our forefather after the flood. He walked with God and found favour with him. He is the source of our customs and traditions today. He is the only person that the people of the world must emulate today, and become Omoluabi; that is, ‘Omo ti Noah bi’ (the child of Noah – the child of God).”

However, according to the monarch, “I had always been a Christian, a church goer, so to say, that particular day, I realised was the day I actually gave my life to Christ. As time went on, God arranged it in his divine way and I met Rev. (Dr.) Adeyemo who by the grace of God today has been the coordinator of Oba Karounwi Evangelical Ministry.

“I met him by chance, and God brought us close. He was starting his Community Bible Seminary at Ogbe. God, of course, had it in mind that the evangelical group would start. As time went on – at about 1995, this movement started. I thank God for his mercies that have enabled it to grow through the ups and downs to the extent that we have now divided it into about six different zones in Egbaland. The main objective of the movement is to organise Bible teachings, seminars, praise and worship, and most times crusades where we invite men of God to conduct deliverance and preach the message of salvation to the people.”, he said.