As Bishop (Prof.) Leonard Umunna celebrates a festival of Platinum Jubilee Praise marking his 70th birthday on June 30, 2024 with a book launch: DIVINE WEALTH AND SUCCESS: UNLOCKING THE ABUNDANCE WITHIN, Christian Benefits magazine burrows through its rich archives to recap parts of the journey of the mercurial and entrepreneurial bishop of Bible Life Church and the philanthropic proprietor of both Leonard Umunna College and Leonard Umunna Medical Centre, Olodi Apapa, Ajegunle, Lagos, on his eventful sojourn on earth at 70. Excerpts
ON HIS WORRISOME MOMENTS AND EXPERIENCES IN OVER 45 YEARS IN MINISTRY
There are too many. For instance, I have faced death over 50 times, so, to ask me the terrible experiences I have had in the ministry over the years will be too much for your magazine to publish in 10 volumes. But let me single out a few of them. Let me narrate the one that happened on September 21, 1997 when some hired assassins came here (his church) as a result of message I preached on the radio during the regime of a former military ruler, the late now General Sani Abacha, which I titled: A Message to the Nation. In that message I made a reference to the appointment of Gen. Musa Bamayi (Rtd) by his regime as boss of the Nigerian Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Based on the good performance of Bamayi in office as the NDLEA boss, which many Nigerians were commending, I advised the then Head of State General Sanni Abacha now late to appoint other people of Bamayi’s stuff over some other national bodies and agencies like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) etc to complement what Bamayi was doing. Eh! Gen. Abacha said that was a political message and ordered that my messages should not be aired again.
Well, I pressed one particular message to be aired that Esther was told by Mordeccai that if she didn’t stand up at such a time as this to save her people, the people’s salvation might eventually come through another person, and she and her family would pay dearly for her refusal to ensure her people’s salvation when she had the opportunity to do so. After this message was aired the next was that one night around 11pm some military men came with a land rover; they called me out and asked me some questions such as which association do I belong; which political party do I belong; and all others.
I answered them appropriately that apart from Christian bodies I don’t belong to any other association or any political party stressing that I couldn’t have belonged to any political party because I believe as a pastor I’m greater than any nation’s president because presidents make inquiries from prophets of God. While presidents rule in the secular, we, pastors rule in the spiritual. That they are kings and we are greater than kings because what is the need for a political office that is temporal when you lead a church that is permanent?
In addition, I told them that I’m a multi-talented person: I write, I preach, I sing and I have many businesses to manage my family and a church with many branches etc. So, I don’t have time for any political interest. After they finished interviewing me the people left me alone saying this man is not a politician but a preacher.
On September 21, 1997 they returned for me. This time they dressed like sports people and asked me to come out. Immediately, the voice of God told me that they were hired assassins that I should tell them that I would soon be with them. I told God that I vowed that I would not tell lies but He said it was not a lie, that I should go to the altar to meet them. Already, they had gathered the people that came for nigh prayers and packed them like sardines. Soon they broke down all the doors leading to my bedroom. They pulled down all the burglary proofs while I was already at the altar but they couldn’t see me. They were asking the people they met my whereabouts. They searched everywhere for me with their torch lights not knowing that I was standing with them right on the altar. After about four hours of endless search for me I told God to put off the light. When this was done they left. They were over 50 people in number. I don’t want to share all of that terrible experience because they could evoke emotions.
ON HIS MOTIVATION IN THE FACE OF TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES IN MINISRY
Oh! The joy of seeing souls coming into the vineyard of the Lord! You see, God is rewarding me. For instance, I have won more souls for the Lord than ever. When I see souls coming in through God’s confirmation of His Word in our various programmes and seeing people’s lives being changed or transformed in our programmes gladdens me.
ON HIS EXPERIENCE PASTORING A CHURCH IN A SLUM AND JUNGLE LIKE AJEGUNLE
Ajegunle was a no-go area when I came over here. Ajegunle was truly a jungle city when we came here; a den or armed robbers and herbalists. But today God has really helped us to impact upon the area and its people positively. God actually directed us to this place.
There have been several physical attacks on me and some of our church members from some of the residents that at a point we got one of them arrested and he confessed that some people sent him to attack me to see if that could close down or relocate our church from Ajegunle to somewhere else.
Ajegunle used to be dumpsite with the notorious Achakpo refuse mountain. We prayed and fasted in the church to God concerning the environment. Shortly after that Abacha invited Brig. Gen Buba Marwa from America to replace Colonel Olagunsoye Oyinlola as Lagos state governor. Gen Marwa came and sent caterpillars to bulldoze the Achakpo refuse mountain.
From there we embarked upon prayers to God that Ajegunle must cease to be a haven of prostitution, a hideout of criminals and God has started doing just that. Today, with police or no police we can close our eyes firmly and sleep in Ajegunle without any fear of molestation or threats to lives as it were in the past. Many of the hotels in Ajegunle have been taken over to build schools, hospitals and churches. At least in Ajegunle today you can count between 25-30 churches. Without being immodest I can say God has used me to turn Ajegunle around for God and His glory with the presence and activities of Bible Life Bible Church in this area,
THE PLACE AND IMPACTS OF LEONARD UMUNNA COLLEGE AND LEONARD UMUNNA MEDICAL CENTRE IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF AJEGUNLE FROM A JUNGLE TO A SAFE HAVEN
These are purely my private investments since July 26, 1986 when I left government work when God told me, Leonard, from today serve nobody; face my work fully but appoint people to represent you in your secular businesses. He asked me to establish the hospital following the footsteps of the missionaries that brought Christianity to Nigeria. That at least when someone is at the point of death or sickly, he would like to receive help, and if he receives the help he would like to hear and listen to the gospel that we preach. Besides, God added that if I could catch the children young through provision of education to them they would do better.
Editor’s note: This interview was first conducted and published by Christian Benefits magazine in 2005.
