The Sceptre of Africa’s Emancipation Is in the Hands of the Church – Apostle Oladele Johnson, Founder, Unchain Africa<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conversation on Africa’s identity, Christianity, and mental emancipation continues to generate passionate debate across the continent. In this exclusive interview with Christian Benefits Magazine, Apostle Oladele Johnson, Founder of Unchain Africa, shares his convictions on dreams and dream interpretation, the role of the Church in Africa’s emancipation, Pan-Africanism, Christendom, colonialism, and why he believes “the sceptre of Africa’s emancipation is in the hands of the Church.” Whether one agrees with his perspectives or not, his views challenge long-held assumptions and invite deeper reflection on Africa’s spiritual, cultural, and intellectual future. Excerpts below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For starters, please let’s have a recap of your ministry on dreams and dream interpretation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The dream ministry is to create awareness, first, in the Body of Christ. You will be surprised that unbelievers understand the importance of dreams and dream interpretation. They don’t joke with it. It is believers who dilly-dally about the dream ministry. It appears as if Pentecostalism gives us the right to throw away the gift of dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bible says, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” \u2014 Acts 2:17 (KJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last days are evidenced by dreams, visions, and prophecy. The Body of Christ largely accepts prophecy only but does not accept dreams and visions. They do not realise that dreams and visions are prophetic in themselves. God has diverse ways by which He speaks to individuals and to the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Scripture says that in the last days God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh\u2014including Hindus, Muslims, traditional worshippers, and people of other religious persuasions, to speak to all people. Unfortunately, it is only the Body of Christ (the Church) that is lagging behind in the area of God speaking to believers through dreams and visions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bible also says, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” \u2014 Genesis 49:10 (KJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, the Body of Christ has become lackadaisical about the dream ministry through which God speaks to both believers and unbelievers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What could be responsible, as you said, for the lackadaisical attitude of the Body of Christ towards the dream ministry?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I did my research, I discovered that the Church is still suffering from mental colonisation. The Church is still mentally colonised. The Church is preaching Christendom and not Christianity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christendom is the architecture of the colonial masters to keep us where they wanted us to be. Christendom is two words put into one, using Christianity to dominate us. That’s what Christendom is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the things the colonial masters did was to discredit God’s gifts to Africa, which are dreams and visions. How do you think our forefathers knew the things they knew about natural science? Great Zimbabwe, the Great Benin Empire, and other African empires already existed before Western civilisation encroached upon the African continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Africa was industrialised before Europe. For instance, the Great Benin Empire had street lighting before the European invasion and the partition of Africa. We are not talking about the present-day Benin but the ancient Great Benin Empire. The empire used palm oil to power street lighting and had advanced iron-smelting technology before colonial rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How did the people know all these things? God visited them in dreams and gave them those technologies. How did they know that combining certain leaves could cure particular ailments? God came to them in dreams and gave them the knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The white man did not want the Black man to have a freedom mentality. They discovered that God also speaks to Africans through dreams and visions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Africans are not slaves; we are freeborn. So, we have to fight for our freedom from mental enslavement. The West still looks for ways to disenfranchise and discredit our God-given image and power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is it this concern that birthed your current vision, Unchain Africa? Please tell us what Unchain Africa is all about.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unchain Africa is the new assignment God gave me. God spoke to me, saying, “When you clock 65 years old, I will give you a new assignment.” So, when I clocked 65 years old in 2025, God revealed and unfolded the new assignment, Unchain Africa, to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unchain Africa is a movement to re-orientate and restore the dignity of the Black man. Deliberately, I use the term “Black man” because the Black man has come to hate his own skin. The Black man bleaches his skin. The Black man wants to be like the white man. The Black man has forgotten that the white man is a faded Black man. The Black man has forgotten that he is the root of humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Africa is the cradle of humanity. Africa is not only the cradle of humanity but also the cradle of civilisation. Egypt, in Africa, was one of the earliest centres of civilisation. The West came to learn from Egypt. The Greeks came to learn from Egypt. Socrates and others are believed to have studied under Imhotep. Imhotep was an African who excelled in several professions. He was a physician, an architect, and a priest, among other things. He distinguished himself in all these fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are some of the characteristics or features that indicate that the Black man is mentally chained and needs to be unchained?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is even more surprising that it is the Church that is mentally chained, and that is why Africa is not yet truly free. That is why God is coming through the Church to Unchain Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fela Anikulapo was not born again, yet he preached mental emancipation of Africa. Bob Marley was not born again, but he preached mental emancipation. Marcus Garvey was not born again, yet he championed mental emancipation. Most of these Pan-Africanists who preached mental emancipation were not born again, but they recognised that mental enslavement was taking place in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Church, which is supposed to be free and free indeed, is still struggling with mental deliverance. Of course, Africa’s mental enslavement actually began with the activities of Western missionaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me start by telling you that the white man did not bring Christianity to Africa. Remember the Ethiopian eunuch in the Book of Acts. He and other Africans were among the early bearers of the Christian faith. In biblical times, “Ethiopia” often referred broadly to regions south of Egypt inhabited by Black people, not necessarily the present-day nation of Ethiopia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Black man had embraced Christianity centuries before much of Europe. Therefore, the white man did not bring Christianity to Africa. They only saw Christianity as a medium and weapon for slavery. Rome nationalised Christianity and weaponised it for slavery and colonisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the Christianity that many pastors are preaching today is Christendom\u2014the Roman model of Christianity. There are many pastors who become offended if you tell them Jesus was not white. The next thing they say is, “It doesn’t really matter. What is important is that a person is saved.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n If colour does not matter, then why did the white man whitewash the Bible? I wrote a book titled The Sin of the White Man. And what is the sin of the white man? Idolising a pale, white image of Jesus for the entire world to worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus was not white. The Bible is not the book of Rome. The Bible is the book of Africa, stretching across the Horn of Africa and the land of Israel. Much of the biblical narrative is about the relationship between Israel and Africa. It is not the story of Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You mentioned the names of some Pan-Africanists, including Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley and Fela Anikulapo, who championed the cause of Africa’s mental emancipation in the past but achieved little success. How do you think the cause can achieve greater success today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Pan-Africanists who championed the cause of Africa’s mental emancipation in the past achieved only limited success because the Church was not involved in the struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sceptre of Africa’s emancipation is in the hands of the Church. Until the Church awakens, Africa; including the Church itself, will remain mentally chained. Before mental emancipation can succeed, the movement must begin in the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look at the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traor\u00e9. He is not a Christian. Across much of the Sahel region\u2014Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger\u2014leaders are speaking with one voice on issues affecting their people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Africa’s economic decolonisation is also being championed by Aliko Dangote, who is leading efforts towards greater industrial and economic independence. But the Church is still in slumber. The Church is sleeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What would you adduce as the reason why the Church is still not awake to its responsibility as the sceptre of Africa’s mental emancipation from colonialism?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The main reason is that most church leaders and pastors in Africa are apologetic. They don’t want to rock the boat. They are the ones who will caution you to be careful of the West. You are a child of God, yet you are afraid of dying. You are not afraid of the One who can destroy both the body and the soul, but you are afraid of those who can only kill the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those who were killed for the cause were not afraid. Bob Marley was persecuted because he preached, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery.” Most of these Pan-Africanists paid a great price for championing Africa’s mental emancipation. But the beautiful thing is that neither the ideology nor the spirit of Africa’s mental emancipation died with them. The ideology and the spirit live on to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, many African youths are awakening to this cause. They are pushing the docile Church aside to pursue Africa’s freedom from mental and neo-colonial enslavement. If the Church cannot answer their questions, they simply move on. They inspire themselves instead of waiting for the Church to lead the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why a youthful President like Captain Ibrahim Traor\u00e9 of Burkina Faso, who is under 40 years old, is doing a yeoman’s job in emancipating the Burkinab\u00e8 from Western domination. African youths are no longer waiting for the Church. There is a prophecy concerning Africa that Ethiopia will yet raise its head again. It is not talking about the present-day nation of Ethiopia alone, but about the global Black race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since you started the Unchain Africa Movement, how much support have you received from the Church towards this cause?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, Unchain Africa is confusing to many pastors and church leaders. Most of them are yet to embrace the ideological movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pan-Africanism is huge. It is more than local efforts. Pan-Africanism cuts across religious freedom, economic freedom, cultural freedom, educational freedom, and freedom beyond artificial boundaries. It is more than climbing the pulpit to preach. It addresses the core issues relating to Africa’s freedom in every sphere of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far, the encouragement Unchain Africa has received from the Church is less than zero. Nevertheless, we are undaunted. Personally, as the convener of the movement, I am not bothered. I understand that although the movement is for the Church first, it is bigger than the Church. When the Church eventually awakens to the Unchain Africa vision, it will find its rightful place in the movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How would you correlate the movement with your ecclesiastical calling as a priest? Is there a meeting point between both visions or assignments?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a clear correlation between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, under the movement we have Unchain Africa Biblical Institute. We also have Unchain Africa Summit, where we invite pastors and church leaders to discuss salient issues relating to the Church and Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both institutions are still relatively young because Unchain Africa is barely a year old. They are institutions from which participants may never truly graduate because of the ever-unfolding issues that need to be addressed. We issue certificates to participants at the completion of each stage, after which they proceed to the next level within the system until they become Ambassadors of Unchain Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far, I have written about 2,500 articles on this cause. I have also written 15 books on emancipation, including Mental Emancipation, Spiritual Emancipation, and Economic Emancipation, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After salvation, there must also be institutions that teach liberation. There must be both spiritual freedom and mental freedom. If I am free in my spirit but my mind is still in bondage, then I am not free indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Could you further explain what you mean by mental liberation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a story about a researcher who put some flies inside a jar and covered it with a lid. For a period of time, the flies kept trying to escape by flying upward, but they could not fly beyond the level of the lid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After some time, the researcher removed the lid to allow the flies to fly out of the jar. Unfortunately, even though the lid had been removed, the flies could not fly beyond the height they had become accustomed to while the jar was covered. They remained within the former limit. This shows that the flies had been conditioned to believe they could not go beyond that point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same applies to an elephant. As big and powerful as an elephant is, if it is tied to a tree for a long time, it will repeatedly struggle to break free without success. Eventually, even after the chain is removed, the elephant often continues to roam only within the area where it had previously been restrained, as though it were still tied. The elephant has been conditioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is what the white man has done to us. At political independence, we became free, but we were not free indeed because our minds had already been conditioned by the colonial masters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, you can preach in your native language, yet still think within the mindset of the slave masters. When you preach in your native Yoruba language, you are often made to feel inferior or less educated than someone who preaches in English, even though your native language is part of your identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what neo-colonialism is all about. You have been granted political independence, yet you remain dependent on the control and influence of the former colonial masters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, you cannot teach your children Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and other subjects in your indigenous language but only in the languages of the colonial masters\u2014English, French, or Portuguese. Yet many African languages, including Yoruba, have existed for centuries and possess rich linguistic heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The English language itself is still evolving. The last time I checked, there are many expressions in the English language that subtly shape perceptions. For instance, why should it be “blackmail” and not “whitemail”, with the Black identity associated with something negative? Why is it “black sheep” rather than “white sheep” when referring to someone perceived negatively? These are expressions that have become embedded in our thinking, and many people accept them without questioning their implications.Many of the words and expressions in English language are woes, spells and curses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many words and expressions in the English language that, in my view, influence how Black people perceive themselves. Yet we continue giving our children English names; soiling their future and destinies while neglecting our indigenous names and identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Englishman does not know your language, but you know his language. You adopt the white man’s names and language and, in the process, gradually lose your own personal, cultural, and native identity. Therefore, there must also be cultural liberation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is Christendom, not Christianity, that taught us the concept of white wedding. Why must a Black man have a white wedding and not a black wedding? It was the white man who taught us that black represents evil while white represents holiness. The Bible does not say that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, the Bible says that God dwells in thick darkness. So, if darkness is evil, why would the holy God hide Himself in darkness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Black is not merely a colour; it is an essence. Put black into any colour, and it changes. Black is life itself. It is melanin. How many pastors know that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You often hear pastors rejoicing because someone has obtained a visa to relocate abroad, as though that alone is the ultimate achievement. Whereas black people going abroad are going into a third tier slavery. Black people going abroad may simply be entering another form of dependency. Pastors should help deliver people from this slavery mentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Church today, we celebrate people relocating to Europe. But if we get things right in Africa, we will not need Europe. Rather, Europe needs Africa. Everything Europe needs to survive is found in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why Europe seeks to undermine strong African leaders and replace them with puppets, so that it can continue to have access to our resources, our solid minerals, and influence over our affairs, thereby causing confusion across Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who are the people behind Boko Haram? In my opinion, it is the white people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Sceptre of Africa’s Emancipation Is in the Hands of the Church – Apostle Oladele Johnson, Founder, Unchain Africa The conversation on Africa’s identity, Christianity, and mental emancipation continues to generate passionate debate across the continent. 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