Faith in Action: My Journey with God’s Guidance

In 1986, I became the Special Adviser to Nigeria’s Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi. My boss at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Gabriel Olusanya, told me to turn down the role. When I decided to take the job anyway, he gave me a poor security clearance. He thought I was too close to my West Indian wife, so he believed I could not keep national secrets from her. This meant my appointment could not be confirmed.

Interestingly, Professor Olusanya’s wife was also from the West Indies. Plus, Professor Akinyemi’s wife, the minister I would work with, was British and not Nigerian. It took President Babangida's intervention to resolve the issue. The president ordered the State Security Service to give me a security clearance within 48 hours.

I worked at the Ministry of External Affairs for nearly two years. Then I made a choice that some called unwise: I returned to the Institute. Back there, I faced a lot of petty harassment from the Director-General, who now saw me as a rival.

Things got worse when Professor Bolaji Akinyemi invited Crispin Ogunseye and me to lunch. He revealed that President Babangida planned to make me the new Director-General of the Institute, replacing Professor Olusanya. Although I kept this to myself while I thought about the offer, one staff member named Saleh somehow found out and told everyone.

After much thought, I decided to turn down the appointment. My life was too chaotic for such a high-profile job. What I truly needed was Christ. When President Babangida stepped down and Sani Abacha took over, the Director-General position went to a junior colleague of mine, Dr George Obiozor.

I thought this would give me some peace, but I soon found out that George Obiozor was also uncomfortable with me being at the Institute while he was Director-General. He attempted to have me dismissed by accusing me of “gross incompetence” before the Appointments and Promotions Committee. When that failed, he sent me a letter saying I had been prematurely retired at just forty-two.

I took the issue to God in prayer and presented the letter to Him. I told God that George Obiozor only acted because he thought I had no connections in the new Abacha government. But I realized that I did not need any man’s help. All I needed was to know God. I asked God to respond to the letter, so my enemies at the Institute would see that I knew Him.

God answered me with a scripture that I now see as a promise. It says: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10).

The next day, my colleague Lateef Aminu told me he had reported my case to someone in the Presidency. He connected me to an official in Aso Rock who asked me to come to Abuja the next day. I realized that knowing God was enough to get me a meeting with the Head of State. So, I bought a ticket and flew from Lagos to Abuja.

When I got there, I met the aide-de-camp of a high-ranking naval officer, who took me to see his boss. After I explained my situation, he said: “This is what we will do. By tomorrow, a circular will be sent from the Chief of General Staff to your Director-General, asking him to write you back within twenty-four hours to withdraw your retirement letter and reinstate you. After that, we will decide what to do with your boss.”

I have to confess that I was not humble in my victory. I returned to the Institute and told everyone. “You need to know you don’t mess with a child of God,” I foolishly bragged.

The letter from the Presidency came as promised and the Director-General reinstated me immediately. But I was not satisfied. I reminded God that the naval officer had said: “After that, we will decide what to do with your boss.” I wanted to know what would happen to the Director-General. Then God told me he would be dismissed on Tuesday via an announcement on the nine o’clock news.

I became bold again and told everyone at work that the Director-General would be removed that Tuesday. “This news is not coming from Aso Rock,” I declared. “It is coming directly from the Lord God Almighty.” I even decided to confront the Director-General and let him know that God would remove him through a TV announcement.

My colleagues tried to talk me out of it, but I refused to listen. Then some respected people advised me against confronting him. Yetunde Ogunseye, a former managing director, advised me to keep quiet since God hadn’t told me to confront him. I decided to wait for the Tuesday night announcement.

That Tuesday night, I watched the news from start to finish. There was no announcement about the Director-General. The next morning, my colleague Margaret Vogt came to pray with me. I realized something had gone wrong. I had made a bold prophecy and felt ashamed. I swallowed my pride and said nothing more about it.

Three years later, Yetunde Ogunseye visited me. I was no longer at the Institute but was now a full-time preacher. “Did you watch the nine o’clock news on Tuesday night?” she asked. I hadn’t. Then she said: “George Obiozor, the Director-General of your former office, was dismissed on live television.”

“Has (God) said, and shall he not do it? Or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).