Isn’t it shameful that a politician will fix a road, drill a borehole, and paint the road—then we clap? Clap for what!
Bishop Dr. Mike Okonkwo, the revered founder of TREM (The Redeemed Evangelical Mission), shares candid insights into the personal life, church management and burning national issues as he marks his 80th birthday. The visionary leader, and a moral compass in the Nigerian Christian community, reflects on his journey of faith, leadership, and service to humanity.
His frank and heartfelt conversation offers a rare glimpse into the true Nigerian story. This is a must-read for anyone committed to understanding the spiritual and socio-political pulse of Nigeria today.
Enjoy it.
By Ishola Balogun
What does it mean to you as you mark your 80th birthday?
The only giver of life is God. Life is also a mystery. Some are born but die shortly after; others die in the womb and are stillbirths. Some are born but do not live long enough to attain their dreams. So, for God to keep me alive to this age is indeed a great blessing. I consider myself blessed. God, in His infinite mercy, has allowed me not only to reach this age but also to remain strong and active. There is no way I can quantify my gratitude to God. I say it every day: if you wake up in the morning and are able to go to the bathroom, wash yourself, and dress yourself, that is something you should especially thank the Lord for. Many times, as human beings, we take such things for granted, thinking it is normal to sleep and wake up. We forget that others went to sleep and never woke up. I truly have to say, “Thank You” to Almighty God.
At 80, what are you looking forward to?
I am now looking forward to ensuring continuity. It is not enough to live life for yourself—especially in my situation. Having been used by God to establish a global ministry, it must not die with me. There must be continuity because the whole purpose is to bring others to life. I believe that what God has used me to establish will continue even after I am gone.
How were your growing-up days?
Every day in life should be seen as an opportunity to do something because life is very brief. When I look back, I can still remember things I did as a teenager, during my primary school days, and even now at eighty. It’s unbelievable. I remember, while growing up, I used to sell bread for my mother in Oyingbo. She would buy from the bakery, and we would sell on the streets of Lagos. I also used to go to Oko-baba to buy firewood. My father ensured that we were disciplined and hardworking. He instilled those values in us, teaching us that hard work pays. These are some of the values he imparted to make us understand that nothing comes free. You must not do the wrong thing to achieve results. My father rose to a high position in civil service and employed many people. When they wanted to come and show gratitude, he always refused. I remember someone came to our house while my parents were away and brought a live turkey, which we took as children. My father returned and told us to go find out who brought it and to return it immediately. He taught us that you don’t accept gratitude just because you did something for someone. He also taught us never to take what doesn’t belong to us—we don’t even bring someone’s property into our house. I grew up under very disciplined parents. Of course, Mayflower helped shape my life because Tai Solarin was also a disciplinarian. Though he wasn’t a Christian, he was very upright. That greatly helped in molding my character.
How has your impact in others and what testimonies stand out to you?
There are many testimonies. I have lived a life of character and integrity. I have zero tolerance for people who lack values and character—those who do anything to get ahead. No! Why would I say I am serving God if He is not big enough to provide for me and take care of me? I have proven that He is always ready to do so. I had a future at the African Continental Bank when the war ended, but I received a call—more like transitioning from the known to the unknown. At that time, I had the conviction but didn’t really know where I was headed. I was earning good money, unlike now, when many people are hesitant to jump into ministry. Today, some drive fancy jeeps, wear agbada, and believe they’ve made it easily. But I wasn’t looking for money or remuneration. In fact, I told myself that if money was to be the motivation for ministry, I wouldn’t need it. Whatever you see now is just God’s grace—not because I manipulated, cheated, or pressured anyone into giving. You can’t even bring someone’s property into our home. If God doesn’t do it, forget it—that means it’s not meant to be. I can walk the streets without anyone saying, “Oh! This one is among them,” or pretending to be a miracle worker—am I God? No, I am not. If God doesn’t perform miracles, He knows why He isn’t doing them. It’s not my place to package miracles. It’s God’s work, not mine. That’s why I am relaxed and not under any pressure to make people call me anything. I must only be what God intends me to be—only He is everything.
Some of your colleagues have had scandals in their ministries. How are you able to go this far without blemish?
First, it’s God’s grace. Second, it’s a conscious decision to lead according to godly values. If I pursued money, I would compromise and stain myself—I couldn’t be free. The Scripture is very clear: “The love of money is the root of all evil.” I refuse to play God or impress people in ministry. When we started this ministry in a certain location, in those days, if you hadn’t invited a white man, your ministry wasn’t considered started. I was the first to hold a major program without inviting any Western preacher; I looked within the country for preachers, and it turned out to be a good program. Since then, others have followed suit. If I do things just to impress people, I will run into problems. If I ever do something contrary to the Scripture, I wouldn’t hesitate to revisit it. That’s what we’ve been doing over the years.
As many churches acquire universities, are you considering one too?
Ministry is ongoing. You may have dreams and visions; many times, some of these dreams and visions will outlive you. One of the things that has kept me going is never to put myself under any pressure. I am not in competition with any person. No! I am not doing something because others are doing it. That’s how people often do the wrong thing—because their friend started a university and is doing well, they think they must do the same. No, I don’t do that! Did God tell you to do it? A university is a good thing. Ministry is ongoing. The ministry of Elijah continued, and there were certain things God told Elijah to do that were completed by Elisha. I am not under pressure to do everything myself. Let the next generation do it—I can’t do everything. What would they do if I completed everything? Importantly, when you go ahead and do things God did not tell you to do, then you will generate money by force.
Is this the country of your dream?
I am thoroughly disappointed. I really feel embarrassed. How can we have this number of churches in the country and still have a growing number of unemployed graduates? I don’t think there is any country in the world with as many unemployed graduates as we have, with all the prayer times and other activities. I also don’t believe that God has raised more dynamic and strong leaders in churches—like in this country—yet our situation remains the same. It embarrasses me as a leader in the body of Christ. The country is not where it should be. Our political leaders have learned nothing. They used to say the military ran this country aground. Now, we are in charge, what have we done? A politician comes into office today, and what he’s thinking about is the next election. He doesn’t care about performance, not realizing that if he performs well, the masses will beg him to run again. Just give them the basic needs and the dividends of democracy—that’s all Nigerians want. Isn’t it shameful that a politician will fix a road, drill a borehole, and paint the road—then we clap? Clap for what? That’s his job as a politician. Strictly speaking, we’ve done very little. It’s not difficult to do what is right; we just lack the willpower. All it takes is to restructure the country—provide a level playing ground for Nigerians, regardless of tribe or region—so they can survive, earn a livelihood, and aspire to any position without fear. You can’t have a new Nigeria when it costs billions to run for office. Politicians only struggle to recoup their money once they get in and then grab more to run for higher offices. Why don’t we put measures in place to prevent such huge costs so we can get credible leaders? Look at Burkina Faso of yesterday. We are not there yet—and these politicians are playing politics with people’s lives. In other nations, disasters like the one in Benue would be front burner, and everything else would be secondary until a solution is found. That’s what happens in developed nations. The National Assembly of a sane country would shut down to address this issue. But here, we don’t care. No one cares about anyone. The day after someone becomes a councillor, he’s building a mansion. Where did he get that money? Our politics require a drastic overhaul. It’s no longer about individuals or parties. I pray God gives us a leader with the willpower to lead this necessary surgery.
What is the church doing to correct the ills in society, since politicians are also members of various churches?
I agree that the church has failed in that regard. We were concentrating on outward appearances. Who are those stealing money in government? John, Mary, Daniel—they go to our churches. That’s the truth. This puts a lot of responsibility on us as churches to re-examine ourselves. The reality is many churches are not truly preaching the Gospel. They are just sharing and preaching their opinions. What is the Gospel? The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ—and that Jesus Christ died for us. The Gospel is also warning that if you fail to receive Jesus into your life, you risk eternal damnation. The good news is that Christ has already paid the price even before you were born. Most of our churches focus on sin rather than righteousness. They preach “come and receive a miracle,” but afterward, nothing happens. That’s where we are.
In all of this, where is the place of the youth, who are the leaders of tomorrow? Do they have good legacies to follow?
Leaders fail to realize that they are sowing seeds that will germinate in the future. When we talk about legacies, there are things we shouldn’t do as leaders. Many of our leaders have destroyed the future of young people for nothing. I don’t blame the youth—many struggle to acquire an education, graduate, and come out doing nothing, yet we expect them to be morally upright. No! Human beings have failed them. Only God can truly save them now. That’s why the church has a significant responsibility—to do everything possible to help young people so they can stand on their own anywhere in the world. Otherwise, if they follow the example these leaders set today, I guarantee there will be no future.
Wave of defections and race for 2027
The gale of defections and endorsements are unnecessary. Take Alex Otti, for example. The man started addressing issues that affect the people. Honestly, if you go to Aba and speak against Otti, they will stone you, because they see what he has done. That’s all that’s needed—no drama, no heat, no manipulation for a second term. Just go and perform, and winning the next election will be easy. Nigerians are easy to please. They’re not waiting for anything from the moon; just give them a level playing field. They are resilient, hardworking people. That’s all they ask for. I don’t understand why the President, who has gone through many struggles and is a progressive at heart, doesn’t leverage that to build a legacy. With all the mud thrown at him and name-calling, I’d tell him if I meet him: What’s stopping you from creating a lasting legacy? Stop the shenanigans in today’s politics—reform the country, build a structure that allows anyone from any part of Nigeria to aspire to any office. Make the country such that no region can hold anyone to ransom. Give us comprehensive reform, and Nigerians will remember him for life—as a leader with the courage to tear down the retrogressive elements in Nigeria.