Simisola I Odofin

@senherby Help repost this

There is a story in history that sounds almost unbelievable. After World War II officially ended in 1945, there were Japanese soldiers scattered across remote islands and jungles in Asia who refused to surrender. They became known as the “Japanese holdouts.” These men had been trained with one overriding conviction: Never surrender. Never believe enemy propaganda. Keep fighting until your commanding officer returns. So when leaflets were dropped from airplanes announcing: “The war is over.” Many of them believed it was a trick. One of the most famous of these soldiers was a man named Hiroo Onoda. Onoda was an intelligence officer in the Imperial Japanese Army stationed on Lubang Island in the Philippines in 1944. Before leaving for the island, his superior officer reportedly gave him strict instructions: “You are absolutely forbidden to die by your own hand. It may take three years. It may take five. But whatever happens, we’ll come back for you.” Those words became law in his mind. Then the war ended. Japan surrendered. The emperor announced the end of the war. Cities rebuilt. Governments changed. An entirely new world emerged. But deep inside the jungle, Onoda did not believe it. For years, planes dropped newspapers. Letters from family members were sent. Photographs were shown. Messages were broadcast through loudspeakers. Still, he refused to believe. Why? Because his mindset had been locked into war. His reality had been shaped by conflict for so long that peace sounded suspicious. While the world moved on, he remained hidden in the jungle. Armed. Alert. Suspicious. Fighting a war that had already ended. For nearly 29 years. Think about that. Twenty nine years after peace had already been declared. He survived on bananas, coconuts, stolen rice, and cattle from nearby villages. He slept in hiding places, carried his rifle everywhere, and constantly watched for enemies that no longer existed. Several of the men with him eventually died. One surrendered. Another was killed. But Onoda continued. The tragedy was not merely that he was in the jungle. The tragedy was that he was sincerely committed to a finished war. Finally, in 1974, a young Japanese traveller named Norio Suzuki went searching for him. Suzuki somehow found Onoda deep in the jungle and told him: “The war ended long ago. Japan has changed. Everyone has gone home.” But Onoda still refused to surrender. He said he would only obey direct orders from his commanding officer. So something astonishing happened. The Japanese government located his former commander, now an elderly man working in a bookstore, flew him to the Philippines, and brought him into the jungle. There, standing before a weary soldier who had spent almost three decades hiding in fear and combat, the old commander finally gave the order: “The war is over. You may stand down.” Only then did Onoda lower his weapon. Imagine the emotion of that moment. A man giving up a battle he should never have been fighting for nearly thirty years. A man waking up to discover that history had already moved on without him. A man realising he had spent decades surviving under conditions that were no longer necessary. And honestly, this story is bigger than history. It is a picture of many people in life. Many are still fighting wars that already ended. Still hiding from enemies already defeated. Still living in fear after victory has already been declared. Still trapped in survival mode while peace has already been announced. Some people are emotionally fighting. Some are spiritually fighting. Some are mentally fighting. Some are fighting . Old guilt. Old condemnation. Old battles. Like Onoda, they have received announcement but Peace sounds too good to be true. Rest feels suspicious. Victory feels illegal. So they remain in the jungle of fear, religion, condemnation, and endless warfare. But history teaches us something powerful: A war can end without a person knowing it. Are you that man?

This is what became missing in most societies. I started working and saving during holidays to buy my own stuff when I was 11. I bought my first car while I was still in school, from the fruits of my hustle. Young people should be allowed to work for a decent wage as early as possible. The work ethic they learn will never leave them. I used to wonder why my cousin in America, whose parents were well-off professionals was working for Burger King after school. It wasn't because she needed to, but it was helpful in helping her build herself up. Now she is a successful accountant. @bernard_parah reminded me of doing this for my kids recently. Maybe my boy should work for his laptop during his holidays. I should find him some remote gig.

So hear this: In the gospels there are multiple events recorded where Jesus publicly identifies with notable sinners. And there is something consistent across board. Matthew was a tax collector. To be a tax collector for the Roman Government in Jesus’s Israel you’d have to possess a very weak moral code. Tax collectors were called publicans and were seen as among the worst of sinners. Jesus went to Matthew’s stand and called him from there. Matthew in response threw a party and invited his fellow publicans, Jesus went to that party too. Zacchaeus was not just a publican, he was the kind of Publican that someone like Matthew would want to become like. He was very established in fraud and he also knew how to multiply gains gotten from fraud that he made for himself so much wealth so even if he was to be convicted and asked to return all he stole, he would still have at least four times that value to live on. He was the kind of sinner that other people knew was a sinner and thanked God that they were not sinners like him. Jesus publicly announced to the hearing of others that he was going to follow this sinner home. The third person I want to mention wasn’t even named. The only description we have about her is “the woman in the city, which was a sinner”. She was a notable sinner in the city. Come to think about it. Many sinners today are closet sinners so nobody really knows who they really are or what they do, but a sinner that the city knows is no small sinner. She approached Jesus in gratitude, washing his feet with her hair and anointing his feet with ointment. Jesus publicly identified with sinners, but one consistent thing across the board was that these people did not retain their previous reputation as sinners. Matthew and Zacchaeus weren’t known to go back to defraud people. Matthew followed Jesus until the death and we have his account of Jesus’s life and ministry. Zacchaeus was the one who volunteered to restitute his sins. He turned his back on his sins. The woman in the city who was a sinner, was grateful for her forgiven sins. The gratitude is what is shown in the washing and kissing of the feet of Jesus. The public sinners were no longer publicly known to be sinners. Could they have had personal occasional struggles after that? Of course, that’s not unexpected, but one thing is consistent, the public sinners were no longer publicly known to be sinners. If a public sinner has encountered Jesus truly the first drastic thing that will happen is they will distance themselves publicly from their sinful life. We have had instances where former worldly celebrities have been said to give their lives to Christ. What we mostly see is that they immediately begin to publicly do ministry. You can question that model, but what I have never seen is what I’m seeing today. There’s only one thing that seems obvious to me. If someone is said to have met Jesus and we don’t see the same thing in other people who have met Jesus then it means they have not met Jesus. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.

If you are feeling down and things don't seem to be working, do this. Get into a room alone, shut the door and begin to declare God's promises out loud speaking forth his blessings and strength into your life. Do it until your mood changes and then you would have broken the back of a spirit which was trying to put you in bondage. Repeat this every time a depressing feeling comes on you and sooner than you think it will be a thing of the past and a new season will be born in your life. #MondayMotivation

I don't like when someone dies and it turns out to be education time You start educating people on how to live healthy. Bruh, if you are really a doctor or scientist, you will know cancer can come down on ANYBODY. regardless of your lifestyle The reason Cancer does not have a silver bullet cure is because its not a straightforward illness. Using someone's death to prove why people should marry & have kids is another clownery. The person who died is making the whole country mourn, that's what having a name is. Your name surviving is not because you have a child

The Hatred is too much o! I put up a post about an Igbo man in the Federal house and his decision to favour Igbos for a training trip abroad, against his host community - something I strongly believe was wrong, Igbos getting 25 slots and Yorubas 4, that was so not balanced! The thing is that people drew daggers, they fired from all cylinders, Igbos and Yorubas on that post cursed each other, pointed fingers, opened old wounds, threatened one another as 2027 approaches....and it left me wondering and asking the question How Did We Get Here? How did we develop this kind of hate for one another? Were we pretending to like the other person because we just wanted something from them or what? How have we become so intolerant of one another? Who bewitched us? I, Chief Ify Onyegbule (JP) was born on Adeniran Ogunsanya, grew up in Surulere (Yeside Abeke, Muyiwa Opaleye, Cele Bus stop on Adetola when I lived with my parents) and lived in Shitta as an adult then to Akanbi arimi before moving to Ikosi when I worked with TVC those days and presently I live in Alausa/Agidingbi axis. Im in my 50s and I dare say that I have lived 4 years of these in Owerri since my governor appointed me DG. Why am I telling this story? Its just to let you know that the South West has had a positively significant effect on my life and im eternally grateful for that. Just so you know, im also at a stage in my life where I dont need to coat anything to be liked or accepted by anyone because many on that post made it look like so! For those who know my history, my trajectory as it is, you can put a tab on my work history and for those who do not know, I have worked in places that no one has looked at my state of origin or even questioned my competence based on where I come from. A yoruba man, a popular one at some point, hired me as Station Manager in Abeokuta (the hot spot of Broadcasting, if we think about OGBC and the many personalities that passed through that place) did it mean there were no Yorubas who could do the job at the time? The answer is No...he just wanted me to do the job because of what I could do and how I could get it done...and I didnt go there to taunt my host, abuse privileges or even necessarily impose myself to the detriment of the people who accommodated me in the community. I won't forget my landlord who made sure my water container was filled if at some point they pumped water while I was at work, he made sure to fill it to the brim. He looked out for me like a father would his child. There is something called integration and it's worked for me in this my life, i get to a place and I embrace the people and their culture as much i can. I speak a bit of Yoruba, I have a Yoruba name, I eat their food, I wear their clothing when I have to and i simply mingle with the people, there isn't anyone who wouldn't like that you try to get through to them. At Rockcity FM, I changed the programming when I assumed the position, I created some programmes to be presented in the local language, I started the Paper review in Yoruba and some mornings we had the show presented in the local language...and it made sense 😀 and people bought into these programmes. Dr. Niran Malaolu my then boss used to call me Madam Owonikoko because I was focused on Money for the station and for me because if things worked well at the station, i get paid. There were young vibrant people there at the station and some got the oppprtunity they've always dreamed of and we created programmes also in the local language. I have worked with many yorubas in the past who respect me because of my experience, achievement, work ethic and my ability to fit into any work environment and I respect them also for being there and helping me to get work done. I also expect that many Yorubas that have found themselves outside their home, have found ways to live amongst their hosts because that's very key.

By now, everyone should know this clearly. Any ministry culture built on threats, fear, curses, intimidation, emotional blackmail, or manipulation is unhealthy. Statements like: “If you leave, something terrible will happen to you.” “Someone left and ran mad.” “They left and later died.” “Anybody that disconnects from this covering will suffer.” “Look at those who left us, where are they now?” …are not the language of Christ. They are the language of control. No minister of Christ should manipulate people into staying through fear. The Church is not a cult. Pastors are not owners of destinies. Spiritual leadership is not psychological imprisonment. If someone genuinely believes the Lord is leading them elsewhere, they should not be intimidated, cursed, bullied, gaslighted, or emotionally tortured into staying. Even Paul and Barnabas separated paths in Acts 15 without one placing curses on the other. Yes, loyalty matters. Yes, honour matters. Yes, accountability matters. But manipulation is not loyalty. Fear is not submission. Control is not fatherhood. The moment a ministry survives by terror, suspicion, threats, and prophetic intimidation, something has already gone wrong. And hear this loudly: If a person stays in a church only because they are afraid something evil will happen if they leave, that is not spiritual conviction. That is bondage. A healthy ministry should be able to release people without bitterness. A healthy leader should not need fear to keep people connected. A healthy believer should not be mentally enslaved by “what if something happens to me if I leave?” Christ does not build His Church through intimidation. The Spirit leads. He does not manipulate. And if you are a believer sitting under constant fear, threats, and control tactics, recognise it for what it is. You are not under spiritual covering. You are under psychological captivity dressed in spiritual language. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 Let ministers lead with truth, doctrine, character, love, and persuasion. Not fear. Not curses. Not emotional captivity. Not again please!

What difference? How on earth is the richest man in Africa for more than a decade not a very powerful man in his own country? This video just exposes another deep rooted issue in our society. It shows that many people still do not fully understand what truly drives national progress and prosperity. A society progresses faster when it deeply respects both public office and productive enterprise. Government is important, but so are the people building industries, creating jobs, taking risks, solving problems, and expanding the economy at scale. How do you expect a country to progress when the younger generation increasingly sees political office as more attractive than building factories, businesses, technology, and productive enterprises? We are already seeing the consequences. There are now more young people gathering around politicians than around factories, laboratories, farms and workshops.

@Letter_to_Jack @fortunate0629 Thank you for all you do. One step at a time, things will definitely get better.

Update: I attended a meeting with all the ‘stakeholders’ around the slab area this afternoon (arranged by my bro @fortunate0629), and all of the guys in the area apologized once again for the ‘mistake’. All of them also agreed in unison that they will never tolerate or allow the bullying of students and other residents in the area from now on. They also went to one of the houses as a group to apologize to a guy one of them bullied. From now on, everywhere around that SLAB filling station environment along Ojere Road should be free of intimidation for students and other residents. Peace will reign. My job there is done. Thank you all.

Last night, along that MAPOLY road (opposite the SLAB filling station), I saw a crowd gathered with about 100+ Okada parked (when you see so many Okada park at a place that is not their junction, it’s your cue that there will be chaos). I parked, walked to the policemen there, and asked what was going on. They said it was an accident, but the two people had decided to settle themselves. I urged the policemen that since it had been resolved, they should try to disperse the crowd peacefully and leave, and they did. After they left, I was walking back to my car, and some guy tugged at my cloth. “Heysss, Tani ẹ, i wan sabi you”. I ignored him and continued walking to the car. He came again, saying if I didn’t respond to him, he would slap me. About 9 other guys were begging him to leave me alone (everybody is a champion in the dark). I was there smiling. Then he dragged the car door from me as I was about to open it. Then I told him to wait, make me park. While parking, some ladies came to me and said that I should go, that the guy is notorious in the area, and he can beat anybody. That gave me ginger. I enjoy facing oppressors like that. I went to park, dropped my phone, and I returned alone to ask for the guy. At this point, I was angry, and I had called the DPO of the area to send some officers. The moment I walked back into the crowd and asked them to present the guy, their tone changed to “Alaye, ko le to yen”. Some people in the crowd had known it was me, and they probably tipped him off. 5 minutes later, police arrived. He was made to pledge that he would never disturb the students in that area again. He was humbled. The students in the area were so grateful. One more social problem solved.

I really love the viral moment that stocks have been having over the last couple of days. Let me dig into the numbers. According to statistics, about 60 millionNigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 are involved in active sports betting. Proshare. Whereas, the Nigeria Stock Market has only 600,000 active accounts. Financial literacy needs to go mainstream. We need to make investing cool. It’s not going to happen overnight, it will require intentional educational and adoption.

One of the things I learned early is even that wealth building is a generational affair. It is rare that you build a long term fortune in a single generation. Most of us try to go from zero to 100 in one generation. What is more likely is that generation 1 goes from 1-10. Gen 2 goes from 8 (cos you will drop a bit in passing the baton) to 50. Gen 3 will go from 45 to 100. Dangote rose on Dantata. Who rose on their grandfather. Ojukwu rose on his father who rose on someone. This is also why succession is super important.

@hamiltonawah The reason why I tell people to be self-aware. If you know where you dey come from, you go know where you dey go.

Africa itself would have been better off if we had spent all that money developing states outside of Lagos and Abuja

If as a Nigerian, you choose to go settle in South Africa or Ghana. Then if anything happens to you.. it’s your personal business. It’s 2026! They say they don’t want you. Respect yourself! Nonsense!

South Africans are ungrateful bastards who paid good with evil to Nigerians after all the unwavering sacrifices and supports Nigeria made to free them from the Apartheid Regime. 36years ago, 3 months after Nelson Mandela was released from Prison, he visited Nigeria, and he had this to say.👇

There is a rising pressure in this generation. A pressure to “do something for God.” A pressure to “start something.” A pressure to “not waste your anointing.” A pressure to “step out before it is too late.” And for many, that pressure is not coming from the Holy Spirit. It is coming from comparison, from expectations, from platforms, from voices that equate visibility with calling. Let this be settled. Not every believer is called to start a ministry. Not every anointing is for pioneering. Not every grace is for building a platform. Some are called to be planted. Deeply planted. Faithfully planted. Quietly growing. Strongly rooted in a local church, serving, building, strengthening, and maturing within a body. And that is not lesser. That is biblical. In 1 Corinthians 12, the Scripture says God sets members in the body as it pleases Him. Not as pressure dictates. Not as trends demand. Not as people suggest. As it pleases Him. That means your place is not discovered by pressure. It is discovered by divine placement. And when God places you, He sustains you. But when pressure pushes you, you will spend years trying to sustain what God never started. This is where many are exhausted today. They started something out of excitement, expectation, or persuasion, and now they are carrying a weight that grace never authorised. They are building without clarity. Leading without conviction. Labouring without peace. Because they responded to pressure, not to calling. Let us bring Scripture into this. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were not roaming around looking for where to start a ministry. They were in a local church. They were serving. They were part of a leadership community. Then the Holy Spirit spoke and said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” Notice this. They did not appoint themselves. They were not pressured into starting something. They were not compared into ministry. They were not shamed into stepping out. The Spirit spoke. The church discerned. Hands were laid. They were released. There was clarity. There was witness. There was alignment. There was no confusion. If God is calling you to start something, you will not need ten voices pushing you into it. There will be a deep persuasion within. There will be alignment in your spirit. There will be confirmation through Scripture, through godly counsel, and through the witness of the Spirit. It may be stretching, but it will not be confusing. It may require faith, but it will not require you to violate your peace. God does not lead His people by harassment. God does not guide His children by anxiety. God does not reveal calling through intimidation. The Spirit leads. Now hear this clearly. Honour is not slavery. Submission is not the suspension of discernment. Loyalty is not the abandonment of divine conviction. You can respect leaders, receive from them, learn from them, and still not obey every suggestion they make about your life. A leader can see potential in you and still be wrong about your assignment. A pastor can desire expansion and still misplace people in roles they were not called to carry. You must not convert someone else’s excitement about you into God’s instruction for you. Your calling is not decided by who believes in you the most. Your assignment is not determined by who is most persuasive. Your ministry is not born because people say, “You can do it.” It is born because God said, “This is what I have called you to do.” And until that is clear, remain where God has planted you. There is no shame in staying planted. There is no shame in growing quietly. There is no shame in serving faithfully. There is no shame in saying no to opportunities that do not align with your conviction. In fact, it takes maturity to remain where God is feeding you when there is pressure to prove something elsewhere.

Many want to start ministries, but very few want to be built in one. Many want to lead, but few want to be led. Many want platforms, but few want process. Many want visibility, but few want formation. Yet it is in formation that God prepares vessels that will last. If you step out before you are sent, you will struggle with things you were not prepared for. If you build what God did not ask you to build, you will have to maintain it by human strength. If you answer pressure instead of calling, you will spend years trying to recover clarity. So refuse pressure. Refuse comparison. Refuse manipulation. Refuse urgency that is not from God. If it is truly God, it will not disappear because you took time to be sure. If it is truly God, it will not collapse because you did not rush. If it is truly God, He knows how to confirm it, establish it, and sustain it. Stay with what God has said. Stay with where God has placed you. Stay with the grace that is working in your life. And if you are not persuaded, do not move. Because it is better to be slow and accurate than fast and misplaced. It is better to be planted and growing than visible and unstable. It is better to be obedient in obscurity than disobedient in public. And above all, it is better to hear God clearly than to impress people quickly. Stand firm in this. The call of God is not discovered under pressure. It is revealed in fellowship, confirmed in peace, and sustained by grace.

When you stop reading books, you start losing verbal dexterity, depth of thought and imagination. A closed book is a closed mind. Don't EVER stop reading.