18/03/2020
Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo, ex- President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Highlights
• People appreciate the existence of
Winners' Chapel in Ota and the work of all its institutions. The educational
institutions are appreciated most and they have the greatest, consistent and
far-reaching impact.
• Covenant University has carved a niche
for-itself. Within five years of its
existence. It is not unlikely that it will, become one of the role models for
private universities in Nigeria and indeed in Africa.
• The employment creation and generation
is what, is hailed by almost all respondents particularly the ordinary people
most of whom must have been direct or indirect beneficiaries.
• The multiplier effect of job creation is
worthy of note. With the university and the schools, there are staff and
students who have to move within the campus and between the campuses and the
outside stations. This generates employment for employed drivers and
self-employed transporters. The vehicles have to be maintained and repaired, so
there is employment for artisans. Petrol and diesel sellers are making roaring
business. All these people - staff, students and all that secures
transportation-related employment have to eat.
• The above presents business for
"mama put" cafeteria, seller of food items, condiments and
ingredients. No wonder there is a busy and thriving market opposite the gate of
Winners’ Chapel. These petty traders and small business people also need
transportation to move in transacting their businesses. Therefore, there is
mutual interaction and cross-feeding of each other's businesses.
• The bankers are smiling within their
banks because they are doing roaring business as the money made by all
businesses end up in the banks. The number of banks operating in Ota has
tremendously increased since Winners' Chapel came to Ota: More than 60% of the
24 banks in Nigeria, today, have
branches in Ota according to the local branch of NACCIMA-Nigerian Chamber' of
Commerce, industry, Manufacturing and Agriculture.
• The Winners' Chapel is continuously
building structures and expanding its land acquisition. Jobs for construction
and building artisans keep on growing. Aderinwale confirmed that such artisans
are in short supply and some contractors have resorted to bringing migrant
workers from neighbouring countries of Benin Republic and Togo. It has become a
beehive of employment generation activities for both Ogun State and the
adjoining Lagos State. Yes, this state of affair may not be entirely brought
about by Winners Chapel as there are other players in the employment creating
activities in Ota, such as industries, other construction works, commercial and
retail business as well as other educational and research institutions, but all
said and done, nobody who talks of Winners' Chapel impacting on Ota community
without mentioning employment generation.
• The issue of spirituality and religious
impact is mentioned, by a few respondents, but the emphasis on that issue,
which one will consider the key issue - evangelism - for the founding or
establishment of Winners' Chapel seems not to have caught on like the
out-flowing benefits of education and employment generation and provision. We
can deduce that daily activities make greater impact or impression than the
occasional activities of Sunday worships and annual conventions. Again, the
impact of the issue of spirituality or
religiosity may not be easily discernible or visible like the educational and
job-creation.
• The few who comment on spirituality and
religiosity make the point of transformation of life. Only those whose lives
have been touched can be so specific or those who have experienced those whose lives have been touched or
transformed. Even those whose lives have been transformed may be laughed at by
those who know them earlier, thinking that they are 'fake' or pretenders. The issue of spiritual and religious impact
must not be ignored as it takes time for the critical mass of impact to be
formed that can galvanise a revival.
• From both the interviews and responses to
the questionnaire, some common features have emerged. Both groups of people
acknowledge the tremendous blessing of the establishment of Winners' Chapel in
Ota. The interviews and the questionnaire responses identify common areas of
benefit which are religious and spiritual, though this is not as pronounced in
the questionnaire responses as it is in the interviews. The impact of
educational institutions and job creation are overwhelmingly hailed in answers
to interview questions and questionnaire responses.
• Aderinwale lists fifteen trades and
professions or groups of people who are great beneficiaries of the positive
impact of the establishment of Winners' Chapel and Cannaanland institutions.
• It
is noteworthy here to observe that both the interview answers and the responses
to the questionnaire with the comments supplied are very complementary. They
are very good indicators of the true picture of reality of Winners' Chapel and
its impact on the community as expressed by random population sample of Ota
Community.