Pastor Oluwafunmilayo Adebisi Ademola is the Secretary of Pastor Wole Oladiyun, the Senior Pastor at CLAM’s Church. This beautiful ebony complexion lady turned 50 on Wednesday 30th October and had a thanksgiving service and classy party inside CLAM Auditorium. She recently spoke to City People Magazine team on her life. She also spoke about how she became the Secretary of CLAM Senior Pastor. Below are excerpts.
Congratulations on your 50th birthday. How do you feel?
I feel very excited. I am so overwhelmed. I am very excited that I am 50. I am happy and I am thanking God for sparing my life over the last 50 years. I have passed through a lot. I have passed through so many challenges. I am thanking God that he saw me through and has kept me up till today. I am very happy. I am fulfilled. The lord is good. My children are fine. They are in the University. The last born is in secondary school. My husband is doing great. We are thanking God. My business is doing very well. Apart from being God’s Servant’s Secretary, I am into events. I manage drinks for parties. I chill drinks. I serve. I do everything that has to do with party drinks.
Let’s take you back to your growing up years. Where were you born? Where did you grow up?
I was born in October 1969 in Ibadan. I grew up majorly in Ibadan. I schooled in Ibadan. I schooled in Ilorin. I had my HND in Ilorin. Then I came back to Lagos and I started work. I went for BSC in UNILAG. I am a Chartered Secretary, I have done all my stages as a Chartered Secretary. I am a Chartered Management officer too. I have done my N.I.M I have been in Lagos for about 27 years. I came when I was 23. I thank God.
How did you become Pastor Wole Oladiyun’s Secretary?
I call him Gods servant. So, I usually say I am God’s servant Secretary. How did I become God’s servant’s secretary? Hmmm! It’s a long story I knew mummy before I got to meet Daddy. At that time I was working at IPWA (International Paint for West Africa) on Aba Akran as the Secretary to the MD. Working with the MD, the workload was very much. When I had my first child, Oluwatomisin, she is in Landmark. She is a 300 level Civil Engineering student. I was looking for a place to put her. My first child died, so I was particular about wanting to take care of her well and at the same time I wanted to work. So I was looking for a place where they would take care of her very well. One of my colleagues Pastor Sarah Ayodele, I told her auntie, I am resuming in 2 weeks’ time and I need a place to put my baby. She now said one of my Pastor’s wife is running a daycare, in that estate where you live. We lived in LSDPC Estate in Ogba then. That was how we agreed and I went to meet Mummy, Pastor Oladiyun’s wife. I fell in love with her immediately because of her colour. We have a similar ebony complexion. Until now people always ask: are you mummy’s relative? Because she’s been a mother. Immediately we got there, my spirit just jelled with her. I said Yes, I have seen where I will keep my baby.
That was how I got to know Mummy and my baby was always there. Pastor Sarah is very close to Daddy. She is the most senior disciple to Daddy. There was time I was having a spiritual challenge, she now said let’s come and see Pastor, we came to see him. Not quite long my MD started behaving in a funny way. I decided to leave the place. I resigned. Immediately, I resigned CLAM was doing Thursday service. One day I came for the service. The pastor saw me, Madam, how come you came, you didn’t go to work? I said I have left the place.
Now, I don’t go to work again. He now said, haa! We don’t pay much here ooo. But can you come and help me put my place here in order. I came. The 1st time that I came, he liked what I did.
That was 16 years ago. Pastors Secretary then was Sister Petrolina. When I came, I did the filing. I did so many things. Pastor liked the work. He asked Pastor Sarah if I can come and work with him. But they can’t pay ooo. At that time I was already eyeing one back job. I had to call my dad to tell him, that I got 3 jobs. He said go and take that church job. They may not pay you salary but you will have time for your family, you will have time to pray and have time for your children.
The following week I just came back to Daddy that I want to work. That was how I started work with Daddy.
And how has it been?
It’s been wonderful. I thank God for the Grace of God upon the life of our father in the Lord and our mother in the Lord. They have been very wonderful. They are the best spiritual parents anybody can wish for. They are nice, very accommodating. To be able to work with Pastor, you have to be very hardworking, very careful. He is a very finicky person, he has an eye for details. I thank God for him because he drilled me. There is nothing that I cannot handle now. I have acquired a lot of experience over time. If you are lazy you can’t work with him. It has been wonderful working with dad. If you do something bad, he will call you immediately to tell you. He will tell you to improve on it. He will ask about your family and children. My children can send message to him, he will reply Daddy has been amazing person. Its been wonderful working with him.
