•How She Touched The Lives Of Very Many In 2020
Over the last few months, Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi, popularly called Iya Adura has been touching the lives of thousands of people and institutions across Nigeria and beyond.
Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi, who is the founder of Love of Christ Generation Church, based in London, with presence in various countries of the world, including Nigeria, has been spreading Joy and Happiness to many people across the globe.
From starting off as a London based Evangelist and Prophetess, she has grown to become an International Evangelist and Ambassador of all the White Garment Churches all over the world. And as she preaches the word globally. She also touches lives. Over the last 5 years or so, she has been engaged in serious philantropic work all over the world. And in Nigeria there is a long list of individuals whose lives she has transformed. There are also a lot of churches she has helped complete the construction of their structures, as she is committed to Church Growth.
In the year 2020, she has done a lot to uplift lives. She has helped the youth, the aged, the needy, men and women. She has also helped many white garment churches in their areas of need.
HOW SHE HELPED THE POLICE
Recently, she shocked many when she commissioned a new building for the Nigerian Police.
It was an exciting moment at the Lagos State Police Command GRA Ikeja, on that Tuesday, December 15, 2020, when Iya Adura who came with her husband, Rev. Dr. Ademuyiwa Ajayi led other important dignitaries to the Special Protection Unit, Ikeja, Lagos to commission a new building for Base 2 of the unit.
In her speech, Rev. Esther commended the efforts of the Lagos State Government and the Police Command in the fight against crime, and manage the people who saw them as enemies rather than friends, as within the purview they are positioned to operate, describing their intelligent approach as “strategic”.
The kind gesture, according to Rev. Esther Ajayi, was in recognition of the efforts of the Nigerian Police Force and State Police Command and also to encourage them as one of those in the forefront of the fight against insecurity. Saying that it is of note that as much as the people need the police, police also need their support, having been fighting many “viruses” before now; armed robbers, kidnappers, and progenitors of negative vices.
While responding to the benevolence of Re Esther Ajayi, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu said it is highly exciting to know that despite the persecutions police officers are facing while trying to discharge their duties, there are still a group of people and individual who still believe in supporting the Nigeria Police Force to achieve the objective of securing the lives and property of the populace.
“There is no doubt that Nigeria Police Force is on the frontline in collective efforts to combat crime and ensure the safety of lives and properties. On behalf of the entire officers and men of the Lagos State Police Command, I sincerely thank our mother in Christ, who also doubled as my mother-in-law, in encouraging the officers and their families in order for them not to become victims of Coronavirus,” Odumosu said.
In the entourage of Rev, Esther Ajayi was the likes of Publisher of Ovation, Dele Momodu, former MD of First Bank, Bisi Onasanya, Dr Osinowo Babatunde, Mrs Folasade Odumosu, and a galaxy of royal fathers, while AIG Iliyasu led other prominent ranks of the Police to the commissioning program. Other attendees include Dr. Osinowo Babatunde, AP Abdulahi Nuhu Liman ACP, Salisu Ishaq, and others.
HOW SHE TRANSFORMED SPECIAL CORRECTIONAL CENTRE @ OREGUN
The week after, Rev. Esther Ajayi commissioned all the projects she did at the Special Correctional Centre for Boys at 75 Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, in Lagos. It was the commissioning of (i) the Full premises interlocking (2) Lighting & Painting of Perimeter Fence (3) Computer Laboratory (4) Kitchen Renovations (5) Presentation of Beds, Fans & Sewing Machines (6) Domitory Renovation.
At the event, Rev. Esther Ajayi revealed why she embarked on touching lives many years ago. “Gratitude is my Attitude, Giving is my Character,” she revealed.
At the commissioning of her projects at the Oregun Correctional Centre in Lagos, she revealed how her daughter brought to her notice how bad the situation of things was there.
“Already, you have been told how they called my attention to the situation at the Correctional Centre for Boys. My daughter came home crying. I asked her what happened and she told me. I said okay. We will go there and see what we can do there. We came and we saw how bad things were. I have always had this philosophy. I always say there is no bad child, only the child lacks good mentorship. When first I came on a visit, I spoke to the children. I told them that if you want to be great in life, there is no need to be a rascal. There is no gain in rascality. If you are good, you are good for yourself. If you choose to be otherwise, it is for yourself. It is better to be good than to be bad. Children, that is what I told you that day.”
“That is what I am still emphasising on, even now. You have to know that you are tomorrow of this great country”.
She explained why she has been giving back to society, and why she has even been helping the government. “No government of any nation can solve all the problems of that country. We are the ones that can help ourselves and there is great reward in giving.
“I love that Chapter of the Bible and that Verse in particular which says: Give, and it shall be given on to you, in good measure. Praise out shaken to God, running over. That is what the Lord is going to return back into your business. It means it is not what you give that the Lord will return. He will return in millions and trillions fold”.
“I like Nigeria to a fault. I am a Lagosian. Both my parents are from Awori, one from Agboyi L.G. and the other from Isolo/Ijegun-Ikotun L.G. I love this country and the way to give back to this country is to give back some of the things, the country had given to us. You can’t leave the government alone to do anything. It is not going to work. Don’t wait until you become a billion or a trillionaire, not speaking negative things about Nigeria is part of it, it is still part of giving back to the country. We have been cursing, we have been abusing Nigeria. It is not taking us anywhere.”
“Let’s start to say something positive about Nigeria. Our tongue is very powerful. I am imploring everyone that is listening to me. Let’s make Nigeria great again, especially Lagos State. You don’t have to be a Lagosian before you can give back to Lagos.”
“If you are in Lagos State, give back to Lagos State. The good thing is that the government that listens. Gov. Sanwo-Olu listens a lot. He is a gentleman, if you are ready to contribute, he is ready to listen”.
She told all the members of the centre and the children in particular to take care of the facilities of the centre. “If you have something and you are not maintaining that thing, you are as good as good as somebody who doesn’t have at all. Our maintenance culture in Nigeria is something we have to look at as well. We shouldn’t allow things to go down before we mend it. Let’s maintain what we have so that we don’t keep going back to starting from the scratch.
In 2019, Rev. Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi travelled all over the world, touching lives. City People can authoritatively reveal how she moved from one country to the other, positively affecting the lives of many citizens. She didn’t just restrict her activities to Nigeria, she travelled round Africa and beyond, getting involved in the construction and completion of churches and structures for greater evangelism.
By virtue of her activities in 2019, Rev. Esther Ajayi emerged the leading philantropist in Nigeria and City People picked her as the 2019 Woman Of The Year. Year in, year out she has continued to touch the lives of very many Nigerians both here and in the diaspora. She also supported church growth round the world. Her activities in 2019 was so huge that many, picked on her as one woman who made such a great impact on society.
And she has been doing it quietly. City People has a list of no fewer than 25 churches she helped complete in Lagos & South West with specific instructions for her name not to be mentioned. She supports members of the CCC, just as she supports members of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church. Rev. Esther Ajayi spends heavily on Philantrophy & Charity.
She is one woman of God who has taken Generosity and Philanthropy not only as a way of life but to yet another level. She spends all her resources on the work of God. Her biography, Exceptionally Outstanding, reveals a lot about this pretty woman who spends close to £1 million pounds a week on Charity.
ABOUT GIVING
Reverend Esther’s emphasis on Generosity as a way of life is Biblical. She is of the view that imbibing generosity in life should be a pre-requisite to those desirous of prosperity, as dictated by the Bible. “Some Christians are in financial poverty because they lack knowledge of the greatest book given to man-the Bible-which has all the keys to their of debt-free life” she explains.
“People say to me, ‘Reverend, I read my Bible all the time. My reply is, ‘Yes, you read your Bible, but do you apply it to your life?’ No matter how big your debt is, the Lord can free you from it. But you have to Give. One of the hardest things in life is Giving. The devil knows what you are going to get when you Give, so he doesn’t want people to Give. When Giving becomes a part of you, you don’t even see it. If you don’t give, you are not going to get; it is in the Bible-’Give and you shall be Given: You can pray from morning till evening. The principle is that Give and it shall be Given unto you. Luke Chapter 6 verse 38 says, ‘Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.’ I became debt-free when I understood the act of Giving, with expectation from the Lord. I started Giving from the little I had.
Without preference to religious or racial backgrounds, Reverend Esther has added value to the existence of a multitude of people in an unprecedented manner and contributed immeasurably to Christendom. Aside from supporting many church establishments and raising people’s churches-regardless of affiliation-and making stupendous donations to mountain churches, Reverend Esther, on a yearly-basis, sponsors over a hundred people to Jerusalem on- Holy Pilgrimage.
This sponsorship is in 3 batches every year. She pays all travelling, accommodation and feeding expenses and gives the pilgrims allowances to ensure they have an exhilarating experience during the pilgrimage. This project is called The Jerusalem Tour. At least 120 people go on Jerusalem Tour in all the batches every year. In March, 35 people; in July, 65 people and in December, 20 people-all flight tickets, accommodation and feeding duly paid for by her. To cap it all, she gives each pilgrim at least $300 as personal allowance. In spite of outrightly purchasing the building where the church is located from the Royal Association of Deaf People, Reverend Esther has been magnanimous enough to give the members of the association a 5-year free access for social gatherings and meetings in the church’s Function Room.
After Reverend Esther came into her good fortune, she got wind of the fact that her former boss at Clemento Furniture had gone into penury. Out of her own volition, she sought him out and blessed him with 5 million naira. Her former boss was shocked by her kind gesture, to say the least. He never thought for once that Reverend Esther would be used by God to bless him, later in life.
Reverend Esther is extra-ordinarily blessed by God and she in turn, blesses people liberally. Her church members often have life-changing experiences with her. One of such was when she recently blessed several members with cash gifts to improve their lives, during a church service. She holds the title of Matronthe and she financially supports more than 50 churches in Nigeria and other parts of the world. The Esther Ajayi Foundation, which she launched in London in 2017, focuses on Philanthropy, Volunteerism and making a difference in people’s lives: including taking care of the homeless adults in the society; those having difficulty with immigration; women in domestic violence and the orphans.
The scope of the foundation, is not limited to the United Kingdom and Nigeria, but all over the world. In 2019, its projection is to touch one million lives. It heavily supports youth empowerment and makes regular donations of self-empowerment items to the youth to add value to their lives and make them gainfully employed. It also built modern homes for the disabled and a rehabilitation centre for the Nigerians recently deported from Liberia, in Odogbolu, Ogun State, Nigeria. She empowers the poor and the disabled in Information Technology, (IT); engineering, tailoring and the likes. The centre is also equipped with a library.
