Celebrating Prophet Odularu at 90

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By 'Femi Okutubo

Well-wishers from all walks of life gathered together in London to celebrate Special Apostle Prophet James Babatunde Olugbuyi Odularu (JP) on the attainment of the Four Scores and Ten milestone!

Reverend Prophet Odularu, a London-based Church Minister is the Leader and Minister-in-Charge of the Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church (CSMC) - St. James' Redemption. He is also the Chairman of CSMC's Europe District comprising a number of branches of the Church.

For Baba Odularu - a husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, 2018 has been a great year. Apart from celebrating 90 years of his life, he, as District Chairman, presided over Europe District's hosting arrangements for the 78th Annual International Conference and Convention of the CSMC held in Nigeria last November. The Conference and Convention in Nigeria attracted the attendance of Church members and leaders from far and wide across Nigeria, and from Europe and the United States of America (USA).

Prophet Odularu was born in 1928 at Idogi Quarters, in the Ita Osu area of Ijebu-Ode to Mr Samuel & Mrs Victoria Idowu Odularu. The late Pa Samuel Odularu who was a Motor Magnate, hailed from Ososa, and built a house at 34 Olisa Street Ijebu-Ode, where he lived till his death. The late Mama Victoria Odularu, a cloth dyer, hailed from Ijebu Igbo and her father built a house at Idogi Quarters where he lived till his death.

Mama Victoria Odularu's belief that teachers beat pupils and not wanting her son beaten, meant that the young James Odularu did not start school at Ilese Primary School, till he was already 11-years-old.

As a result of his brilliance, he was able to make up for some of the last time in his early education. Starting school at Class 1, within the year he was moved to Class 1D, and at the end of year to Standard 1. In Standard 1, according to Pa Odularu, he was leading and thus promoted to Standard 3.

This rapid upward movement in school, Pa Odularu recalls, brought resentment among his mates "to the extent that they ganged up against me and one afternoon: waylaid me after school hours." He subsequently reported this to his teacher who in turn reported to the Headmaster - who sanctioned the pupils. This brought even further resentment among Pa Odularu's mates. His mother had no choice than to pull her child out of school and move miles out of Ilese to Ijebu Ode.

At Porogun Primary School Ijebu Ode, the Headmaster during young Odularu's interview, not believing the village boy could meet the school's standards, insisted he must participate in written tests in English, Mathematics, History, Geography and Nature Study. His performance was exceptional to the extent that instead of placing him in Primary 5 - where he would have been if he was still in Ilese, he was placed in Primary 6.

At the end of final year examinations, according to Pa Odularu, he "led in final year examinations throughout the Western Region" of Nigeria.

He taught in some Primary schools before attending Secondary school, and later, two years of Teacher training. After completion of Teacher training, he taught in some schools before rising to become a Head Teacher.

He later worked as a Tally Clerk with the Nigerian Railways before travelling to the United Kingdom (UK) in search of the proverbial golden fleece.

In the UK, he worked with the Post Office while studying Accountancy. He later worked with the British Gas Board as an Accounts Officer.

He returned to Nigeria in the 1970s having been recruited by Kilpatrick Construction as an Accountant.

Following threats to his life by someone serving in the government of the day, he returned to UK in 1985, where he has since lived.

Pa Odularu is full of appreciation to God: "I thank God for what he has done in my life so far. I thank God that the hosting of our Church's 78th Annual International Conference is taking place in my life time, and Europe District under my Chairmanship, is hosting it."

He concludes: "I pray to live to a mature age before I join my ancestors."

Who knows, if it pleases God to make Pa Odularu attain 100 years, he will be getting the traditional message from the reigning British Monarch - the Queen, congratulating him on reaching his hundredth birthday.