Lagos Varsity Ex-DVC Appreciates God For Using His Former Student As Spiritual Helper

By Frank Oshanugor

It was all joy and praises on Sunday at the Cannanland Divine Ministry International, located in Ketu area of Lagos when a former Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) in charge of Academics at the Lagos State University, (LASU) Ojo, Prof. Wahab Elias Olukorede and his family came to thank God for using his former student and now the General Overseer of the Church, Pastor Jude Chuks Itabor to spiritually assist him during his most trying periods.

The university don who spoke to journalists on the sideline of the event said his former student who graduated over twenty years ago has remained as source of inspiration to him spiritually even as he (Wahab) a Muslim, has come to appreciate Christianity and the grace of God which abounds in the life of those who believe in God.

Married to a Christian wife, the Professor of Sociology disclosed that upon graduation from LASU many years ago, Itabor has remained in contact with him until they could not reach each other again. According to Wahab, a few years ago, they got connected once again through FaceBook and this was a time, he (Wahab) was having some health related challenges. He did not hide his condition to the Pastor, who in turn encouraged him to trust in God, discarding any fears of misfortune in the circumstance as he (man of God) chose to uphold his former lecturer in fervent prayers.

The Professor said he was eventually healed through the powers of prayer and since then he realized that there is nothing positive God cannot do for anyone who believes. In his words, “I will advise that people should believe and worship God as there is nothing good God cannot do. We shall also appreciate Him always because the life we live is a grace. We should know that we are not entitled to anything but certainly living by the grace of God.

The university teacher also gave testimony of how God used his former student to intercede for him when he was almost denied visa to travel to the United States of America for a programme organized by an American University this year. According to him, the university had invited him as a highly rated scholar to come and deliver lecture in a particular area, indicating readiness to pay for all travelling expenses. Along the line, there was a twist as the American Embassy in Nigeria scheduled him for interview in February, 2025 for an event already planned to take place in February, 2024.

With a belief in the grace of God upon his former student as a prayer warrior, the professor related his challenge concerning the American trip to him (Pastor) Itabor) for spiritual intervention. While assuring Wahab that there was nothing God could not do, he urged him to relate his handicap over the visa issue to the university in America which invited him. The Professor sent the letter accordingly to the inviting school which in turn sent a strongly worded letter to the American Embassy in Nigeria.

The Professor disclosed that even when he was in doubt of the possibility of scaling through the obstacle, Pastor Itabor kept assuring him that he would make the trip to US as God had assured him of it. Interestingly, the American Embassy subsequently invited him for expedited visa interview, thereby nullifying the February, 2025 interview date and bringing it to January 2, 2024. He eventually went for the interview and was given five years visa by the Embassy. He attended the programme accordingly with all expenses paid by the university which invited him.

“It was something miraculous for me to apply for US visa for the first time and it was granted. Many Nigerians were seen queuing for the same visa and yet most of them were denied visa. I wish our government can provide jobs and opportunities here, so that we can reduce the level of migration to foreign lands,” he remarked.

Still basking in the euphoria of his former student’s spiritual gift, the professor described Pastor Jude Itabor “as an unusual human being. He is a different human being. He is a man of peace, mercy and someone who is ready to serve God through rendering assistance or service to his fellow human beings. If you call Itabor at any time of the day or night, he would listen to you, pray with you and guide you. He is someone always willing to help. I call him a social worker apart from being a pastor because depending on the circumstance, he would advise you to see a doctor when one is sick and feeling someone. He believes that some sicknesses can be cured medically and not through spiritual means. Itabor is a diligent and extra-ordinary human being.”

Earlier in his sermon titled DYNAMICS OF GRACE with his text taken from II Corinthians 9 verse 8, Pastor Itabor said grace which is an unmerited favour from God is not earned but freely given by God, should not be abused by any one endowed with one grace or the other. According to him, without grace, one will continue to struggle endlessly in life just as he inferred that grace makes life easy.

He reminded Christians that God has given everyone his/her path to follow with grace and no one should therefore abandon his calling for something else as grace has expiry date. He contended that grace is sustained by sharing same with others. The preacher has therefore enjoined every Christian not to mess up with the grace of God in their lives as grace expires when the carrier of grace does not know the value.

The thanksgiving service was well attended by members of the church and friends from other denominations.