“I am not ashamed to confess my membership of the fraternity. I’m proud to be Ogboni member. In actual fact, being an Ogboni leader has made me not only a good disciple of Jesus Christ, but it has also gone a long way to make me a better citizen’’:
Prophet Solomon said he became a member of the Ogboni society over 20 years ago. ‘’ I was initiated into the Aborigine Ogboni fraternity, that is the one they call Ogboni Ibile, but later I joined Saala Ogboni fraternity, and since I made that decision, I have no regret.’’
As a member of Ogboni fraternity, my life is having a meaning. I have prospered. My coast has been enlarged. Members of my congregation are increasing every day. I also thank God that due to my diligence as a committed member; I have been able to rise to the enviable position of Oluwo within the Ogboni fraternity.
‘’What is there to be hidden? I am not ashamed of my association with Ogboni Society, and I don’t hide it from members of my church. They all know that I’m a leader in the Ogboni group. When you even come to my house, I openly display my regalia as Ogboni chief. Let me quickly tell you this, by making my members know that I’m Ogboni member, it makes me popular among them. They describe me as an open and honest person. For that, many of them have been voluntarily coming to me pleading to be initiated as a member of Ogboni fraternity’’.
Prophet Solomon claimed to be child of light and that darkness or anything evil has no place in his life or church but said: ‘’ I used herbs and leaves combined with other items to prepare soap, anointing oil for members and other people that are having spiritual problems.
Pastors that are not Ogboni members will have problem of church growth that is talking about membership that is why in some churches they don’t have up to 30 members, whereas in other ones you see a mammoth crowd.
For those who have large members, do you think it is by their own power that they do it?
No. Several pastors come to us and we do what we call ‘Aworo’ for them.(Aworo is a kind of charm that draws crowd to a place) and that is why you see many of them driving state of the art cars. For those pastors that don’t know their ways, you see them in penury, drinking garri and coconut most of the time’. He claimed.
Prophet Solomon also said that Ogboni fraternity is not a cult, but a society that is comprises of transparent, honest , organized and disciplined people While he described cult as 'a group of people involved in secrecy, but Ogboni are open to scrutiny.'
It is unfortunate that today a lot of Christians are suffering out of ignorance, deceit and manipulations, in as much as am not against Prophet Solomon association or membership of Ogboni fraternity because this act is still within the frame work of law, United Nation Chatter on the freedom of association , however , how can he then explain this ''You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for i the Lord your God am a jealous God......'' Exodus 20: 4-5 to his teeming congregations?
