Home Features I had my first child after 22 and half years in marriage because if I refused to obey God’s call- Funso Akande

I had my first child after 22 and half years in marriage because if I refused to obey God’s call- Funso Akande

by Church Times

 

By Gbenga Osinaike

You can’t miss your way to Ori Oke Baba Abiye; a foremost prayer mountain, located in Ede, Osun State. It is off the road leading to Iwo town from Oshogbo. From the junction called Iyana Ori Oke, you will probably have to drive another three kilometers before getting to the mountain arena.

As one approaches the place one is confronted with an iron barricade with a police post to your right, a number of stalls, a church auditorium, a duplex and a rocky part leading to the mountain. To your left is a building named seat of knowledge, which is the faculty building for the Bible School on the mountain and then to your right is another building named seat of wisdom. Three flags are before the mountain and two imposing bill boards with sundry instructions on the dos and don’ts on the mountain.

For instance, seekers are not allowed to burn candles or incense on the mountain and people are warned to be wary of fake prophets. But before you step through to the mountain you are advised to pull off your shoes, perhaps to ensure that the mountain top remains clean. The other interpretation could well be that the mountain is a holy ground and nothing filthy is allowed to creep in there.

On a normal day, scores of people are seen scattered all over the mountain praying and seeking the face of God. It is also normal to see kegs of water placed at a particular place by seekers. The atmosphere is both serene and characterized by intermittent groans and cries reminiscent of women undergoing birth pangs.

On this particular day when Church Times visited, the church had just concluded a marathon programme that ran for days. Both workers and worshippers had to hibernate at strategic places to catch some rest. The presiding pastor of the Ori Oke, Funso Akande though obviously tired still squeezed out time to chat with Church Times. He informed that the place was established in 1944 in response to God’s instruction by his father, Prophet S.O.Akande.

“My father locked himself up for 16 months praying and fasting. It was during that time that God spoke to him about the prayer mountain and that He would use him to meet the needs of the people. After God had spoken to him he went to meet with the late Timi of Ede who was his friend. It was the Timi who brought him here. This place was a thick forest. In fact it was still like a forest when the Lord brought me to oversee the work”

The founder who died in 1992 was a one time Islamic scholar who experienced God’s manifold grace. He was struck with blindness just about 15 days to his marriage while trying to extract nuts from a palm tree. It was the blindness that brought him to Christ in a rare encounter with Prophet Ayo Babalola who had founded Ori Oke Ikoyi as at that time.

He had looked for healing in several other places to no avail until Christ came to his rescue. But then he had to also contend with the problem of having still births. He was in fact name baba abiku (meaning father of still born child) because his children were dying at birth. But God also turned that around. The year he gave birth to a surviving child, his name changed. People started calling him baba Abiye. That was how he came about the name baba Abiye.

The prayer mountain thus came to be known as Ori Oke Baba Abiye. For years it has become a meeting place for those who are seeking God for a touch in their lives. Though the vestiges of a forest still hung around the mountain arena, the place is gradually wearing the garb of a city.

Several buildings are being erected around the mountain top. A massive construction work for a world class hotel where people can lodge when they come to pray was going on as at the time Church Times visited. Already, there are several chalets around the prayer villa and also a sprawling estate known as Funso Akande Estate which is about 500 metres away from the Ori Oke.

You can be sure of a full life at the vicinity of the mount. The one time thick forest is gradually giving way to civilization without losing its essence. Pastor Akande recalled that in the early days of the ministry, major programmes used to hold during Easter period.

“My father used to hold the 40 days Lenten programmes here and people came from all over Nigeria and even beyond to pray. For us in those days the place was a rallying point. Kings, obas, even governors used to come here to pray and they used to come once in a year especially during Easter period. Oke-Ikoyi was established in 1936 while this established in 1944. We did not know of any other prayer mountain.”

Akande who is the second to the last child of the late founder said he became the presiding pastor of the prayer mountain by God’s special design. “I never wanted to come here. I was busy enjoying myself in the secular world. It took a lot of work on me to even come to terms with God. I graduated from the University of Ibadan, studied Communications and Language Arts and moved on to work with Agip Oil which is now Oando. I was just doing my own thing and living my own life.”

But God wanted something else for him. He was called twice by God to surrender his will but he would not have anything to do with God. “In those days I was just doing my own thing. At a point I stopped coming to church because I thought in my heart that if I stopped coming to church, God will stop talking to me. But that did not stop God. When I was adamant, God told me that I would not have a child until I surrender to him.”

So it was not a shock to him that his first child came after 22 and half years of marriage ‘It was in 1993 December God told me I would not have children unless I yield to his call. That was how I surrendered to Him. I went to Faith Theological Seminary in Sango, OgunState under late Dr. Olumide Ige after my encounter with God. That was between 1994 and 1995. God spoke to me later that I should go and see Pastor Enoch Adeboye. He gave me three reasons why I should see him. One was for his total submission to the work, for his holiness and for his humility. I then enrolled at the RCCG BibleCollege at ACME parish in Lagos”

He had thought he would work in RCCG until God directed him back to the church his father founded on the mountain. “Then my elder brother who was already in the ministry passed on and I came in but then I did not come to take over. I had to stay under the tutelage of one of the disciples of my father in the church. I was observing him and serving him. He would send me on errands and give me assignment as God directed him.

His coming to the prayer mountain was also informed by a vision he saw in 1996.“I saw in a vision, a giant bill board with the word Ori Oke boldly written and I saw the place surrounded by bulb points with only a few with bulbs and God spoke to me that He would remove the power in the Ori Oke and take it somewhere else because of the disuse of the place.”

Coming to the place was however not a tea party for the ex-Agip Oil staff. “There was no stable means of income for me. I was a pupil under my father’s disciple. Though he was not an educated person God used him to disciple me. I did that from 1996 to year 2000. It was after I had been properly tutored by this disciple of my father that I started having programmes and ministers conferences. The traffic flow was low at beginning. When we got here we could just be about 100 but now we record about 50,000 attendees in our programmes.

Talking about miracles, Akande says, “We have recorded incredible miracles. We used to write and print the miracles but we had to stop because we lost count of what God was doing and still doing.”

On whether he operates a prophetic ministry he says, “Many of the things I say while ministering are said under the unction of the Holy Spirit.” He however regretted that “many people have been duped, cheated and messed up in many prayer mountains. One of the problems with Prayer Mountains is that there are some charlatans who take advantage of the problem of people to dupe them.  They minister to people and collect money from them. There are a lot of people who have problem and they are gullible. You will discover that a professor will fall prey to an illiterate prophet because of his problem. That is why we warn people to be wary of fake prophets on Prayer Mountains”

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35 comments

Pastor Mkabayi March 11, 2014 - 9:39 pm

I am humbled

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Laoye christianah April 18, 2014 - 5:06 am

@funsho akande, but he is d biological father of a now over 29years old daughter(name witheld), so what’s d position of d daughter. I hate lies

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tooke November 10, 2014 - 8:32 am

@laoye . his wife had a child before she married him. if uhave been to d mountain u will know dat is not a secret.

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PST NIKE AKERELE RCCG December 29, 2015 - 2:02 pm

PLS SEND ME BABA ABIYE MY BANK ACCT.THKS

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Gbenga Osinaike December 30, 2015 - 12:18 pm

i don’t have his account but will make inquiries for you and get across later. God bless.

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cynthia January 22, 2016 - 5:31 am

We thank God for life, please can anyone help me with more information on to get to the mountains, I get confuse cos I don’t know which is for men and women, do I have to come with anything like anointing oil or something? Is there someone I can call to give me more information? , and please I will appreciate an easier discrimination when coming from Lagos using a public transportation, cos it will be my first time leaving Lagos. Thank you very much and God bless you

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sunmbo February 19, 2016 - 9:16 am

Cynthia, I will advise you take a bus to Ibadan and then ask where tantalizer is, there’s a motor park beside tantalizer where you will get a bus going to “ori-oke baba abiye” you will hear them calling that out. They will drop you at a junction or baba abiye bustop where you will take bike to the mountain,if things haven’t changed though. Go with your oil,mat,keg…however, you can travel light, anything you could possibly need is there.Just have enough money in your pocket the place is civilised if you ask me. Make sure you get a keg and a bucket it is important, because you will need to be up early enough to get water from the well which you can’t fetch by yourself, there are people assigned to that…and be ready to pray, they can pray o.

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sunmbo February 19, 2016 - 9:16 am

Cynthia, I will advise you take a bus to Ibadan iwo-road and then ask where tantalizer is, there’s a motor park beside tantalizer where you will get a bus going to “ori-oke baba abiye” you will hear them calling that out. They will drop you at a junction or baba abiye bustop where you will take bike to the mountain,if things haven’t changed though. Go with your oil,mat,keg…however, you can travel light, anything you could possibly need is there.Just have enough money in your pocket the place is civilised if you ask me. Make sure you get a keg and a bucket it is important, because you will need to be up early enough to get water from the well which you can’t fetch by yourself, there are people assigned to that…and be ready to pray, they can pray o.

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Victoria February 19, 2016 - 4:44 pm

Pls can i see a bus going to ori-oke baba abiye from iwo road garage?

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Gbenga Osinaike February 21, 2016 - 10:05 pm

Victoria, just read Sumbo’s description above. In the alternative you can take a bus to Oshogbo and from there ask from where to take a bus to the ori oke baba Abiye. Its a popular place in Ede, Osun State. Wish you the best

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Pastor Tope Roberts March 8, 2016 - 11:52 am

What a wonderful testimony I stumbled on about the Prophet Funso Akande? Yet, there are a bunch of folks who won’t have the ability to visit the mountain. Jesus said to the Samaritan lady by the well in John Chapter 4 that “the time has come when people shall no longer worship at this mountain.” Solutions shouldn’t be limited to the mountain. There should be internet or phone facilities with which to reach the Prophet without having to get to the mountain. Please, send me a reply. Thanks.

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I can say to you that getting to Ori Oke Baba Abiye will proved to you that God is real and He answer His children. Solomon March 10, 2016 - 10:46 pm

God is real, when you get to this mountain.

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wemimo May 26, 2016 - 11:14 am

God Bless you all,

I once went to the prayer mountain around December period like that, and God really is working. I am still enjoying the benefits of the Answered prayers till today. Also, I used the water we prayed on for deliverance and it worked.
My questions are:
1. are there accommodations for family members coming for the programme(s) esp. families with small children?
2. what are the price ranges of the accommodation arrangements?

the response should be sent to my mail please.

PLEASE, ALL THE PROGRAMMES SHOULD BE ADVERTISED IN NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE SO AS TO BE ABLE TO SCHEDULE AND ATTEND.
GOD BLESS U.

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Federe May 31, 2016 - 12:55 am

I have interest in visiting the mountain at the weekend of mid-June,
Pls is there any program scheduled for that period?
Would also like to know about accommodation arrangements and possible cost.
Reply could be sent to my mail.
Thank you.

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omolara June 27, 2016 - 11:11 am

I do have time once in a while pls when can I go there. thanks

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omolara June 27, 2016 - 11:12 am

I do have time once in a while, pls when can I go there

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omolara July 14, 2016 - 1:55 pm

like Friday to Saturday

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Adewale August 26, 2016 - 5:29 pm

Please can I be obliged with the dates and times of programmes on the mountain?

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Agunbiade Ayodeji August 28, 2016 - 1:15 pm

Ori Oke baba abiye is not just ordinary prayer mountain,it is a place where GOD dwells from when it was established till today and eternity. I have being there several times and I will never forget till I die the miracles the LORD did for me on many occasions.I m even preparing to go there again because I want more things from the LORD before the year runs out.

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Yinka August 31, 2016 - 7:25 pm

I want a schedule of programs at the mountain for September, October, November and December.
2. When does the annual convention holds?
Thank you!

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Esther August 31, 2016 - 11:11 pm

Pls can u forward 2016 date for abiye day.thanks

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yetty October 3, 2016 - 1:36 pm

pls when can I come to the mountain

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Alagba Ademot September 11, 2017 - 10:44 am

any time because people’s are always there.

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Emmanuel May 16, 2017 - 1:39 pm

For the person requesting for the account number of Baba Abiye
I have His personal account number and the Ori-oke account number too

Gospel Promotion Outreach CAC ori-Oke BAba Abiye Ede
1. First Bank, EDE
Account Name: GOSPEL PROMOTION OUTREACH
Account Number: 3063128272

2. GUARANTY TRUST BANK, OSOGBO
Account Name: GOSPEL PROMOTION OUTREACH
Account Number:0142699495

3. ACCESS BANK, EDE
Account Name: GOSPEL PROMOTION OUTREACH
Account Number: 0057765552

4, SKYE BANK, EDE
Account Name: GOSPEL PROMOTION OUTREACH
Account Number: 1771322640

5. DIAMOND BANK, OSOGBO
Account Name: GOSPEL PROMOTION OUTREACH
Account Number: 0028514456

5. WEMA BANK, EDE
Account Name: GOSPEL PROMOTION OUTREACH
Account Number:0122195051

6. ZENITH BANK, OSOGBO
Account Name: GOSPEL PROMOTION OUTREACH
Account Number: 1014201731

7. UNITY BANK, EDE
Account Name: GOSPEL PROMOTION OUTREACH
Account Number: 0021159444.

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Adeboye Moses Olufemi September 11, 2017 - 10:40 am

ori-oke abiye is a place indeed where God do answers prayers of his children.although a’ve not been there but a’v worked under one minister of God that was close to prophet funsho.i do go to ede because its not far from osogbo where i reside now but i believe one day i will be there.

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natural September 16, 2017 - 12:01 pm

thanks for the account number
stay blessed

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Orowole kehinde Joshua. October 2, 2017 - 7:30 am

May God continue to dwel on this mountain and never depart from the man of God for a while in Jesus name. And continue to answers the prayer as many people that will stii go there ijn.

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Jummy November 23, 2017 - 2:34 pm

please when can I see the man of God on this mountain and when is the next programme on the mountain

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blessing December 14, 2017 - 10:08 am

please I would like to visit the mountain..I would need Information about the accommodation and the price range. .thanks

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Annie December 28, 2017 - 8:27 am

God will continue strengthen you.Please I want to ask if there’s any program schedule for January 2018

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Annie December 28, 2017 - 8:32 am

Can you please help with dates and times of programmes on the mountain for 2018.
Reply could be sent to my mail.
Thanks

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Rev Felicia Rest Dare May 22, 2018 - 6:39 pm

Well i and my husband has been there maybe up to Four or five times now one thing i noticed there is i flow when praying there, there are mountains or Camp you go you will be struggling to pray although i desire to be there always but we are trusting God for financial flow and we’re not use to their systems yet because of my brought up as a woman of God under the late Archbishop Benson Idaosa for over 37years now in ministry but the truth still remains that Orioke Abiye is a good resort for prayer hmmm thank you Lord for your faithfulness all over the world Amen

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Paulinus Jennifer April 22, 2021 - 11:43 pm

I want to come to the mountain next month,I want to know the price of the accommodation there.thank you

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BOLA FEMI EBIRAN June 23, 2022 - 10:16 pm

Good evening sir, sir Please want to see baba if there is a way please help me

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Ajibola Hannah November 19, 2022 - 11:09 am

I always go there anytime we vacate from school when I was an undergraduate, I don’t go home straight. Trust me when I say that everything I trusted God for came to pass. I sorted a number of issues there and obtained promises. God has been true to his words in my life. It’s a good thing that we inherited a legacy of prayers as children. I’ll pass it on to my own children.

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