When Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi returned back to Nigeria years ago, her coming can be likened to that of an athlete who just won a medal when nobody expected. It was a state and rousing welcome for her. Her name spread like wildfire as people scampered to have her attention. She was a delight to many newsmakers and also to top government functionaries and clergymen within the Christain faith. She became the talk of the town as her story travelled beyond the shores of the country. One thing was at the back of her mind that was to take Christianity to another level and ensure unity and peace among the orthodox white garment churches in Nigeria. She has often said it’s her dream to unify both the Celestial Church of Christ and the Cherubim and Seraphim Church of Christ Church and she was consistent and chased that dream with much gusto till it became a reality. That was where she had a massive event tagged the comforter that had the two churches combine to have a service together making her break such records. It was a massive crusade at the Tafawa Balewa Square TBS as she also had another version in the United States of America where she spared no cost in ferrying over a thousand people to the United States just to make the event a huge success. The Lagos-born preacher won the heart of many as she got invitations from many world leaders who wanted to meet her. People started to knock on her door as she increased her philanthropic deeds. She funded people’s medical care and donated to church-building projects.
When she commissioned her state-of-the-earth Love of Christ Church building located in the heart of Oniru in Lagos it was a massive jamboree as it had the attendance of the high and mighty in Nigeria. The massive project running into billions of Naira was constructed by Cappa and D’Alberto can boast of a garment factory and a hospital and lots more. Those in the know averred that Mother Esther has intentionally recoiled back into her shell and has reduced her philanthropic work. This we gathered has reduced the number of people who wants to see her for one reason or the other. “Mother Esther is now wise. People have opened her eyes. They have shown her pepper. Those she helped will go behind her to say all sorts so that has made her draw back a little. Unlike before she attends plenty of social functions, but she has reduced them drastically. Those who used to queue to see her have reduced because they no longer get the largees they used to get from her. Well, I don’t know if it’s deliberate but that’s the situation of things.”
Over the week, Iya Adura as she is fondly called celebrated her 60th birthday unlike before it would have been the usual jamboree from praise singers, social media shoutout, and massive soiree, but things changed. Those who used to celebrate her to the high heavens didn’t even wish her a happy birthday with their social media posts and all. We gathered that Mother Esther also shunned those people as she celebrated her birthday at a Palm Sunday service in her church with her members, where she had cakes and also did Thanksgiving with her husband and family.
