Business
‘I Tasted real Poverty and Hardship’ – Popular Pastor, Sam Adeyemi reveals
Ahead of a leadership conference that he is hosting in November, pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi, speaks on the growth of his brand, AKEEM LASISI writes
As a child, Sam Adeyemi did not enjoy a life of luxury, unlike other children of the affluent. But he certainly experienced modest comfort at a time.
When his father was a civil servant, he had the kind of fun that children of the middle class have. Later when the old man became a contractor, things turned better for the family and life turned rosier for the young Adeyemi.
Unfortunately, life showed the family another card. Old Adeyemi’s business encountered trouble and finally collapsed. Without invitation, poverty stepped in. That is how the proverbial mouth that used to eat beef began to run after bones.
“I tasted poverty and real hardship,” Adeyemi (Sam) says. “I used to brush my teeth without toothpaste.”
According to the pastor, motivational speaker and financial teacher, that singular experience eventually shaped everything he has become in life.
“The experience gave me the capacity for compassion. I cannot forget where I am coming from,” he adds.
He notes that after he accepted Jesus Christ — when he was still an engineering student in a polytechnic — he got a kind of vision in which God situated him in a context where he was teaching a group of people. This happened in the course of a prayer. He found the idea funny initially, as he did not believe he was cut out for teaching. But his decision to heed the signals has transformed his life and the church that he eventually founded — although he found it tough in the first three years of its existence.
Noting that he is sometimes amazed at the progress Daystar has made, he says what hinders the progress of many people and organisations is what he calls the culture of ‘big-mannism’. This is bossing around when one is supposed to be a leader — a leader whose armours ought to be compassion, humility and the urge to develop the potentialities of other people.
Adeyemi says this factor accounts for why Daystar focuses on raising role models.
He adds, “Practically everything we do in our church is about grooming people. We build talents to meet societal needs. We encourage the development of skills and the development of excellence, all targeted towards service.
“There is the need for one to be pure in intent. Life is vanity. It is the things you invest in life that matter. It is the capacity you build in others that counts. No man has any intrinsic value than any other man. Nobody is more important than any other person.”
Adeyemi stepped up the drive a few years ago when he established Daystar Leadership Academy. He is disturbed that although the dearth of quality leadership is the bane of Africa, the value is not included in the curriculum of regular schools. He says the impact that the academy has made in various sectors of the economy has been good, with amazing testimonies.
His main target now, however, is the annual leadership congress the centre is holding this November. He says the centre has assembled notable personalities to speak at the conference themed ‘Maximising your Influence’. Among such are entrepreneurs/managers, such as Folorunso Alakija, Bill Hybela, Julian Kyula, Agu Irukwu, Bimbo Olashore, Mo Abudu; and Chude Jideonwo.
Adeyemi says, “Discussion has moved from ‘leader’ or ‘boss’ to leadership. Leadership is about influence. It is the ability to move someone from here to there. So, we want them to inspire new leaders, share their stories to the younger generation.”
Adeyemi argues that the true mark of a leader is service. But he laments that true leadership is lacking in vital spaces in Nigeria.
He notes, “I was born in Niger State. I spent my first 10 years there — in a village called Ndayako, near Mokwa. I would never have imagined that I would become somebody that would pastor thousands of people and exert influence in other areas. I was shy. I didn’t think I was a leadership material.
“It was an elderly man in our church then that called me one day, as a teenager, and said, ‘You are a leader’. He gave me a book. It was in the book I first found out that everybody has the quality of a leader. The remaining part you may lack, you cultivate along the line. The principle advanced in the book worked.”
Adeyemi regrets that, although he has cause to relate with people in top positions even in political offices, it is extremely difficult to change many of them.
“The best time to change the President is before he becomes the president. While it is practically too late to teach someone what to do when he already has leadership value defined in his own way, Nigeria is practically a crisis in motion. So, it is impossible for them to listen to you. Of course, many people in government mean well, but they are seriously resisted by the system that has evolved over time.”
Zacch Adedeji: And The Revenue Keeps Increasing By Rabiu Usman
By Rabiu Usman
It was President Bola Tinubu that declared that in the first half of this year, the revenue of Nigeria soared to over N9.1 trillion, compared to the first half of 2023.
For instance, N5.2 Trillion accrued into the Federation Account for the period January to June 2023, while a total of N7.3 Trillion accrued into the account for the period July to December, 2023.
However, for June this year, accruals into the Federation Account rose to N2.483 trillion in June 2024. It was N2.324.792 trillion in May, meaning for the two months of May and June this year alone, about N4.8 trillion accrued into the Federation Account while N5.2 trillion accrued into the account for the first six months of last year.
The President attributed the revenue increase to the government’s efforts in blocking leakages, introducing automation, and mobilizing funding creatively, all without placing an additional burden on the people.
A few days after the President spoke glowingly of the considerable increase in the revenue of the country, a process being powered by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), under the Chairmanship of Dr Zacch Adedeji, the Nigeria’s Zaccheus the Tax Collector, the World Bank also confirmed the progress being made in the area of revenue generation.
The World Bank projected that following the recent increase in government revenue, Nigeria’s revenue-to-GDP ratio could rise to over 10.5 percent by the end of 2024.
Ndiamé Diop, World Bank country director for Nigeria shared the forecast during an interactive session on ‘Fiscal Reforms for a More Secure Future’ at the 30th Nigerian Economic Summit, held in Abuja last month.
Also, according to data released in September by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue increased by 99.82% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2024.
During this period, total VAT revenue reached N1.56 trillion, a 9.11% increase compared to the previous quarter.
The NBS report highlighted that the revenue growth was driven primarily by local payments, which brought in about $484 million, while foreign payments contributed $242 million. VAT on imports generated $228 million.
However, despite the level of progress already made, the FIRS under Dr Zacch Adedeji is not done yet.
Various innovations are daily being introduced to ensure seamless payment of taxes by Nigerians.
Last week, the Taxpayer Services Department of the FIRS launched the new USSD code *829#, aimed at revolutionizing taxpayer engagement and access to essential tax services.
According to the FIRS, the initiative was aimed at “simplifying tax processes and providing a seamless, efficient service experience.”
With the *829# USSD code, taxpayers can now effortlessly access a range of services, including TIN retrieval, Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) verification, and general inquiries all from the convenience of their mobile phones and with no need for internet access.
Also, Zacch Adedeji is everywhere, explaining the four tax bills currently before the National Assembly, assuring that it will not reduce the funding or operational efficiency of government agencies.
Last week Wednesday, Adedeji addressed the heads of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) at the Revenue House in Abuja. He allayed concerns surrounding the proposal to rename the FIRS as the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), clarifying that the change is intended to streamline and improve agency efficiency.
He said the main goal was to align government revenue practices with current fiscal demands to ensure all agencies are well-funded and effective.
Adedeji further highlighted that the proposed legislation would enable government agencies to concentrate on their core responsibilities without the added task of revenue collection.
“The bills, once enacted, will allow agencies to focus on their primary functions instead of managing tax collection duties,” he explained.
Adedeji, who appears to have taken up the job of an Explainer concerning the new tax bills, further pointed out that the bills were the aftermath of President Tinubu’s administration recognition of the need for a unified tax code to reduce complexity and stimulate economic growth.
Perhaps, by the time this is being read, Dr Zacch Adedeji, will be standing before another audience to explain the ideas behind the new tax bills and their capability to further sore up the revenue base of the country, because for him, the revenue must keep increasing.
Usman, a public affairs commentator lives in Abuja.
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