Matthew Ashimolowo, senior pastor of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) in London, recently spoke on his relationship with Femi Osibona, managing director of Fourscore Homes.
Fourscore Homes is the firm in charge of developing the building which collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday afternoon.
Several persons still feared trapped inside the rubble of what was once a 21-storey edifice, one of three buildings under construction in the vicinity.
Rescue efforts are ongoing, and as of Tuesday evening, 15 deaths had been recorded, while nine people were brought out alive.
A witness had also said Osibona was among the victims trapped in the rubble.
Speaking at an event organised by the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) on July 4, 2021, Ashimolowo narrated how he first met Osibona in 2001 when he came to preach at an event organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
According to Ashimolowo, his luggage had been delivered to Jamaica in error, while he landed in Abuja, and he established a relationship with Osibona who got him suits he wore for the RCCG event.
Speaking on how the high-rise at Ikoyi came to be, the KICC senior pastor said he prayed for Osibona and gave him advice on investing in Nigeria.
“He had been listening to all my messages. Apparently, he was going to a Celestial Church. My members were giving him messages on salvation, deliverance, then my teachings on wealth creation. This guy, something broke forth inside him and he went forth,” he said.
“After listening to my tapes, he built 12 apartments in London, sold eight, kept four. Then he came to me again and said, ‘pastor Matthew, lay hands on me; where should I go again?’ After I’d laid hands the first time, he said ‘where should I go again? I want to go to South Africa; please pray for me.’ I prayed for him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, he went to South Africa and built 125 houses in the highbrow area of Centurion, next door to Johannesburg. He broke through exponentially.
“Then, he calls me and says: ‘where are you, sir? I want to come to you.’ I said ‘I’m in Ghana preaching’. He jumps on a plane and flies to Ghana from South Africa. He comes and says ‘where should I go again?’ I said, ‘look, I’m not your financial adviser. Go and meet your financial adviser.’ He said ‘you’re doing better than them.’ So, I laid hands on him, prayed for him and I said ‘go to Nigeria, your country’.
“They call him Femi Fourscore. Femi comes to Lagos, boom, he buys a land in Ikoyi and builds 40 apartments and sold each one for like a million dollars.
“As I am talking to you right now, in fact, this morning, Femi sent me a video. He’s building I think three towers together on Alexander. We know Ikoyi. One is 14 floors, one is 16 floors, one is 21 floors.
“This guy used to sell shirt and ties in Abuja. I just told you he supplied me. He didn’t even have the shirt and tie; he went to others to get for me during that crisis journey. Now, he has three towers. I’m even wondering who should be laying hands on whom.”
