A visit to Babalola's mausoleum

A visit Babalola mausoleum

‘Is Ayo Babalola the founder of CAC being worshipped ?’

Efon -Alaaye in Ekiti state is popular and called a prayer town where Christians to commune with God because of the serene environment and many Mountains of prayer there. Today, Ayo Babalola’s faithful worship him at his grave. Taiwo Abiodun visited recently

Efon Alaaye in Ekiti state is not only popular because of the number of praying mountains where many Christian faithful go to for spiritual incubation, and special prayer but it has also become a tourist centre where the Christ Apostolic Church[CAC] members go to either pray at the grave of the late Ayo Babalola the founder of the church or sleep in the mausoleum believing the spirit of their late leader would solve their problem..

To most of the CAC faithful they do not only go to the grave of their founder to pray, some also sleep there while many bring kegs of water to the grave with the belief that the power of their founder is still potent and could still perform miracles as he did when alive. They come for healing , and solve their problems through his power as he did when alive as it was recorded . For the Christ Apostolic Church faithful, the graves of Apostle Ayo Babalola and his father, David Rotimi have become a source of receiving power, healing and miracles in Efon Alaaye, Ondo- state .

A visit to the white- painted mausoleum where the graves of the founder of Christ Apostolic Church[CAC]Apostle Babalola and his father, Rotimi were buried have become a Mecca of sorts for its faithful. The faithful do not only go there to pray at the grave sides alone but the graves have been turned into tourist attraction centre where people visit to have a glimpse of the graves. But what amazes this reporter is the turning the grave sites into praying ground believing that the spirit of their founder still live

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On the grave of Ayo Babalola are the following words engraved on the tombstone; THIS IS TO COMMEMORATE THE IMMUTABLE WORK, THE PRICELESS LOVE AND SELFLESS SERVICE TO MANKIND AND EVANGELISATION OF LATE APOSTLE AYODELE BABALOLA.

BORN IN 1904, CALLED TO GOD’S MINISTRY IN OCTOBER 1928 AND SLEPT IN THE LORD ON SUNDAY26TH JULY 1959

BY APOSTOLIC CHURCH COUNCIL…

Apart from these words , items like kegs of water, bottles of olive oil, bells, Babalola’s photograph where he was holding a bell, letters, photographs , Holy Bibles among other things were placed on the graves. While Babalola’s father’s grave too had the following items on the it; key holders , hand prayer bells, batteries ,some bottles, gaslight among others.

The Grave Prayer House Pastor, Pastor Rufus Babatunde Adetayo heads the mausoleum and prays for those who come to the mausoleum seeking solutions to their problems. As this reporter was chatting with Adetayo, about 10 people came into the mausoleum with their kegs of Oni stream water[of which they called Holy water , said to have been blessed by the late Babalola ,potent for healing and miracles] and before you say Jack Robinson they had knelt down by the graveside pouring out their minds making prayer requests .Some were speaking loudly while others were gesticulating and with their lips opening and closing praying thus reminding one of the Biblical Hanah in the Bible

. Not only this some do sleep by the gravesides too, a man was seen lying by the graveside.

Confused whether the practice of sleeping and praying by the graveside is normal or not ? Or whether communicating with the dead is Biblical

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The man in charge of the Grave Prayer House Adetayo, defended the idea and he described the place as a prayer house and also an important place to visit at all times. When challenged that bringing oil, water , and other material things to the grave for prayer is not right and unbiblical , he declared that there is nothing wrong in it and said ‘’ No, I don’t believe that .People come from all places to take from the Oni Holy water of which the late Babalola blessed before he departed , they would bring the water to the grave side here and pray over it .Many people have received miracles and healings from all kinds of diseases ‘’, he stressed and added’’ Let me tell you, the power of Babalola is still there. He still communicates with his people so he answers prayers and with a condition , that is if you believe it will be done .You must have faith that it will be done .’’

He cited examples of the wonders and miracles that had happened at the grave of the late Babalola , he said ’’ there is a man of God who was paralysed but when he came to the grave of Babalola and prayed he was healed. Spinsters and who are looking for husbands and the barren looking for the fruits of the womb do come here to the grave to pray and he[Babalola] answers their prayers , they are many and I cannot count them on my finger tips .In fact , many prophets and men of God do come from Lagos, northern Nigeria, and from outside the country to take from the Oni water and bring them to this grave for prayer.’’, he added with confidence.

Speaking further on the power of the grave , Adetayo said the olive oil or water prayed upon at the grave gives an instant healing , ‘’when you pray on the oil or water which is placed on the grave , and you take it home and rub the oil on your body or drink it, it would remove all the curses or bad dream laced on you and the bad dreams will stop, because the spirit of Babalola is still working and he has blessed it’’

With all curiosity , this reporter demanded the reason why these things are placed on the grave still the old man insisted that the spirit of Babalola is still alive and in the grave and still performs wonders like when he was alive, he added ‘’ there is no place in the world during prayer session where the name of Jesus is mentioned and Babalola’s name will not be mentioned. Despite the fact that he is dead , Babalola still speaks from the grave and there is no place or church in the world where Jesus’ name is mentioned without mentioning Babalola’s name. Those who have the photograph of Babalola would pray over it and he[Babalola] answers their requests. Those who give birth to Born –to- die-children [abiku], and those whose children die at infancy , people suffering from insanity do come here to receive miracles and healing too. And in fact if a woman falls into labour in the hospital and is given the water that had been prayed upon from this grave she will undoubtedly have safe delivery .You can see many photographs placed on the grave, they are meant to be prayed upon.’’

Thumping his chest, Adetayo claimed that Nigerians abroad do send their photos to Babalola’s grave for prayer request, ’’those who are in the United States of America, London and many other foreign countries do come here to scoop from the water and bring it to the grave for prayer while water from the Oni stream prayed at the grave side are sent to them in overseas if they cannot come’

Babalola’s grave is placed side by side with that of his father in the same mausoleum, Adetayo said the old man, Rotimi who died in 1935 while his son, Babalola who too died in 1959 were buried by their side because the church members found it honourable to honour them by burying them by their side.

Do people redeem their pledges after receiving healing and miracles? ’’Yes’’, the Babalola Grave Prayer House Pastor replied ‘’ A moslem was here last year February to pray and when his prayer was answered , he bought that giant generator for us and brought it here on a Good Friday last year, [pointing] another had his company collapsed and was instructed by the holy spirit to go to seven mountain and offer prayer, he went did what was instructed and his business was revived , today he is now doing well in Lagos where he assembles wall clocks , he later brought the wall clock you are seeing on the wall here

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On how Adetayo became a ‘devotee’ to the Grave, he said he was being posted to be in charge, he however spoke on how he abandoned his job for the job, according to him he was once a civil servant and had worked in Ibadan , Akure in Works and Transport Department until he submitted himself to God’s calling. His words’’I was not progressing in the job I was doing as God continued to be telling me to leave the job I was doing and follow him .I was born and bred in the CAC and I had never turned my back. When I retired in 1993 God asked me to come and served Him but I did not quickly answer His call and I started having progress for I want successful in whatever I laid my hands upon , so at last I decided to serve Him and I was posted here to this Babalola Grave Prayer House’’

What of Babalola’s children?Are they still alive and what ate they doing ?The Nation enquired, the man of God replied’’ they are alive , one is in Ilesha and she is the Iya Ijo while the other woman is a Lady Evangelist ‘’, Adetayo said with total conviction.