The Founder and Senior pastor of the Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has explained why he turned down a birthday gift of a Rolls Royce car worth about N1 billion.
Delivering a sermon at the church headquarters in Auchi, Edo State, South-South Nigeria, Suleiman said he rejected the gift from a man believed to be a member of the church but asked him to monetise it so he could use the money to organise crusades.
He said he told his benefactor who he did not name that he (Suleman) could use the money to organise two mega international crusades to win souls for Christ.
He did not, however, say if the man agreed to monetise the birthday gift nor did he mention when the discussion took place.
The apostle was born on March 24, 1971, an indication that he was talking about his recent birthday.
“They were doing the birthday on Sunday and somebody spoke to me last week that the Lord laid in his heart to give me a gift of a Rolls Royce. I said, ‘don’t buy it.’ He said, ‘why?’ I said, ‘if you know the crusades I have.’ I said, ‘don’t buy it, monetise it.’ I said, ‘because you are going to spend almost N1 billion to buy me a car and a good international crusade is about N400 million. So, I can do two crusades with that money, major crusades,” Suleiman said.
The fiery Pentecostal preacher if it was given to him, someday the car would become old but the souls won may remain in God’s kingdom. According to him, it is an issue of mentality.
Speaking further, Suleman said, “The Rolls Royce, after this year, it becomes old model. By next year, it becomes outdated but the souls in that crusade…..You want to spend N1 billion because God used me to affect you financially, to buy a car. I will sit and drive and they will park the car. I won’t stay inside. It is not my house. My mind, your mind…… because I have an understanding.”
He said if he had accepted the car, his wife would have rejected it because the money could be used to take care of the widows, orphans and other less privileged members of the society.
“In fact, my wife will not let that car stay in the house. The other problem I will have is my wife. Am I talking to somebody here? (She will ask) ‘What is this? We have widows, we have orphans, they have not eaten. Okay, no problem. I won’t enter, oh.’
“And when a woman tells you ‘I am not entering, of course that car will return to where it came from if you are a wise man. Mentality!”
Apostle Suleman’s net worth
Suleman is reputed to be one of Nigeria’s richest pastors. According to reports, he is worth about $10.5 million. He is also reported to own a private jet for evangelistic purposes. (The Christian could not independently confirm these information).
Rolls Royce car gift to other Nigerian pastors
While addressing members of the Apapa Family of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), on Sunday March 30, the church’s General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, revealed how he was gifted a Rolls Royce car some years ago but sold it to meet the needs of the ministry.
“Do you know that as far back as 23 years ago, the Apapa Family bought me a brand new Rolls Royce? I found it difficult to believe. That is the truth. You say, ‘where is the Rolls Royce?’ I used it for three years and I sold it because I needed money in the ministry and so on,” the revered clergyman said.
Also, in September 2024, some pastors contributed money to purchase a Rolls Royce car for the presiding bishop of the Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, David Oyedepo, during his 70th birthday anniversary.
“Maybe I have the liberty now to share this. My dad’s birthday was coming – 7oth. We said okay, we need to honour him. He said nobody should do anything for him, we should give it to 70 widows, 70 poor people, 70 this, 70 that.
“So, we looked at it, and we said okay. Four of us came together and said we would buy a Rolls Royce. I asked somebody and said, ‘which car will take him to church on his birthday?’ They said ‘he has this car; he has that car.’ But he will never use his money to buy a Rolls Royce. So, four of us came together and this small boy in front of you (Korede) was privileged to drop N250 million. I dropped N250 million. We are not just talking. Listen, I won’t mention the other three.
“We bought that car for N1.5 billion. I was the one that gave the smallest. It was N250 million to honour my father sir.
“Then we took the car to him. Then we made up our minds not to post it on social media, not to say anything about it on social media because some people will just be talking. I gave the smallest and I gave N250 million. I gave N250 million,” Komaiya, the senior pastor of The Master’s Place International Church, said recently.
About Rolls Royce
Rolls Royce is touted as the costliest car ever made at Staggering Rs. 250 cores, the Rolls Royce La Rose Noire Droptail serves as the British luxury car maker’s tribute to automobile craftsmanship.
Rolls Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British Luxury automobile maker that has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG 2003 – as the exclusive manufacturer of Rolls Royce branded motor cars.
