Prof. Funso Odesola is Assistant General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Continental Overseer, RCCG for Middle East and Southwest Nigeria. He is also the National Secretary, RCCG. He has five PhDs and pursuing his sixth. Odesola has also written about 150 books and about 20 films. He clocked 65 June 5 and is still reading. He spoke to ISAAC TAIWO.
Five PhD’s with your volume of work as a man of God. How did you do this?
I LOOK at it this way. When you are studying for a degree, there are elective and selective courses and there are optional. I thank God for my calling. If we in the church restrict ourselves to church environment, we can only influence those who are in the church. However, for us to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others, we need to navigate through certain circles, climb some mountains and find out what is happening in life, generally. Church is just one aspect, which deals with spiritual matters majorly. So, when you are in the church, your focus is on anointing, power to heal, I mean to solve the problems of your congregation. But one has to realise that there are some people who will never come to church. Some of them are found on the football field, in the entertainment world, in politics. One of the things that compel me to do what I am doing is that I know that some people would not be in the church, so, I reach out to them through books and entertainment in a way that their lives would be moulded perfectly. 
I know many people watch drama these days. During one of my visits to the Middle East, I was in a shopping mall and somebody looked at me and said that “you look like the one I saw in one film called, Jailer. I asked her if she watched that film and she said yes. Then I retorted, ‘it looks like me’. So, the reason for my studying and into the entertainment world is to impact my generation.
Why entertainment?
My commencement in that regard was not accidental. In fact, I sat down for days, praying to God on how I can further impact younger generation especially those who are restricted to social media. I remember God telling me, ‘What about drama?’ That was the beginning. I have produced about 20 films for the purpose of shaping lives.
Producing films involve writing a script, which is like writing a book but in a special way. The producer either gets a story line or imagines a story addressing an issue. For example, one of my films is titled: Incurable Wounds that has to do with forgiveness.
We have our own paraphernalia for shooting films and we have a small studio. It is expensive though as producing films involve the actors who would be accommodated and catered for.
What spurred your interest in writing books?
I remember many years ago, one of my Professors said short pencil on paper is better than long memory. I then realised the need to put some things down on paper in the name of books. By the Grace of God, I have written more than 150 titles. I also realised I have flare for writing because when the inspiration comes, I can write up to eight and 10 chapters in a night. I have written books on law, sexual crime, employment, social issues and on various fields. I have gathered experience with the aim of helping people to fulfill their purpose in life.
Even at 65, I am restless and still studying criminology solely to make meaningful contribution to my generation and the society where I find myself. When I was in Zambia, I joined what they call ‘Reserve Police’. In Nigeria, I am a member of supernumerary Police, all to positively influence lives at certain levels. I have 97 academic papers. I have about 50 books on Amazon.
How do you marry writing books and producing films as they look two different ways?
To me, the two are interwoven. They are more or less in the same line. I believe one cannot be a successful film producer if he is not a good writer. A producer may not be 100 percent script writer, but high level of knowledge is required to produce a film. What does it take to write good books and how do you focus on your target audience?
Writing a book is like generating a solution. Some books, therefore, would not be applicable to everybody. For example, I discovered that women are majorly victims of sexual abuse. There may be few men, but they are not many. So, writing a book in this direction has to be targeted at the innocent ones who can easily walk into the traps of these abusers. The writer should therefore coordinate himself to gain the attention of the target audience. Let me digress a little, we have a film on sexual abuse which is to leak the secrets of those into the crime and to warn the innocent girls.
When writing books, the concept should not be localised. The writer should have the mind that the target audience are in various countries. That means an African writer should not limit his audience to Africa, concentrating solely on African traditions. Agreed, there are similarities in traditions in other parts of the world and this is where the writer should be very careful with choice of words and all that. A good writer should put into consideration, the universal law because he is trying to solve some problems. Solving problems is like law of gravity that operates anywhere, crime is prevalent everywhere. There is no country in the world that does not have police and prison. Even in the Vatican, all these are there.
A good writer should look at the problem to be solved and provide solution and those to whom this is applicable would tap it. The most important thing is that every book should be targeted at solving a problem with requisite solution provided.
Since there is no specific means to determine who and who will be thirsty of such solution, there would be the need to harmonise the divergent culture of the audience. In every culture, there is respect which only defers how it is expressed.
To some, it is shaking hands, to others; it is by prostrating among others. Therefore, any writer who would not just want to be a local champion would take into consideration the essence of harmonising symbols applicable to everybody in the world. For example, when giving an example, give a proverbial example, rather than giving specific one.
The question now is; what of those who did not put these into consideration? Of course, their books would circulate. However, there is a difference between writing books and talking to an audience.
When talking to a particular audience, you can use their language. The idea behind writing books should not just be to make money. There are many books in Nigeria that have no substance. My advice therefore is that before anyone writes a book, the writer should have at the back of his mind the problem he intends to solve or what enlightenment he wants to give.
What do you think is missing in the entertainment industry today?
There is a spirit behind entertainment. We know it is making a lot of money for even the government because of the huge contribution it has made to Nigeria’s economy. It is huge. However, I believe the government should endeavour to have regular seminar with producers of films about what they produce, which should improve lives.
They can produce films that would improve our economy. Films should be directed at correcting the ills in our society, focus on healing wounds, bring unity, expose corruption and repercussion of this. Entertainment industry can do a lot to positively affect our society if it is handled the way it should. The government should look into this.
To make some films meaningful, the government should make available some government houses for producers as it is done abroad. Government should support entertainment industry.
How about religious organisations producing films that would change lives?
My advice is that churches should get involved in producing films that would address the moral decadence we are experiencing today among our youths. It would also go a long way to changing a lot of ills in the society that is among the adults. We have the way of having in our memory what we watch with our eyes and one would keep on remembering. The drama I watched about 30 years ago, I can still remember whereas I may not remember all the books and the titles of books I read for that long. Eyes and ears are directed to the brain and these are what we make use of in watching films.
What of pornography in films?
Government should do something about it. Those that use pornography to advertise should be cautioned and such films banned. In a country like America, such films are censored.
