I am your friend, Dr. Charles Apoki, and today I am at the permanent site of Petra Institute. If you look around, you will see the first building we are putting up here. Many people see this land and are overwhelmed by the size—47 acres—but it did not start like this. I acquired this land gradually, using the principle of gradualism and the philosophy of the ant, which I have written about in one of my books.
When we first came here, the land was filled with rubber trees. I applied a key principle: I believed that wherever my feet stepped upon could become mine. So, I walked through the land, praying and prophesying that I would own it. I spoke my dreams into existence. The Bible teaches that God created the world through spoken words—”Let there be light”—and there was light. The power of life and death is in the tongue, so I declared my vision until it became a reality.
There was resistance—lots of it—but I overcame. I didn’t have money to bulldoze the place, but my lawyer would come and clear sections bit by bit. My son would say, “I want to see to the end of the land.” At the time, I didn’t have the money to clear the entire area, but I had the vision. So, I started cutting trees gradually. I would sell the wood to pay the boy who was cutting them with a motor saw. Over time, the land was cleared.
Instead of leaving the land idle, I leased parts of it for farming. The people farming on it paid me, and I used that money to farm for myself. At one point, the money from leasing was what I used to pay the block molders who were making blocks for construction. This was a strategic approach—always reinvesting what I had.
You must be strategic and flexible. There are many ways to reach Lagos or London—by road, by air, or by sea. The key is to get there without putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. If your resources are limited, use wisdom. If you are not highly intelligent, apply the knowledge that has existed in the Bible for generations.
Across this forest, I have acquired many more acres—again, using the principle of reinvestment. Reinvestment and persistence have been my guiding strategies.
I remain Dr. Charles Apoki.
God bless you!
