During the first tenure of the Buhari’s administration when Pastor Yemi Osinbajo was suffering untold humiliation and manipulation from his certificateless boss and his boys, the senior hierarchy of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abuja deceptively summoned their senior pastors to a meeting. On getting to the venue of the meeting, to the dismay and annoyance of some of the pastors, they were informed they were being ferried somewhere else to pray for the troubled vice president. Some of the pastors were unhappy with the way they were called from their homes to a prayer meeting they would have ordinarily declined. During the last electioneering campaign in Lagos and other federal political assignments in the last few years, Pastor Remi Tinubu has sufficiently shown the workings of her mind and many Nigerians are not in doubt as to who she is beyond the fancy clothes and makeup.
In John chapter 1 verse 47 of the Holy Bible it was recorded “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” I recently came across this scripture and I asked myself if a similar remark can be made about me. I went further to search my memory to see if I know anyone whose personality fits the above description. Surprisingly it was Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the presumed drunkard from Otuoke that emerged from my mind search. The many respected clergymen and women I knew could not be described in my reasoning as guileless. This was indeed a sad conclusion for me. One of the reasons I am probably not a pastor today in the Redeemed Christian Church of God is because my mentors who I felt were better men in the ways of the church, have complained at one time or the other about the setup of the church. And I knew with my critical mindset that was honed in my campus journalism days at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, I will become a complaining pastor.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God cannot absolve herself from the present realities in Nigeria where there is sorrow, tears, and blood every day. And where there is also large-scale stealing, killing, and destroying of innocent lives and properties, a striking narrative of the activities of the devil. I believe in the call and God of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Notwithstanding, I believe what is happening in the church and Nigeria is far from God’s will for Nigeria. When a child misbehaves, he or she is announcing to the world that he or she has not received proper home training. The conduct of Remi Tinubu and Yemi Osinbajo is an indictment of their upbringing as ordained ministers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The church must arise and work to correct the present polity in Nigeria that is a significant function of the contributions of their sons and daughters.
Ata Ukuta, Editor – www.towncryyers.com