One thing about pictures is that they lack the capacity to lie, as far as they are not photo shopped. It is common knowledge that as you pose so shall you find yourself in a photograph.
One thing about pictures is that they lack the capacity to lie, as far as they are not photo shopped. It is common knowledge that as you pose so shall you find yourself in a photograph.
This brings to mind the photograph, uploaded by Saharareporters.com, of Goodluck Jonathan kneeling down, eyes shut, lips tightened, meekly before a praying Pastor Adeboye. It brought to mind the myriads of pictures of politicians who have visited churches seeking one favour or the other from God.
Olusegun Obasanjo was said to have been blessed by Pastor Adeboye, the same manner in which Chibuike Amaechi of River State and Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State were prayed for, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, confirmed usurper of Rauf Aregbesola’s mandate in Osun State recently offered thanksgiving in an Anglican Church parish for a favour I won’t assume to know. Even Muhammadu Buhari, a known Islam adherent, visited Pastor Adeboye’s church on the death-trap that is called Lagos-Ibadan expressway, to solicit prayers.
But wait a moment: do Obasanjo, Jonathan, Amaechi and Buhari normally, as part of seeking God, worship at the Redeemed Christian Church of God? Or they only join the worshipping of God at the RCCG during special seasons?
Beyond Pastor Adeboye’s acclaimed godliness, does something else draw these politicians to his church? Or is it that the man of God only indulges in blessing all comers without ministering truth to their souls?
Obasanjo is known to be close to Pastor Adeboye; when his estranged first wife revealed that he’s part of the Ogboni fraternity in her 2009 book, one begins to question if the man of God ever discusses issues such as total commitment to God with him. Is social status a barrier to faith and conversion ministering?
Knowing fully well that a sizable number of worshippers in those churches are hard hit by the failure of Obasanjo’s eight year leadership of Nigeria, his fostering of Yar Adua on Nigerians and of Jonathan’s burgeoning misrule of the same nation, I can’t but query the role of some men of God in truncating our nation’s aspirations.
Many men of God engage in prosperity preaching while millions of church members wallow in poverty. Isn’t it now a matter of the heftier the gifts, the more the blessing?
As long as pastor Adeboye, as highly regarded as he is, indulges in publicly entertaining discredited politicians who throng to his church for blessing during elections, his sincerity in securing a just and egalitarian society (which is every Christian’s mandate from God) for the enjoyment of his flock comes to question.
I, being a Christian of the Roman Catholic stock will write same of Cardinal Olubunmi Okojie or any archbishop, bishop or priest who fraternizes with those who stunt the nation’s growth.
We’re witnesses to pastor Tunde Bakare’s activism for the betterment of Nigerians. And we applaud his effort in confronting powers and principalities both on the pulpit and in the streets.
Where does Nigeria’s most popular Pentecostal man of God publicly stand in the quest for an inclusive Nigeria? Moses was God’s conduit for the message- “let my people go that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness”- to Pharaoh [Exodus 5:1]. Is Pastor Adeboye, realizing the weight of importance many Nigerians attach to him, delivering that same message to his powerful friends in and out of government?
Curiously, Nigeria’s leaders display uncharacteristic piety during electoral seasons. Another one is close by; politicians are racing to buy up blessings as if they’re running out of stock.
Which God do they really pray to? The God of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph? Or that of Okija, Ogboni and Ogun State assembly members’ shrines?
While Jonathan ascribes divine approval to his reign, he is surrounded by people of dubious character: Anthony Anenih (of “no vacancy in Aso Rock” fame), Olusegun Obasanjo (of the “my father slept with my wife” fiasco etc), Jerry Gana (any government in power, including military governments), and Theophilus Danjuma (of the “I don’t know what to do with $500 million” fame).
To top it up, he celebrated Nigeria’s fiftieth anniversary with a seventy five million naira cake, one billion naira dustbins and a total of seventeen billion naira jamboree! Yet, millions are still homeless, millions more are starving and hundreds are kidnapped for ransom daily.
Surely, they don’t fear God who, out of abundance of mercy, secured Obasanjo’s release from the throes of certain death in 1998. The “I am that I am” who promoted Jonathan from being a college lecturer to OMPADEC, to Creek Haven as Deputy Governor/Governor and pronto to Aso Rock, all within ten years!
Justice may take years but will surely come.
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