The eviction of Presiding Chaplain of the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, has angered Church leaders, with Rt. Rev. Adeyemi, head the African Church, Ifako Diocese, asking Bolanle Ambode to seek counsel from RCCG leader, Enoch Adeboye, over the incidence.
“Mrs Ambode is a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, let her go and ask the RCCG Pastor, Enoch Adeboye, whether what she did was the right thing to do to a minister of God,” Rt. Rev. Adeyemi fumed.
The cleric was reacting to the incident which allegedly made Governor Akinwunmi Ambode prompt the Governing Council, Chapel of Christ the Light branch in Alausa, to remove Taiwo as Chaplain.
Taiwo got the sack letter without any query or official reason and was ordered to exit his official quarters where he lived with his wife and two children within 24 hours of receiving the letter.
Pleas from church leaders and elders failed to save the cleric, who still had two years to spend as the presiding chaplain.
Taiwo had allegedly angered the governor’s wife, Bolanle Ambode, who had visited the chapel on Sunday, May 14, when the church held an anointing service.
He was accused of not recognising Ambode’s wife during service and also did not give her preference while giving anointing to some members of the congregation who stepped forward to be blessed.
At the weekend, news broke that evicted Venerable Femi Taiwo has been blessed with a fully furnished apartment, by church members who were miffed by the treatment.
But in an interview with Punch, Rt. Rev. Adeyemi, recalled that he was on his desk when the sack letter for Taiwo was recieved and confirmed that the 24-hour ultimatum to pack out of his apartment was truly stated.
“I was in my office when he (Venerable Taiwo) called me that they asked him to pack out within 24 hours and that he was even told that the governor’s wife would not like to hear that he was still being seen around”, he told Punch.
“Then we started wondering what could have happened? Somebody that has a wife and kids, and you asked him to go within 24 hours? Where do you expect him to go?
“This is very ungodly! It is a sacrilege for someone who happens to be a Christian. Even when Fashola (former Lagos State Governor) was there, despite being a Muslim, he never took such a decision. Now that the governor (Ambode) is a Christian, which we all fought for, he is the one taking ungodly decisions.
“We have written letters to CAN and CCN, including the Methodist Church where the Venerable Taiwo’s assistant came from, that if Mrs. Ambode, is trying to cause divide and rule among the Christians, she should go ahead. We are not afraid of anything.
“We understand that Mrs. Ambode is also a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, let her go and ask the RCCG Pastor, Enoch Adeboye, whether what she did was the right thing to do to a minister of God. It is ungodly and very sad”.
The cleric lamented that some government officials don’t respect because they lack the fear of God.
“They are conscious of position and money and with this, the society cannot move forward. Also, our religious leaders have messed themselves up because of money. They are patronising the politicians and they are making them to believe that their anointing is not real.
“But I believe that any politician, who has the fear of God in him, even if any minister misbehaves, you are not the one to judge him. You should ensure you do your part. If Ambode or his wife knows the tenets of Christianity, they will not deal with Venerable Taiwo like that. They will know that this is a man of God.
“They should have said have written to us, saying they don’t want to embarrass the church and we as a church would have handled it. We have a lot of other ministers across the state and the country. But they didn’t do that because there is no fear of God in them. They are not ready to submit to the Will and Word of God. Ego is killing us.
“If not ego, why should Mrs. Ambode feel embarrassed that she was not called first to receive the anointing? But when ego takes the better part of any individual, that person will misbehave and if you tell him or her the truth, he or she will not agree”.
Rt. Rev. Adeyemi further disclosed that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Christian Council of Nigeria, have waded into the matter.
“Yes, CAN and CCN have been trying to do some underground work to ensure that the matter did not get to this level. But now that it has got to this point, we have served them letters and I am sure they know what to do”.
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