My President Came To Church

Lagosians are constantly grumbling and groaning from perennial traffic conditions. The traffic situation seems like one of the glitches in Lagos that continues to perturb and confuse Mr Raji Fashola. He simply can't find a solution to it.

On Friday, December 14 2012, Lagos experienced what many termed 'the mother of all traffic jams'. Everywhere was chaotic. This chaos lasted late into the night as I am aware most people were still on the road on their way home from work till about midnight that Friday. The reason for this untold hardship and unequalled wickedness was because our dear President was coming to pray and to be prayed for at the Holy Ghost Congress on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. If it was fair on well-meaning hardworking Lagosians to suffer that much simply because a Church was doing a Congress is something I'll really like clarifications on. I am a Christian too but causing that much suffering on fellow human beings is something I doubt Jesus would have smiled on. Anyway, that's a topic for another day.

Friday was not President Jonathan's first visit to the RCCG Camp grounds. He was there some time ago before his election into office as President. At the time, he was prayed for to lead Nigeria to the Promise Land. Nigeria has since dwindled in developmental milestones like a child with cerebral palsy. When I heard he was visiting again last Friday, I simply smiled. I caught a clip of his introduction to the stage for his address on television. I noticed everyone, including Mama G.O, gave a standing ovation while he was ushered to the stage. To his credit, Papa G.O remained seated as he clapped for Mr President. I then asked myself, what the applause was for exactly? Was it for being such an outstanding or exemplary leader or was it simply because Jonathan found time in his busy schedule to be present at Camp that night? Was the applause for the drastic reduction in maternal and child mortality in the two years Goodluck has been President or the total eradication of corruption by this administration or was it simply because he was the President so he sha deserved to be clapped for? I still don't have the answer and I'm still dying to be clear on this. We must not just do things. We must be able to explain our actions or inaction, as the case may be.

I'm an orthodox Christian by birth. I have however worshipped in some other Churches in the past, including the ones presided over by Pastor Adeboye. I have no personal issues with him. I have never met him and I don't know if I ever will. The closest I've ever come to him will probably remain the two editions of Open Heavens, a daily devotional he writes every year, that I bought in 2011 and at the beginning of 2012. I have a lot of respect for him but then, our elders say in Yoruba that 'the fact that you are crying does not mean you can't see'. That I respect him does not mean I worship him. He is a servant of God, not God. He remains flesh and blood like you and I therefore can be questioned. If you do not agree, then too bad. I have no apologies for my opinion. You can take my matter up in fasting and prayer.

My grouse with Papa G.O, and indeed many Nigerian Overseers, is the way he seems apolitical even in the face of the gross suffering many Nigerians have been subjected to by this administration. An administration he, by commission or omission, endorsed months before the 2011 general elections. In the Old Testament, God directed prophets to anoint the next Kings of Israel. To most people, Goodluck's kneeling and 'anointing' by Papa G.O came across as an endorsement. Again, you can choose to agree with me or not. The weak argument some voltrons have put forward is that there really wasn't much Papa could have done as he seemed to have been set up by the President and his cronies at the said 'anointing'. I beg to disagree. Who do we serve? God or man? If it is God, why should any man arm-twist another man into blessing him? To avoid getting in the bad books of the President? Please, if you have answers,let me know.

Before you quote 1st Chronicle 16 verse 22 (Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm) and invoke the wrath and punishment of Almighty God on me for asking really innocuous questions from your G.O, be clear in your mind that I have truly and really 'touched' or 'harmed' the Man of God. Remember a prophet called Moses? He was a vibrant prophet of God. He led the entire nation of Israel out of Egypt's captivity but at some point he struck a rock instead of speaking to it and displeased God. Who would have thought God would punish His own servant? He did! And Moses did not enter the Promised Land. Recall also a man called Jonah, sent by God Himself to Nineveh but tried to abscond. God punished this prophet by keeping him in the belly of a big fish for three days and three nights. The point is even the servants of God falter and sometimes they are reprimanded by God so stop taking analgesics for another man's headache. Focus on your own life instead of casting and binding anyone who questions your pastor.

What would have thrilled many people and would have made Friday's ordeal worthwhile would have been a situation where the servant of God succinctly showed Mr President that the Church was unhappy about the way the country was being run. Instead of coyly stating that 'sin disrupted God's plans for Nigeria', ask the President to his face how N5trillion naira went missing under his administration. Instead of reminding us in vague terms that God wants to do something new in Nigeria, ask Mr President why he chooses to remain good friends with convicts and oil thieves who have continued to swindle the good people of God year after year. Instead of praying for direction for our leaders -a prayer which has now turned to a cliche as we have been praying this same prayer since Ernest Shonekan was ruling- why don't we ask Mr President why he has remained dodgy about declaring his assets two years down the line if he indeed has nothing to hide.

Many people don't appreciate the importance of Church leaders and prophets in setting leaders straight. Recall again in the second Book of Samuel when God wanted to set King David straight. He sent Prophet Nathan to express his displeasure at David's misadventure with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. Also recall that when Hezekiah the king was going to die, God sent his prophet Isaiah to tell him in very clear terms that his sickness was going to end in death. There are other instances where the prophets stood fearless and openly reprimanded those in authority. They did this knowing the One who sent them was greater than any king, tall or short, with a PhD or a stark illiterate.

What happened on Friday was that we lost a glorious opportunity to tell Mr President that we are displeased and angry. We are angry that our children cannot go to good schools for solid education. We are angry that every week, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway snatches the lives of Nigerians prematurely because the President's friends continue to collect mobilization fees and vanish leaving the roads as decrepit as ever. We are angry that our hospitals do not work and that our leaders jet out when they 'dash their feet against stone' for medical attention while they leave us to fry puff-puff every Friday for those needlessly snatched away by 'brief illnesses'. We had a chance to tell him we are angry and we let is slip. Instead, we gave him a rousing welcome and a standing ovation.

Alas, this is not peculiar to RCCG. Some months ago, Gbenga Daniel visited my Church and I was told the congregation clapped for him too when he was introduced. I was not in the assembly that day but I imagined all the money he stole from my home state of Ogun. Did he deserve to be clapped for or be pelted with rocks and booed out of the Church?  This is what the 21st century Nigerian Christians do. We roll out red carpets for people we should give the cold shoulder.

Goodluck Jonathan hears sermons from men like Ayo Oristejafor every seven days at the State House Chapel. Servants of God who have turned to praise-singers. He ventured into our turf on Friday and we should have taken this golden opportunity instead of becoming 'star-struck'. I also want to remind us of Reverend Peter Akinola. He isn't one of Ebele Jonathan's favourite preachers anymore since they made the mistake of allowing him preach at the State House. He stood up for what he believed in. He dropped it like he was certain and assured of the God he served. He called a spade what it was. No sugar-coats. He openly cursed the corrupt leaders so much so that they couldn't say 'Amen' to the toxicities he spewed that morning.

My President came to Church for what I had assumed was the first time in a long time on Friday and he went home just the way he came in. Our Church leaders who have the privilege of having audience with our nation leaders must take every opportunity to set them straight. That is all I ask for. Whatever creed, whatever denomination. The truth is bitter but it must be told. Especially to you the Pastor's voltron and to our disconnected leaders in government.

What happened to the days when prophets stormed into an erring King's palace and menacingly shouted 'Thus saith The Lord...'