By Bolaji Tunji.
Today’s
piece is going to be dedicated to readers of this column, to reflect their
reactions. But before I go into that, there is a particular issue that I
feel so strongly about that would not wait till next week. It is the attack on
Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church
of God (RCCG) during a recent visit to Ekiti state shortly before the Christmas
celebration. He had made a statement that other governors should emulate the Ekiti State
governor, Ayodele Fayose in the way he had stood up to defend his people.
*Pastor Adeboye |
“Your Excellency, we thank God for your life,
courage, boldness and being willing to take the risk so that your people can be
protected and I know you know what I am talking about. You can be sure that we
are praying for you and you will succeed. I hope other governors will stand for their people
like you and defend their people and say enough is enough.”
This seemingly innocuous
endorsement of the governor opened a whole floodgates of attacks against the man
of God. The All Progressives Congress (APC) threw the first jab when it
disrespectfully asserted that the governor must have bribed Pastor Adeboye for
the endorsement.
As much as I do not want to
make a case on the propriety or otherwise of the statement by the respected
pastor, I think the APC took criticism of the governor too far with the
statement. I am not a member of the Redeem church and I have never met the
highly respected cleric, this does not however mean that he has not impacted
positively in the lives of many Nigerians and non-Nigerians across the world.