By Prof Remi Sonaiya
The sacking of the erstwhile presiding chaplain of the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Venerable Femi Taiwo, presumably on the orders of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, must have brought the governor down several notches in the public’s approval rating. Details of the circumstances leading to the chaplain’s sack and eviction from his quarters could not have reflected positively on the First Couple. Mrs. Bolanle Ambode is said to have attended an anointing service at the Chapel and presumably felt dishonoured because she was made to stand in queue in order to be anointed, just like any other worshipper, rather than being given preferential treatment and being anointed first. She is reported to have “stormed out” of the church after being anointed, and efforts by the members of the congregation who tried to appease her went unheeded. The next development, to people’s surprise, was a letter delivered to the Chaplain relieving him of his position and giving him twenty-four hours within which to vacate his official residence.
The members of the Chapel must be congratulated for the way in which they are reported to have stood firmly in support of Venerable Taiwo and his family. Within a day, they had provided for them another apartment, fully furnished. Indeed, the story is that there were four other offers of living quarters made to the former Chaplain. Those gestures definitely say something positive about Venerable Taiwo. May he continue to be an individual who would inspire others to stand and defend what is just and fair.
Now, to the Ambodes. It is difficult to imagine that the anointing service incident alone led to the sacking of the Venerable. So, a wife whose ego was offended gets home and reports to her husband what happened. I’m wondering, was she the one who insisted that the reverend gentleman be sacked, or was it the husband who was so incensed and felt that since his wife had not been accorded her due respect, the offending person had to be given the boot? Just because of that anointing service incident? My instinct tells me that cannot be the case. The more likely scenario is that Venerable Taiwo had been “offending” in similar ways before; the anointing service incident was probably the last straw which broke the camel’s back.
The sack letter delivered to Venerable Taiwo was said to have been silent on the reasons for his dismissal. The Punch newspaper reported that there was no “query or official reason stated in the sack letter”. However, after the uproar that followed when the news broke in the media, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, felt compelled to offer some explanations, claiming that the former Chaplain had actually been queried in the past concerning conduct said to be unbecoming of his office. According to him, relieving Venerable Taiwo of his position had nothing to do with the First Lady. He might be right. It might actually have everything to do with the former Chaplain himself. Maybe he is one of those “rebels” or “radicals” who do not believe that any human being is worthy of being worshipped – least of all in the house of God! People like that cannot be appreciated by our BIG men and women who are always so thirsty for adulation.
What would be a wonderful follow-up to this story would be for the members of the Chapel to make a strong representation to the Governor for the reinstatement of their pastor. It is a pity that the Governing Council agreed to be used to write the letter sacking him in the first place – except, of course, if they agreed with the Governor and his wife. But there is evidence that the relationship between that Chapel and the Government is seriously strained over this matter; Governor Ambode had to move the 50th Anniversary Thanksgiving of Lagos State which was to have held there on Sunday, 28th May to the Banquet Hall of the State House instead.
This type of development is a completely unnecessary distraction, and how one wishes that those in positions of power and authority would be able to rise above such petty behaviour. It is even more unnerving when it is the spouses of elected officers who are the cause of these distractions – people who themselves have no real claim to the positions they occupy beyond that of being married to the elected person. Thus, they throw a spanner in the wheels of the smooth running of the system, diverting attention from more important businesses and, instead, causing precious time and energy to be wasted on inanities.
One has also wondered what has been the reaction of other ministers of God to the incident at the Chapel of Christ the Light. Has any of them come out to openly express support for the dismissed Chaplain? Or have they all gotten used to dancing around people in power, and no longer able to confront them with the truth? The house of God is one place where all men, women, young people and children, rich and poor, high and low, are supposed to be treated alike, without favour or discrimination. Unfortunately, even our churches have become stratified, with the rich and powerful enjoying special favours. God is no respecter of persons. We would do well to let that quality be reflected at least in His house.