I had an open mind to listen, and I transcribed the expressive speech presented by Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, at the ‘US-Nigeria Faith Heroes Award Gala’. The discourse, because it deserved to be reflected by the public, had to inundate varied global news outlets. A speech at such auspicious occasion, that the almighty American president, Donald trump and the jet set of the US and Nigerian nations, were on the table and for honouring, would be earthly, so to say, for Adeboye, a charismatic Bible preacher, and General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Worldwide.
It was envisaged to be explosive and revealing, as it actually did since he spoke adlib. A bird doesn’t sing freely when it’s caged, like a written speech does.
The award event was held, recently at a genteel Capitol Hills’ limit of the White House, the Donald Trump’s presidential seat of power, located in Washington DC, capital city of the ‘God’s Own’ country. Two days before, a twin event, the “Save Nigeria Rally”, was held at same presidential limits.
The twin event was to draw a global attention, and seek a halt to the genocidal killings and untold sufferings, being meted out on Christians and others, by armed terrorist groups and jihadists in Nigeria.
Stephen Osemwegie, Edo-born Nigerian-American, as could be deduced, was glad that his expectation of a successful event was actualized. For the Save Nigeria Group-USA (SNGUSA), American registered NGO, in Osemwegie is President/Founder, main organizer of the event, it was a pat on the back for a job well done. Same as over 35 Nigerian-American civil society groups, who have formed a coalition to “Save Nigeria”.
Victor Ben Onyeka, David Adenekan and lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe and others, who are SNGUSA’s executives, would heave a sigh, that sleepless nights they invest in halting genocidal killings and insurgency in Nigeria, their home country, is receiving huge fillip, precipitated by the prize twin event.
The Save Nigeria People’s Initiative (SANPI), a Nigeria-based pivot coalition, convened by this writer (Tony Erha), is patriotic to be a useful part of the synergy that has come to propel a global intervention for the Nigeria dead-end.
Adejare Adeboye is soft-spoken and easy going son of a plebeian He carries God’s grace and a staying power. His speaking mannerisms, like A.B.C.D. came again playing to the elite and proletarians, who crowded the event. For his unblemished devotion to God and his society, particularly the Flocks of Christ Jesus, he was bestowed with “The Patriarch of Faith Honor”.
But, different folks; different reactions! Back home in the African most populous country, Adeboye’s backyard, his “bleeding heart” had unnerved some ruling elite, whereas convinced that Adeboye spoke the obvious truths. They roared and blamed the organizers of the event for handing the “old man a free microphone to speak sincerity and boldness to the ear and sight of the world”.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Worldwide, spoke on terrorism, insurgency and religious violence, which had shattered his dear country, over two decades.
Before and after his stunning speech, he has not been given any respite or decorum by wanton hecklers, who say he fails to take on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, about their perceived failure at ending the internecine insurgency his government had inherited.
Adeboye’s attackers steadily accuse him of double standard and bias, that he, an sworn critic of former President Goodluck Jonathan, a man from another part of the country, didn’t also critique Tinubu, who they consider to have performed worse than Jonathan, simply because Adeboye is the president’s kin from the Yoruba tribe.
The church, with its priests, is ordinarily the conscience of the society, duty bound to speak truth to power, and act decisively against tyranny. The Mosque and its mullahs nor other religious aficionados are also projected. Suffice; religious bodies claim divinity over the affairs of men. The church is forbearing, when criticized as tolerant of government and secular abuses, but many top Islamic devotees seek a pound of flesh or they take it.
So therefore, should the blunt criticisms of the Sultan of Sokoto, by the like of Mike Arnold, a former American Mayor and fiery advocate of free worship and anti-religion extremism, be wrongly perceived by many Nigerian Muslims as sacrilegious?
The Sultan grandstands on accusations of propelling jihad and banditry, but should’ve known that he, being the supreme head of the country’s Muslims, is vicariously or directly liable, where most of the numerous killings and maiming going on in his northern region, are not resolved.
Are the insurgents, who publicly declare ‘fatwas’, murdering innocent Christians and moderate Muslims, no longer of the same faith and tribe he proclaims to lead? Alas, the Sultan needs to know too that he’s to the Nigeria Muslims what the Pope is to the world churches. But, is the Pope not a stout defender of free-worship for all believers, aside the Christians?
Papa Adeboye’s speech, although shrewd, did the tactful for not bluntly criticizing Tinubu’s perceived failure. He creatively said; “The President had ‘done his beat, after giving orders to the security chiefs, who could fail to execute. He uttered that whilst President Trump simply gives orders, like he did in the bombings of Iran, he only watch them acted out, from his sitting room. Tinubu’s Nigeria is a different kettle to Trump’s America.
But the Tinubu’s media handlers do have self-centered investment in illogicality, self-praise and harassment of those who mean well for the country. That is why his orchestra went about town proclaiming that a respected Adeboye gave Mr. President a clean bill of health, for a successful fight against insurrection.
In the similitude, a furious Timi Frank, former spokesman of the president’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), mocked the presidency over its recent media hype that a US President Trump, who’s so difficult to please, also applauded Abuja for winning the war against terror and insurgency. He chided the president’s men to provide the source of Trump’s praises, to no avail.
The same Adeboye’s address had moaned that the APC government, (with President Tinubu in continuation), has failed to arrest killers of a “daughter of his, who was killed in Abuja for preaching, by some “people who came out of the mosque and killed her, without police investigation…” He is grieved also that over 8,000 of his RCCG’s churches and adherents in the country’s north face precarious persecution.
He gave a dejected tale of an RCCG pastor from the north, whose newly-born twin babies were slaughtered before their biological mother, when he was away for evangelism, “as a gift and punishment to the pastor”, who, unlike others, refused to flee from persecution.
The Tinubu’s presidency should have known that a passionate plea by Adeboye, “that Trump should further help Nigeria to fight the insurgents” is a blanket indictment. Ordinarily, President Trump can’t be invited to fight the same terrorists and jihadists Tinubu had already defeated.
Mr. President should’ve realised also that when Adeboye faulted his security chiefs of inertia or sabotage, it’s a euphemism that he’s failed, where the bulk lastly falls on his table.
Unfortunately, ‘Daddy G.O.’ cuts a pathetic picture of a man greatly troubled about his country, particularly of the Christian flocks and future of the youth. An octogenarian ought to be at ease, playing a kind grandfather to his little children, with biscuits, sweets, and singing them to sleep with bedtime tales.
Yet, he fears the numerous Christian youth, who tacitly sought his endorsement for retaliation against persecutors of his faith. “Let it not be said that it’s me, and during my time that Nigeria is divided”, is his usual response to deter them. ‘Turning the other cheek’ as the Bible instructs, is likened to not allowing the “soup to turn the stomach”.
“Younger Christians are not as cool-headed as those whose ‘stomach will not allow the soup to shake’. There are many of these younger ones, who are so restive now, that cannot endure, if God was to take me home today. God have mercy,” Pastor Adeboye had succumbed.