An appraisal of the old Priests’ legacies and those of the new dissemblers in the Southwest of Nigeria, By Tayo Douglas

In the attempt to answer this question, no rational thinker would subject “faith” alone to extrapolation without equally addressing the activities of some of our modern day “Pastors and General Overseers (G.Os)” of the so called “pentecostal or born-again churches.” If taken in logorrhea, the question seeking our intervention can thus be summarised as follow ; If Christ shall return today, would He be happy to see what these “Pastors and General Overseers” have made of christianity in their respective business centres?

This question becomes important because if we are to reflect on the works of our forebears, who were Christian Priests in the Southwest of Nigeria, and the present crop of sheep in wolves’ clothing, who parade themselves as pastors and G.Os of the pentecostal churches then one would really have cause to be sad.

For a start, it is proper to examine the growth or development of religion, education, discipline and moral etiquette under the watch of those Priests of old in the then Western State of Nigeria. It is on record that many of the schools which were established in the said region as far back as 1859 till late 50s or early 60s were either founded or administered by Christian Priests who served meritoriously as pioneer principals and/or pupil teachers. Every souls who were taught or who have passed through the hands of these seasoned administrators and men of God would bear witness or testify to what selfless service to humanity entails.

A quick foray into the history or foundation of the following few schools, out of many, will help a lot to put this piece in its proper frame:

1. C.M.S Grammar School, Lagos. Founded in 1859 with Rev. Thomas Babington Macaulay as the first principal. He served as a priest of the Anglican Communion as well as the school’s principal until his death in 1878.

2. Abeokuta Grammar School, founded in July 1908 by the Abeokuta District Church Council (Anglican) with Rev. Michael S. Cole as the first principal.

3. Ibadan Grammar School, founded in March, 1913 by the then Rev. A.B. Akinyele who also served as the first principal.

4. Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, founded in 20th January, 1913 by the Rev. S.J. Gansallo, assisted by the Revd. J.A. Cole, Resident Pastors of St. Saviours Church, Ijasi and Christ Church, Porogun, Ijebu Ode respectively. They were both graduates of Durham University. They combined full-time pastoral work with part-time teaching.

5. Ondo Boy’s High School, founded on 13th January, 1919 by Rev. Canon Moses Craig Adeyemi who served as pioneer principal till he retired in December, 1940.

6. Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti, 1933 by Archdeacon Henry Dallimore who was also the pioneer principal.

7. Victory College Ikare, founded in 1947 by Archdeacon Lackland A. Lennon.

8. Ilesa Grammar School, 1934 with Rev. E. C. Doherty as foundation principal.

One notable chord which this piece is out to strike by taking the pain to provide the foundation dates and the names of the pioneer principals of these schoools is for the readers to know that nothing has ever stopped the Ministers of God from being gainfully employed while at the same time serving God and humanity.

It is therefore convenient to state that raising any comparison between the Priests of old and the present day Businessmen and/or Money Doublers of the pentecostal churches or business centres is either a cassino or comic exercise. It is an obvious fact that comparison between a cart pusher or what the Yoruba people called ‘olómolanke’ and space shuttle does not exist. For instance, attempt should be made to ask any of these pentecostal pastors or conmen what he or she is doing for a living besides the ‘pastoral work’ ? Also, the question must be asked on why has it been difficult for the children of their captives or worshippers to access most of the elitist schools which these pastors have built with the sweat of those worshippers ?

If the Priests of old could be gainfully employed as teachers, doctors and engineers etc., without compromising their calling as priests, why are the present crop of pastors who are not only well read but are also trained as professionals not willing to do any work besides the pastoral work? If the Priests of old can establish schools which doors were flung open to both Christian and Muslim pupils, why has it been difficult for these wicked souls to at least throw open the doors of these schools to the less privileged children of their captives or members whose sweats were used to build these schools ? What business are they really doing to justify the stupendous wealth and filthy lucre in their hands today ? Is it not really disturbing to hear one of them boasting the other day about how many private jets he owns through the “grace” of his “god” and the police are till date looking helpless ? In a sane clime, the law enforcement agencies would have commenced investigations to unearth how a man who does no other job except “pastoral work” would have gotten the money to buy those aircrafts.

Not too long ago, the social media was agog with a video clip of one of these pastors asking individual members of his business centre for donation of N1b or in the alternative N500m for a purpose he’s yet to disclose. Where on earth would any serious and sincere individual, who depends on bank loan to trade or who is struggling to make ends meet, give out such huge amount to a church or a G.O from the proceeds of his business if he or she is not a thief or a criminal ?

As at today, the total number of pentecostal churches in Lagos alone have outnumbered the combination of all orthodox churches in the rest of Southwest States. This is a sad development which ordinarily our government should not have treated with kid gloves. Why is it that church is now becoming a profitable venture to these criminals and yet it seems there is no end to it ? The other day, two foremost business centres sacked some of their best hands. Before we could count a month or two after the sack, these able bodied men who have been sacked have gone ahead to establish their own respective “churches” or business centres.That is the unfortunate legacy which the people of the southwest of Nigeria are now being confronted everytime.

While other nations are breaking through in the world of technology, sustainable agriculture and gainful employment, we are here breaking forth in the creation of multifarious pentecostal churches. Every adherents and congregants are being told to observe fasting and prayers for 100 days for no just cause and not minding the fact that the lives of those who have been doing it in the past are yet to improve or witness any tangible changes. Payment of tithes according to these centres is no longer the usual 10% of someone’s earning or income but it’s now 20 or 30% and above.

It is in these centres that we have heard how pastors are taking tea with “god” or the yoruba effigy of sìgìdì early in the morning. It is also in these centres that we have seen where someone who has got no visible means of livelihood claimed he gave $2m as tithes to “god” and before the evening of that day “god” has credited his account with $10m. It is also in these business centres that a shepherd of the sheep has driven a car with no fuel from Benin to Lagos.

If these madness and stupidity are what the Priests of old have laid down for us as foundation of Christianity then there is hope for a fool or an agnostic than for any Christian. I doubt if there would be any need for Christ to even contemplate coming back to the earth again ?These scammers have never for a day encouraged our youths to embrace hardwork, honesty, diligence and discipline. Rather, they have always been told to look at the achievement of success from the obscure prisms of payment of tithes, first fruit contribution and all manner of various donations and sowing of ‘oriburuku’ seeds which is a slang or euphemism for payment of money to the business centres. A sad reminder is the recent report credited to one of these pastors who has told his listeners that one of his church members missed his final exams at the University because he held a “night vigil” (whatever that means) on the day preceding the exams. According to this criminal of a pastor, the student’s lecturers gave him a pass mark for an exam which he nilly-willy refused to write because the “holy spirit” ministered to those lecturers in their dreams that the student was doing the “holy spirit” work. How would any reasonable mind examine or even comprehend the rubbish protruding from the mouth of this lunatic of a pastor ?

These are few examples of what we are being daily invited to hear and accept as a creed by these lazy bones and never-do-well in the southwest of Nigeria.

As it appears, it seems there won’t be an end to the madeness for now or any soon. The cry for change must be made now before several generations yet unborn are destroyed by the strange doctrines of these ‘alálùpàyídà’ pastors. Our government and elders should as a matter of urgency put in place a legal and regulatory framework to control the activities of these conmen and criminals who are out to maim, kill and destroy the very society where the Priests of old have left their imprints and indelible marks on the sand of time.

_Dr. Tayo Douglas, Esq; Ph.D._

Tel: 08033600286

_Email: papatee19@gmail.com_