There
is anger at the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Lagos State, after the
Presiding Chaplain, Venerable Femi Taiwo, was sacked by the Governing Council
allegedly on the order of the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.
It was gathered that Taiwo
got the sack on Monday, May 15, without any query or official reason stated in
the sack letter.
He
was said to have been ordered out of his official quarters where he lived with
his wife and two children within 24 hours of receiving the letter.
Despite
pleadings from church leaders and other reputable elders in the church, the
government was said to have insisted that the cleric must leave the church.
Some
church members reportedly contributed money to buy gas cooker, and other
household items for the family as they vacated the vicarage.
Investigations
showed that Taiwo had angered the Governor’s wife, Bolanle Ambode, who had
visited the chapel on Sunday, May 14, when the church held an anointing
service.
The
church is under the Lagos State Ministry of Home Affairs, while the Office of
the Lagos State First Lady supervises church.
Church
members were said to have filed out to receive anointing oil during the May 14
service without any preference given to Bolanle, who waited endlessly with her
entourage.
She
was said to have later moved to be anointed and moments later, stormed out of
the church, as some of the women leaders ran after her.
Bolanle,
who was reported to be visibly angry, allegedly shunned entreaties from the
women, which included the wife of the presiding chaplain.
The
cleric got the sack the following day.
The
directive was issued in a letter dated, May 15, 2017, and signed by the
Chairman, Governing Council of CCTL, Mr. Olugbenga Solomon. The letter also
ordered the Assistant Chaplain, Very Rev. Ayo Oyadotun, to take over with
immediate effect.
A
church member, who witnessed the drama and begged not to be identified, said ,
“The church had declared seven-day fasting after we lost two prominent members.
“The
Sunday service, which was declared as anointing service, was supposed to end
the fasting.
“The
First Lady, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, was present with her entourage. She comes to
the church once in a while.
“When
it was time to be anointed, the cleric asked people to come forward, adding
that it was optional. Three people stood at the stage to anoint people. They
included the chaplain, the presiding chaplain and one other person.
“People
started stepping out one after another. The governor’s wife, after some time,
also stepped out and was anointed.”
The
source said within a few minutes of taking the oil, Bolanle, who felt
disrespected, stepped out with her entourage.
Another
member of the church said, “As she stepped out, it was obvious that she
was angry.
“The
president of the women’s fellowship and the pastor’s wife ran after her. She
shunned them, entered her car and zoomed off.
“When
we came to the church on Tuesday, we heard that Venerable Taiwo had been
sacked. We were told that he was sacked because the the governor’s wife didn’t
get the anointing oil first and she felt disrespected.
“The
man that signed the letter is also a civil servant,” the source said.
The
governing council is said to be made up of members of the church and some
appointees of the government.
It was learnt that Taiwo
still had two years to spend as the presiding chaplain when he was fired.
The
source said some church members quickly bought household items for his family
as they vacated the church premises on Thursday.
He
said, “The children went to school on Thursday without knowing that they would
not be staying in the vicarage that evening. Church members bought bed and
other household items for them because they did not have their own property.
“The
members said their pastor did not offend them, and protested the sacking. The
governing council members, however, said they should forget it because whatever
came from Alausa was final. Most of the church members are civil servants who
can’t talk too much.”
Our
correspondent reached out to leaders of the church, including Oyadotun, who
refused to comment.
However,
one of those that confirmed the incident, begged not to be named.
He
said the reason Taiwo got the sack was not stated in the letter, adding that
the action was not unconnected from the visit of the wife of the governor.
He
said, “Let me be straight with you, in the letter there was no reason for the
sack. Whatever you are hearing are what members of the church believed could
have happened. And there was indeed a protest by the church and the governing
council assuaged them on the sacking.
“There
was nothing official in that sacking. No investigation, no query, nothing. We
had an anointing service on that Sunday. The following day, the venerable was
served the sack letter.”
When
contacted ,Taiwo said he did not want to comment.
He
said, “If you have any enquiry, direct it to the church. But one thing I can
say is that I have tried as a pastor to live above board. It will not be right
engaging the church or the government on the pages of a newspaper.”
The
state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, said, “The
former chaplain had been queried a number of times in the past for conducts
unbecoming of his office. The culmination of various indiscretions led to the
Governing Council of the church issuing yet another query that led to his being
relieved of his post.
“This
has got nothing to do with the First Lady. The Chaplain is looking for an
excuse to cover his insouciance. It’s nothing but cheap blackmail.”
Source:Punch
Tags
Society