Written by Obinna Akukwe
Governor Abiodun of Ogun State have hit hard at Bishop
Oyedepo with the new Covid-19 directives which locked down Saturdays and
Sundays only. According to the new directive from the governor “Relaxation
windows will now be observed on all five working days (Monday to Friday), but
the FG-directed curfew from 8 p.m. (night) to 6 a.m. (morning) remains in place
on these days. Total lockdown will be maintained on Saturdays and Sundays”.
Governor Abiodun’s actions have been seen as muscle flexing
with Bishop Oyedepo whose church headquarters, Faith Tabernacle, is at Ota in
Ogun State. The church complex has a seating capacity of 50,000 and overflow
capacity of over one million during Shiloh programmes. The church’s weekly
attendance before the pandemic is close to five hundred thousand.
Bishop Oyedepo from the onset had condemned the closure of
churches in the wake of the pandemics. When the government relaxed the markets,
Bishop Oyedepo said that “For people to be allowed to be in the market for six
hours and can’t be in church for two hours, it’s an upside down way of looking
at things. There is more hope for a poor and wise child than an old foolish
king who would no longer be admonished (Ecclesiastes 4:13),”
“The greatest headache of the powers of darkness is the
growth and expansion of the church worldwide.
No civilization has ever endured without a foundation in Christ. Where
were the philosophers of Greece? I can smell a rat.
“The forces of darkness are influencing people at various
levels, targeting the church, because the growth and expansion of the church is
the greatest headache of the devil. But the gates of hell shall not prevail,”
In response to his treat, the Ogun State Commissioner of
Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, in a veiled response warned in a statement that “The
command hereby appeals to such religious leaders in both Islamic and Christian
faith who may be having such intention to have a change of mind because the
security agencies in the state will view such with all seriousness”.
Six days ago, Bishop Oyedepo said again that “21 states are
open to worship, the other ones have no choice. They should just know that they
have no choice. Trump had declared places of worship open across the US. That
is how God has been humiliating this noisome pestilence.”
The Governor had responded to the Bishop’s statement by
throwing his weight around and locking down Saturdays and Sundays, while
restrictions are relaxed from Mondays to Fridays.
Some senior pastors in the church have told me that the restriction
is targeted at the Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church, and I have every
reason to concur with them.
While Muslim leaders are demanding for places of worship to
be opened, including defying government directives, churches are groveling,
genuflecting, begging and appealing to unbelieving government officials to
allow them to operate.
I have advised against it in a piece titled ‘Covid-19
Lockdown: Tithes, Offerings in Danger’, in paragraphs 3 and 4 I argued that
“The church is the light of the world. Matthew 5: 14. All
these mega cathedrals, mega payer cities, mega camps and mega crusades ,
including mega ministrations of the spirit are now subject to the whims and
caprices of filthy and adulterous task force members in various states who
relish the privilege of clamping down churches administered by Cardinal John
Onaiyekan, Archbishop Alfred Martins , Archbishop Anthony Obinna, Archbishop
Emmanuel Chukwuma, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Pastor D.K
Odukoya, Pastor WF kumuyi ,Pastor Paul Enenche,, Pastor David Ibieyomi among
other anointed men of God”.
I said further that “Everything is wrong with it! I mean
everything! Let nobody tell me any nonsense. Since these filthy things closed
down the churches, how far with their corrupt efforts to stop Covid-19 “
Initially, twenty four hours after the piece, I noticed that
four states lifted restrictions on worship and I thanked the listening
government officials, urging the rest to follow suit. Many have since lifted
restrictions on worship. However, what happened in Ogun State is a setback.
Covid-19 has relegated the flamboyant church of Jesus Christ
to spineless beggars who must operate at the behest of filthy government officials
while conflicting incompetent directives from the WHO is ruining the world.
This is my position and I have not seen any superior argument to change it. China,
India and Japan are not relying on any
WHO guidelines to rid their country of Covid-19, and these counties are of Buddhists,
Hinduist, Shintoist and atheist religious leanings while the sons of Abraham;
Christians, Muslims and Judaists are pandering to the whims and caprices of a
discredited WHO.
Things have fallen apart! The church is in terrible mess! In
the coming weeks, these corrupt officials will be ordering them about the
manner village headmasters’ orders pupils about. This evil seed of ceding influence to corrupt
and confused government officials the church is about to reap. The early church
defied Emperor Nero’s orders and continued worship, despite persecutions. The
early church had earlier defied the Sanhedrin, the Chief Priests, the Pharisees
and Sadducees and continued until they become strong. Therefore, these lame
excuses that ‘we should obey government’ are products of monumental bootlicking
and spiritual senselessness.
The government is confused; the church is begging confused
people for solution. Tufiakwa! Why then are they trying to open up the economy
if their initial measures were correct? Nonsense! The church should use the
spiritual resources at their disposal, if they have not mortgaged it to marine sprits,
to force these unbelievers, drunkards and looting addicts to open places of
worship and let the dehumanized Nigerians ask their Maker for Solutions. They
should act fast before Hollywood, Nollywood, Champions League, Music Shows,
Movie Premieres and Owambe takes the position of God and the church.
The followers of Bishop Oyedepo should not abandon the
General in the midst of storm. The next ‘Week of Spiritual Emphasis’ should be
used to force the churches open. All these sons of the prophets, time to arise
have come. They should know that Oyedepo’s insistence that churches should open
will affect the reopening of Redeemed Camp, Deeper Life Retreat Centre, and MFM
Prayer City among others. These pastors should help in a collective struggle.
That some pastors died of Covid-19 is inconsequential. The
Bible said that “the just shall live by his faith”. I alluded to it much in my
piece condemning why ‘Church leaders Abandoned God, Suspending Masses,
Deliverances and Anointings’. Therefore,
any pastor that lacks faith in God should hide under his wardrobe for fear of
Covid-19 and allow those that have faith to operate. They should not hinder
those who still believe in the God of the Pandemics.
Governor Abiodun and Bishop Oyedepo’s relationship had not been
cordial. Oyedepo never supported his governorship ambition, and the governor
had not shown much respect for the achievements at Canaanland. However, the
followers of Bishop Oyedepo should exert spiritual resources and ensure that
the Sunday lockdown, ostensibly aimed at hitting hard at the preacher by Governor
Abiodun , is reversed.
Obinna Akukwe , columnist via profetobinna2@yahoo.com,
@obinnaakukwe
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