by Samuel Okike

The news of the sack of Venerable Femi Taiwo, the presiding Chaplain of the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, has generated some buzz in the media for quite a few days.

According to reports, Taiwo was fired for allegedly ‘disrespecting’, Bolanle Ambode, the wife of Lagos governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, during an anointing service.

Taiwo’s sack and eventual eviction within 24 hours from his apartment by the state government smacks of impunity – but it got worse on Tuesday when the Lagos chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), decided to speak on the matter.

One would have thought that the Christian body would have helped to resolve the issue before it became public knowledge, But no, they didn’t. They waited. And waited. And waited. Until Taiwo was evicted from his apartment in contravention of state laws.

They also decided to assume the role of Ambode’s image launderers, a responsibility his disastrous PR team deemed unnecessary.

One begins to wonder if the Lagos chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) really know what they are doing?

While commenting on Taiwo’s sack and defending the governor’s action, the CAN state chairman, Apostle Alex Bamgbola, said the allegations against Mrs. Ambode were “far from the truth”.

He said, “In particular and most unfortunate is the accusation of our revered and most responsible First Lady of Lagos State, Deaconess Mrs Bolanle Ambode as being instrumental to the termination of the appointment of the presiding chaplain because of one anointing service.

“We wish to state clearly here today that this is far from the truth. We want the press to know this and we want to thank all of you because the press has been quite on this matter except a particular paper that has been selling its paper through this matter which is unjust, unfair and does not portray professionalism.

“Deaconess Mrs Bolanle Ambode as far as we know is a true woman of God who fears God and lives a godly live and whom it has pleased God to raise to be first Lady of Lagos State at this time. The error of judgment by the said newspaper is most unfortunate and unfair to her, unfair to the entire Lagos State Government and unfair to the church at large in Lagos.”

Bamgbola went on to say the Lagos state government had the right to sack the Chaplain because he was under their employment, warning people to “desist henceforth from publishing and circulating erroneous publication concerning this matter”. What a wow.

“The Governing Council has the constitutional responsibility and authority to recruit and to terminate two officers who run the Chapel who are the presiding Chaplain, who is the senior officer and the Chaplain, who is the deputy. So, the presiding chaplain and the chaplain are officers of the chapel and officers of the government of Lagos State,” said Mr. Bamgbola.

In as much as the government has the right to sack the chaplain, not for once did the Christian body point or state the Chaplain’s offence.

It’s shocking that the body which Taiwo belongs to decided to throw him under the bus in public. We are not only disappointed in Lagos CAN’s bias but we believe it would have been better if they had not gotten themselves involved with the controversy in the first place.