by Damilola Jagun
Redeemed Christian Church of God has the highest number of members, compared to other churches and religious organizations in Nigeria, and when one of its pastors becomes vice-presidential candidate of the opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC), and another top pastor drops sound bites, criticizing the present administration, President Goodluck Jonathan should be awfully concerned.
In a recent sermon by Redeemed Pastor, J.T. Kalejaiye, he vehemently lamented the state of things, while calling for a change in the system. According to the pastor, who is touted as one of the possible candidates to take over from Pastor Adeboye, “things cannot continue this way”.
Kalejaiye told his congregation to go and mark it, that “there would be a pleasant surprise in 2015 elections”. He said: “Of what use is my brother, my blood brother who is not going to move the nation forward? And you want me to vote for him because he is my brother? Don’t let us deceive ourselves.”
Speaking further, he said: “We have to change our system… Who is a Christian? Who is a Muslim? When I was working somewhere, my boss was a Muslim. I enjoyed under him. My boss provoked me to study further. My boss was always after my welfare. It shall be well him wherever he is today. He is a Muslim. The soldier attached to me was with me for almost 15 years. I never knew he was a Muslim. The day he opened his mouth to say “Sir, I am Muslim,” I said “What? But you follow me to the camp. You do this, you do that.” He said that when it was time to pray he would pray.”
“Brethren, wake up! Who is a Christian? That somebody goes to church doesn’t make him a Christian. That somebody bears Christian name doesn’t make him a Christian. You are a Christian yet there is no employment for our youths. People who should be feeding their parents are still being fed by their parents. How many youths can get married today without the support of their parents financially? During our own time, we did our wedding, we only called our parents to come and eat.”
“Today, our children who are 35, we are still feeding them. What are we saying? Let’s call a spade a spade, brethren. Things cannot continue this way. Corruption is the order of the day. You can steal and nothing will follow. That’s all… Brethren, if you don’t do something, something will do you. Wake up!”
Where are the Chibok girls after over 200 days? If any of them is your child will you vote at all in the next election? There is God oooo
Religious leaders are also part of the problems in Nigeria.
Jonathan can you listen to that? Everyone reject you! By Allah you will go and after that you will be tried!!!
Anyone can say whatever they like. choosing a pastor as a running mate is never a guarantee that anything will change for better. I know most pastors campaigning for Buhari would never do that had it been Buhari choose a muslim as his vice.
The problems of Nigeria attributed to GEJ are not only his, when the saints did not intercede for Kings and leaders as the Bible commands, then we cannot live a godly and peaceable life as we expected. So, let’s stop blaming GEJ for everything; though he has his own faults, and that’s very obvious. But most of the people blaming him from the pulpit, ask them, how many have every really taken time to intercede for him and his administration? they don’t, until almost everything got out of hand.
It’s better to go to politics not in the name of religion; most of those that have done that have brought shame to their religion…Buhari cut short the administration of Shagari…and must we vote for him now. Babangida (a muslim military president) sold Nigeria under OIC, and Nigeria has been there since. OBJ may be called a Christian but you should remember billions of dollars wasted on power sector. GEJ seems to have done nothing before those who can’t see or those who decided to see nothing…and he’s a Christian.
I like APC (though I will never vote for them. I have my reasons), they know the easiest way they can carry heavy votes from “Christians” is to go to where they picked the running mate for Buhari. Their strategist is wise a bit, using “divide and conquer” method…as we use to do in solving herculean programming task in computer. I tell you, this time it will not work.
Most of the people in APC were formerly members of PDP who left just because there seems to be no future for their selfish ambition in their former party. They are all thieves under different canopy. In Osun, Aregbe dislodged Oyinlola, and with all the verbal assaults they’ve launched on each other before, now they are in the same party. So if APC is truly what they claimed to be, folks like Oyinlola should never have been allowed to settle down in APC. But why won’t they allow him…birds of a feather flock together.
Most of the problems levied against GEJ are caused by the opposition parties…and with what have been seen under APC states, there certainly be worse difficulties if they are the ruling party in the country.
Watch it Nigerians, we need a change…yes but not the kind APC is proposing.
If anyone will blame Jonathan, let it not be anyone called “pastor”. If any pastor blames GEJ, let it be known to you that it is failure of that pastor’s closet.
Try to be sincere,r u saying we should continue with d present situation in d country? No, pastor Kalejaiye is right.
Well, I think you shouldn’t write or think some people are not praying for the President. We’re praying, and people are warning the guy, but he’s been a son of perdition who flagrantly disobey godly counsel and choose children of belial as friends. He corrupted himself having forgotten that God brought him to this position when he was small in His own eyes, he feared the people and was busy building monument for himself which will be destroyed shortly.
I’ve always loved Pastor Kalejaiye for being a Man of God who speaks the truth at all times. Be it religion or politics, he has spoken like a true Nigerian who isn’t afraid to say the truth about the situation of things. May God continue to be with him. Amen
God bless Pastor Kalejaiye and make him very great and even greater than all GOs in Nigeria In The Mighty Name Of Jesus Christ Amen.
The boldness of admitting the truth has robbed us of good leaders. Thank you Sir for speaking boldly, God Bless you.
Hi outspoken,
We can’t 100% separate politics from religion. Go and do further research, even in the US churches endorse their candidates; hope you understandvthatbthe US has the best democracy on earth. So be well informed this GEJ apparatus.
When redeem church came out to denounce that they endorsed osibajo I knew there was something fishing, now there pastors are now coming out to campaign indirectly, why? Must a church take sides? Why? The bible said we should pray for our leaders why? Most he air his views on an altar of God. Cos the church is meant to pray for the nation not come out to pitch tent, it is just too open that RCCG has become partisan and I hope the glory of the church will not depart cos it should to not soil it hands and should know prophecy of the president cos it is written touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm pls ooo RCCG should warn there pastors not to speak about politics and not be equally yoked with the unbelievers
Kingsn, i quite understand ur view but we need to be truthful. i as a
youth is fed up with dis administration.Jonathan was not the foundation
but what is he doing? we use to say Obasanjo was dis n dat but aleast
aleast we can see one or two p he tackled on corruption either for
selfish interest o but the fact was d person he tackled den were
corrupt. point just one person dis administration as brought to book for
almost 6years he as bin dir? many graduates r on d streets no job,
power as bin terrible. check dis year budget , the other funds generated
n loans pulped into security and ask where we are going? now minister
for finance says we av to borrow money to pay workers starting from next
year, dey will increase tax, obviously after election d fuel pulp price
will increase, we already heard dat the federal might even start
laying workers off, electricity tariff with be
increase…………….etc. if blame of clerics that they dont talk
noaw dey r telling the truth n we r now complaining again the truth
about Jonathan wen we voting for him dem was dat we needed a change and
we believe he is a xtain but sincerely we dont check his profile if he
was capable all not. at the moment we sincerely need a change. i dont
say buhari is d best or right candidate but we nid a change.
Its high time the church stood for the truth, make no mistake of what the church stands for. We as congregation make the church and the same people make the nation. It is therefore our right to stand for the truth and make legit assertion of the state of this great country. If we have been ruled by a Phd (Pull him down) holder, its time we get our bearings right.
Pls check his statement and go through what he said. Are you saying that because one is a pastor should not say the truth or should not vote. Haba Nigerians. He is entitled to his own personal opinion and i believe he has not said he is speaking for RCCG
It is not partisan to tell the truth. Things are hard in this country and our leaders encourage corruption. It is so sad
I disown u, you hav become partisan politician, u hav traded christianity.
Kingsn, i quite understand ur view but we need to be truthful. i as a youth is fed up with dis administration.Jonathan was not the foundation but what is he doing? we use to say Obasanjo was dis n dat but aleast aleast we can see one or two p he tackled on corruption either for selfish interest o but the fact was d person he tackled den were corrupt. point just one person dis administration as brought to book for almost 6years he as bin dir? many graduates r on d streets no job, power as bin terrible. check dis year budget , the other funds generated n loans pulped into security and ask where we are going? now minister for finance says we av to borrow money to pay workers starting from next year, dey will increase tax, obviously after election d fuel pulp price will increase, we already heard dat the federal might even start laying workers off, electricity tariff with be increase…………….etc. if blame of clerics that they dont talk noaw dey r telling the truth n we r now complaining again the truth about Jonathan wen we voting for him dem was dat we needed a change and we believe he is a xtain but sincerely we dont check his profile if he was capable all not. at the moment we sincerely need a change. i dont say buhis d best or right candidate but we nid a change.
Massive employment of a nation’population lies in the macro economic fundamentals. Fundamentals are foundations layed that may not be so fast or visible to a bias mind. Mind of reasonable nigerians should review the inputs of GEJ to the rice processing (refinaries) built from 1 to 18 by the GEJ govt meant to create the most needed employment in agriculture and food production.
review the fuel supply stability under GEJ to the scarcity witnessed since independent. Review the huge funds ingested into the education sector. The increased of power generation in megahertz, medical sector received the boost to provide healthcare like no other time in our history. Road network done under GEJ surpassed all of his predecessors, from yenagoa to lagos that takes you a dayplus under OBJ can now take you few hours, security and political killings are no more there under GEJ. Insurgency is a brainchild of sabotage by those who feel GEJ souldnt be leading or ruling them. APC and Insurgents and islamists and hyper-tribalists corroborators has been singing the same songs from the advent of GEJ admistration. When these many groups join forces to make the nation ungovernable, I do not expect a pastor to convert the pulpit into a campagn arena and join forces with elements whose assignment is to distort and vilify the president of our country. Is such a pastor tired of obeying the scribture to pray for our leaders? Are those people no more christians? Have they decided to jettison their followership for their selfish lucre?
I may never honour our be their follower anymore if they can not honorably follow as well. As for Osinbajo he is now a fulltime politician and I congratulate him. But for other pastors who think they can convert the pulpit and brainwash their members to become tribalist or partisan, I still say bye bye to them and their colonies.
@ Kingson; I suppose you have lost touch with reality and I don’t expect any better submission from someone like you
being a GEJ apologist. Which boost has the health sector received under GEJ administration with all these incessant strike actions. Presently, the joint health workers union are still on strike which has grounded activities in our hospitals. You also made mention of the road network between Yenagoa and Lagos being completed. I will like to put it to you that “Is that the only road in Nigeria” or what point exactly were you trying to make. Or are you saying that we should judge GEJs performance based on the projects executed around his region? Lastly, you seem not to be comfortable with the pastor ”talking politics” but you have forgotten that politics is part of our lives as any decisions,actions,in-actions taken by our leaders especially our president goes a long way to affect us all, therefore, I don’t see anything wrong with what the pastor said as it is consistent with the scriptures. I will advise you to dissect your opinion very well before airing it because opinion have some value to the extent that the world can either celebrate or ignore it.
when jonathan rode on the popularity of the church in 2011, no pastor was said to be partisan but now that pastors from the same church are now criticizing his performance, they are partisan. I cant be happier this is comming from the church. perhaps a few of them are beginning to see what Bakare saw and said about this guy. If God must help nigeria, all the religious leaders must stand for the truth.
You speak like them, you spend the entire passage criticizing me without placing issues on the table. We all understand your plans, to kill the poor old man with the stress of office within the first 2 or 3 years and supplant osinbajo as president. Dirty selfish tribalists.
If we request an account of stewardship, you will be amazed at the resource that Nigeria made from 2011 – 2014 before the fall of oil prices.
The country made more money during this period than any other time in it history. At one time crude oil was sold at $140 per barrel, one of the highest in opec history.
So to say this administration performed more than it pervious ones, it expected!
But the request for change is not because of what the administration as done well, it what it as failed in, which are Corruption and Security.
The effect of corruption alone is making our economy bleed, in less than 6 months of oil price drop, we are already broke.
The fall of crude oil price is the makings of GEJ or any one president. Corruption exist everywhere in Nigeria and APC leaders and some church pastors and imam are equally currupt too. When GEJ discovered that he has so many enemies namely terrorist, islamist, anti GEJ tribalist, selfish political gradiators like past presidents and their Governor pupetboys,fashola amaechi oshomole kwankwasho who are agents powered by the ungovernable missonaries etc installed in every parastatals,ministry and sectors,. Agree with me that GEJ must not be able to add more enemies to focus on areas the can add value and develop. Agric sector, electricity generation ie its foundation before distribution which might take 7 to 10 years before completion, fuel supply stability, education stimulus, road infrastructure are all invisible to those who can not see, political killings are no more.
massive employment can never be made possible by any president unless strong macro economic fundamentals are in place eg. Ppp and privatalisation, massive power generation and distribution, strong and massive agro allied industries, govt stimulus to local magnifacturing industries, favourably fiscal and monetary policies.
the above are about 90% completed by the GEJ administration but the opposition want to steal it at the completion to be crown with the glory and deny the brainpower of the GEJ era. Dont be deceive they may not be able to interprete the magic and revamp the economy as at when the preliminaries are completed.
Joseph became the governor of Egypt. A foreign land. God Almighty choose it because it would save the isrealites and the world from starvation.
Kingsn ask yourself if it’s the case now with pst to become VP and save us from the economic crisis. I am not saying that pres. Jonathan has not done his best mind you. It’s just time for us to try someone else.
Ride on Pastor.