Category: Worship

It is an axiom of our faith that a deviation from God’s set order or demand, which is a prelude to the fulfilment of His pledge, weakens the potency of His promises, because He is a God of order and the Lord of set patterns. It therefore behoves anyone who desires to enjoy full value of God’s promises to follow very strictly His commandments because His promises are not free – they are predicated on fulfilment of certain terms and obligations. To eat the good of the land for instance, is not free; it is grounded on firstly your willingness and then your obedience to His command – any action to the contrary is an invitation to destruction. “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 1:19,20)..

The pervasive lethargy across the length and breadth of the body of Christ to critically study (and not only read) the Holy Scriptures has however led to a gradual erosion of truth of His word and permanent tenancy with ignorance and falsehood. Paul told his adopted son Timothy that, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). There are unfortunately lots of Scriptural facts that have over the ages been distorted by ‘microwave Christians’ – people that are desirous of having the shortest cut to everything in life. Please be informed that to receive anything from God full obedience to His order or command is very key (Deut.. 28:1-13 cf 1Sam. 15:1-23). If you want to enjoy your marriage as an example, submission to your husband in everything and to love your wife with all you are endowed with are non-negotiable (Ephesians 5:22-28). And, if you want to live long and be prosperous as a child, you must honour your parents (Ephesians 6:2-3) – any deviation from those set patterns is an invitation to crisis!

One of the maladies of the Christian faith is with regards to fasting which is now being bandied as a mantra for resolution of problems or challenges. It is very common nowadays for certain people in the body of Christ to quickly recommend fasting whenever any ignorant person comes up with an untoward issue of life.  Not only that, lots of congregation’s spiritual ego is massaged and lifted to high heavens when long days of fasting are declared either for a specific program, to climax a year or at the start of a new year among many others. There is no gainsaying the fact that fasting had been since time immemorial and has the endorsement of our Lord Jesus Christ; fasting activates miraculous happenstances and it is very necessary for Christian growth. It is however important to note that its effectiveness is hinged on compliance with His set order – any deviation from His set patterns is a mission in futility.

From the passage where we picked our text, a man brought a report to Jesus Christ concerning his son who was a lunatic and would usually fall into fire and water. The man brought his son to His disciples to heal him but all their efforts were in vain. With a word from Jesus Christ, He rebuked the demon and the son was healed instantly. The disciples now asked Jesus Christ why they were unable to heal the boy. Jesus told them, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. However, this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting. (Matt. 17:20-21).

For your fasting to have an effect on any mountain, and not serve as a religious affair or merely a hunger-strike; for it not be for weight reduction or serve as a means of detoxification, it is imperative to first accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you must ensure that you don’t have sin in your life and you must have also genuinely forgiven all that have erred against you (Is. 1:15-18, 59: 1-3; Matt. 6:12-14). In addition to that, an effective fasting must be complimented with regular prayers, and the prayers must be said in absolute faith in His name and acknowledgment that He has the power to save and deliver, for “..without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:6). It is after you have done all those that you can be assured of an unhindered access to His throne of grace and mercy, and whatever human, official, spiritual, economic or matrimonial mountain positioned before you shall be lifted up and your life shall advance in the name of Jesus Christ.

As this 2022 Lenten season enters Day 2 today, please ask yourself if you are merely observing a religious ceremony or you are on a personal hunger strike or you don’t want to eat in other to cut down on your excess weight or you are fasting indeed? If your intention is to fast, please take note of the fasting requirements and it shall be well with you in the name of Jesus Christ. He/She who has ears to hear, let him/her hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

 

Prayers: Oh Lord, help me during this time of lent to do your will, and do not allow me to fast in vain, in Jesus’ name.

After God had assisted the less powerful King Hezekiah of Judah to defeat the more powerful and boastful King Sennacherib of Assyria (2Kings 19:8-13, 35), He sent the highly revered Prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah on his sick bed that he should set his house in order because he would surely die. That message made the king distraught hence he turned from the prophet and cried to God because he didn’t want to die. God heard his cries and added an additional fifteen years to him (2 Kings 20:2-6). Eventually, (in 2 Kings 20:21), the Bible recorded that King Hezekiah died. This is to remind us that there is a time and season for everything, among which is a time to be born and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:1,2).

Beloved in Christ, death is an unavoidable contract that everyone had entered into (Hebrew 9:27). Either it is claimed or rejected (as many do ignorantly), everyone has an appointment with death mindless of age, state of health, threat of COVID,  wealth, political power wielded or spiritual giftings, except those that are alive at His second coming (Psalms 89:48; cf 1Thess. 4:16-17). Kindly note that everything that had a beginning must surely come to an end (Job 7:1). Nothing and nobody will live or reign in perpetuity!

Like King Hezekiah, virtually every person, chiefly the economically and politically privileged in our land, are willing to do anything to remain here till eternity and continue to enjoy the bliss and comfort of life. It is consequent on this that people with the financial wherewithal expend lots of local and foreign currencies on first class medicare across the globe and some are enslaved to spiritual marabouts, all in their bid to escape death. Despite all their futile efforts geared at running away from death, when the time of its visitation comes, it rushes in like a fiery wind and visits its victim mindless of palpable fear, struggles, humongous wealth, privileged position in the society, spiritual standing and the retinue of prayer warriors at their becks and calls (2 Peter 3:10).

One of the messages of today’s Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a 40 day fasting season, is to remind everyone about the temporality of this world and that “…… dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:19) and the expediency of setting our houses in order. This is suffice to say that we shall all one day return to the starting point of our lives – dust! On Ash Wednesday, the palm-fronds from the previous Palm Sunday are burnt and administered on the forehead of every believer as a reminder that nothing lasts forever – a new cloth will soon become a rag, an agile young boy will soon become a weak old man, a new vehicle will soon end up in a mechanic’s yard, a new house will become outdated, the marriage that is being celebrated today will one day become history, the certificates and degrees that you burnt the midnight oil to have shall be useless and the person in power today blowing sirens all over the place with vaunted immunity will be out of power and office one day (Ecclesiastes 12:3-7).

At such a time in our country where there is daily increasing wide polarity between the rich and the poor, where the dividends of democracy are not evenly distributed, where promises made by people placed in positions of authority are shamefacedly broken, where our words are no longer our bonds,  a time when the world has departed from the waiting room of patience and now of microwave orientation; a time when we have abandoned the path of diligence at places of assignment and pitched camp with whatever course that will bring in money, power and recognition which have made many to relocate from the pavilion of discipline to the citadel of shameless behaviour; we are regrettably in a world of wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, religion without sacrifice and politics without principle.

We are presently at a junction where the wickedness of man to man is becoming alarmingly on the increase, where there is utter disregard for human lives, where security of lives and property and a time when the world is praying for divine intervention concerning the more powerful Russia government’s war with the smaller Ukraine government, God is calling us to the fact that death will come for us one day and that we shall all give account of our stewardship hence we need to seriously consider our ways and put our houses in order (Haggai 1:5). God is calling on people that are saddled with the responsibility to provide the physiological and safety needs of the people in our land to remembrance that they have a specific tenor in office and life, and when their time ends, they shall return to dust and give account of their stewardships hence the need to live and act right before it is too late.

This presupposes the fact that no matter how long you occupy any position or live in this world, one day will come when you shall give account of the stewardship of your time, talents, money, position and work before the Almighty God (Romans 14:10). It is possible to be ‘smart’ and escape the judgment of the land, pervert justice and buy the right of other people from the Tribunal to the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court, but when all ends here and you get ‘there’, there is no retinue of learned silks that can defend you before the Almighty God (Job 9:3). He will give everyone according to his/her works (Rev. 22:12). If you fire arrow to the sky and cover your body with mortar, the king of this world might turn a blind eye or not even see you, but you can be assured that the King who sits in heaven and has the earth as his footstool (Isaiah 66:1) sees.

It is therefore instructive to note that nothing will last forever because man shall return to his creator – “dust thou art and to dust thou shall return” (selah!). The only thing that will last till eternity is who you belong to (Christ or self), your good works and how you have used your means to impact positively on the society. The responsibility of a wise person is firstly to the society then the family before himself. Where this order is reversed or altered, the end shall be fraught with regret and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30).

This season of fasting is a time for introspection, soberness, re-examination, repentance and change. It is a time for the political cum religious class and leaders to return to God in repentance for their overt and covert acts as well as their schemes and actions; it is a season for everyone to eat the humble pie, close ranks, ask God for mercy and change our ways to the path of righteousness so that God does not remove our candlesticks abruptly and take it off in the middle of our ages (Rev. 2:5). Therefore, as you humble yourselves at such a time, as you take your gaze away from the temporality of this world, as you engage more in selfless services to God and humanity, as you are more committed to the details of your oaths of office, as you remain more resolute on love for one another, as you are more dedicated to charity works, as you continue to live a life of holiness and maintain peace towards all, the Almighty God shall continue to bless you and when your time is up here, you shall be acceptable before Him and welcomed with pomp and pageantry to receive your crown of glory, in Jesus’ name

 

Prayer: Oh Lord, give me grace to live a life that is pleasing to you so that when I see you at last, I shall be accepted by you as a child that has lived well in Jesus’ name.

The General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Pastor Sam Aboyeji has advised the government and other people in a leadership position to ensure equitable justice in their dealings, as no nation progresses without justice.

Aboyeji said this at the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) 13th Founders’ Day annual lecture and awards ceremony with the theme: ‘Justice: Catalyst for a Progressive Nigeria,’ which was held at Nigeria Institute in International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos.

He said that the leadership of Nigeria must take the right step, adding that there would be no progress without justice.

“Justice is indeed an essential ingredient to hold the nation together.

“God is love and we are called to live in line with Justice, fairness and equity.”

He commended BSN for its efforts in the translation of the Bible, adding that the great commission by Christ to the church can only be carried out when Christians/Churches queue behind the vision of BSN.

Earlier in his speech, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Abolaji Dada, said no society could achieve its full potential and the desired level of development without putting in place and nurturing a system that guarantees justice and fairness to all, irrespective of social and economic status.

Also speaking at the event, Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN) said that the biblical concept of justice is the foundation of the system of justice in the legal system of Nigeria which includes: learning to do right, seek justice, defend the oppressed, plead the cause for the fatherless and widow among others.

He said regrettably, Nigeria as a nation has distanced itself from this reality which has resulted in the mess the country finds itself today.

He added that the righteous cares about justice for the poor, but the wicked has no such concern, adding that wicked leaders have no concern for justice for the poor who are only concerned about themselves.

He lamented the billions of naira the government budgets for arms and ammunition, overlooking the area of injustice.

“Under the 2021 budget, the Federal Government budgeted N840 billion for the Ministry of Defence and the budget for Defence has been increasing.

“In a budget of few surprises tagged: ‘Budget of economic recovery and resilience,’ the Ministry of Defence more than four years in a row has taken the lead with a proposed allocation of N840 billion while Police and Education got N441.39 billion and N554.10 billion respectively.

 

THE Spiritual Head, Faith Revivalists Christian Mission (FRCM), Pastor Alfred Bamidele Taiwo, has urged Nigerians to make love the cornerstone of their marriages.

He attributed the high rate of divorce in the country to a lack of love in many homes.

He stated this at the 13th Walk in Love held at its headquarters in Fola Agoro, Somolu, Lagos. The event is held by the church yearly to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Pastor Taiwo said there was no love in many Christian homes, despite that they serve God and have received Biblical teachings.

He canvassed love not only among couples but also among parents and children. Noting that families are the superstructure upon which societies are built.  “When love is missing in homes, the society would experience problems such as marriage failures, youth restiveness, and armed robberies.”

He advised Christians to pray very well before choosing a partner, knowing fully well that the success of their relationship rests on the choice they make.

He, however, asked parents to stay away from their children when they are picking their spouses, adding that the era of choosing for them was gone. But they could, however, advise them on the way to go, he added.

On Valentine’s Day celebration, the senior cleric said there was nothing wrong if its objective is to glorify God. He however warned against celebrating it the way the world does

 

The General Overseer of Wisdom Church International, Ketu, Lagos, Prophet Bisi Olujobi has said that the country will not break up, as speculated by some agitators and spiritualists across the country.

He said this at the unveiling of his prophecies for the nation, adding that fervent prayers are needed for both Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu.

On the fate of the nation’s economy and increase in cases of violence and insecurity, the cleric said that things would not get better.  Instead, he admonished citizens to turn to God for Mercy and favour instead of looking up to the politicians.

Olujobi, however, noted that there would be a bumper harvest in the agricultural sector, especially, from Southwest, “If the sector is properly managed many youths will prosper and curb famine.”

In addition, the cleric appealed to the Federal Government to ease the stress in the petroleum sector and rescind any plan to increase fuel pump prices to avoid frustration and crisis across the country.

He advised the affected owners and residents of Magodo residential estate which has been in the news recently to look for alternatives as most houses there would be demolished soon.

Olujobi also warned that this year would be a  year of judgment for those who have consistently questioned the authority of God over mankind, especially fake clergymen and women who have deceived many in the name of Christ except they repent.

He emphasized that only those who know their God would have it easy in the present President Buhari administration.

On the issue of many incurable ailments like cancer, HIV, diabetes, etc. ravaging the world, the seer predicted that a permanent cure is on the way, as a relief to those who might have been affected by such diseases.

Also, he predicted that the country’s entertainment industry would further achieve a bigger feat on the international scene. But this does not imply that God is happy with many of their practitioners as they have totally forsaken God, the reason for so many sudden and untimely deaths among them.

The Coronavirus ( COVID-19) pandemic which is affecting the world, Africa including Nigeria will take another dimension.

 

It was a big celebration for the founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, as he marked his birthday recently.

The event was attended by clerics, business moguls, and politicians, including the acting leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere Chief Ayo Adebanjo; the General Overseer of Christ Royal Church, Bishop Tom Samson,  who commended Primate  Ayodele for his courage and doing what those elected by their various constituencies cannot do.

The INRI leader used the occasion to extend mouthwatering gifts to friends, associates, and the larger society.

The cleric did not fail to use the occasion to comment on sundry national issues and Christianity in Nigeria

Adebanjo, who was full of praise for Primate  Ayodele, said he had known the cleric for decades.

The cleric later commissioned some Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects including the road leading to his church as well as delivering empowerment packages to widows, artisans, students, and the media.

Going down memory lane, Primate Ayodele who has spent over three decades in the Lord’s vineyard said: “l don’t have a father in the Lord or mentor, God called me and has been taking care of me.  All I’m doing is in line with the directive of God.

“Growing up, my mother encouraged me to go to church. I’ve worshiped in several churches, including Deeper life, Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic, Celestial Church, Cherubim, and Seraphim among others, though my family church was Christ Apostolic Church.”

The Primate maintained that the direction from God to embark on his present journey was more important.  “All l know is I’m active in the service of God.”

He also noted that not all churches have financial clout, and appealed to the financially well-to-do churches to do more for their members.

He added that he was very proud of himself, having been able to bridge the gap for his members in the area of health, empowerment, accommodation, supporting the education of some of his members, and in the area of creating employment opportunities.

He also prayed for churches that are in their cradle, saying, in a matter of time they would also start running.  Using himself as a reference point, Primate Ayodele said, “at a point in this journey, l didn’t have anything, but  l have passed that phase and  l can give Glory to God.”

He urged the young churches to be diligent and steadfast in their relationship with God and work in his vineyard, stressing that it is just a matter of time.

“Those who can let them give, those who can’t, let them keep praying to God,” he appealed.

On what motivates him to take bold and courageous position on issues, he declared: “l don’t see challenges, l believe every encounter l have is to develop my experience, and to make me understand the concept and how to apply the formula to use to confront them either physically or spiritually, and further added that his closeness to God had also made a difference in his ministry.”

Speaking on the church and their relationship with the government, he urged the government to respect churches with reputation and names to protect, “the people listen to their spiritual leaders more than they listen to their representatives and government because it is what the spiritual leaders say they will follow,” he noted.

Answering questions whether he would support regulation of the churches by the government, he replied that the government should not clamp down on the activities of the churches, except providing guidelines for their registration.

Present at the vent were: Lola Edewor; Jude Idumogu, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2; Oladipupo Okeyomi; King Suny.

Also present were Dare Melody; Fanny Amu; Radius Ladipo; and   Princess Olubisi Oyelekan among other notable dignitaries.

 

 

Presiding Pastor of Living Spring Chapel International Pastor Femi-Emmanuel is Director of Politics and Governance of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). The former Oyo Deputy Speaker speaks with Adeola Ogunlade on how churches can make a difference towards 2023. Excerpts:

You have spent about six months in your present assignment as the Director of Politics and Governance of the PFN. What has been the experience so far?

It’s been great. What we have done so far is sensitising the church fathers on the need to encourage their church members to be part of the political process. It will amaze you that there are churches that have over 11 million members. And these are members that can easily be encouraged to join the political process, especially from the grassroots. The good thing about the Pentecostals is that they are aggressive and vibrant. They follow their pastors as devotees.

There are churches in this country that have branches everywhere. So for us in the DPG, we believe churches can take advantage of their number to influence the political process so as to put good people there.

There are only 8,080 wards where decisions of delegates that will select those who will vote for are made. Our position is why don’t we overwhelm these wards and put good people there so they can elect credible representatives to vie for election.

So what has been the outcome of your sensitisation?

People are beginning to understand that apart from having their PVC they need to know who to vote for and be able to influence the process.  And efforts are being made in that direction so that we don’t keep recycling the old politicians. You can see that it is the same old people that have been there before independence and shortly after that are still in the political space.

We need to sensitise the young people so that they don’t need to protest but be part of the political process. The church can form a caucus and have a massive following. The church must not just wait for the Election Day. It must be part of those who produce those we are to vote for. That is what the Directorate of Politics and Governance is doing so far. That is the message we are spreading to all churches. Until we have credible people to vote for we will just be going in cycles. That is why I have a lot of concerns about 2023.

 

Would you agree that 2023 has already been decided in favour of some people?

I think the 2023 election should be handled with a lot of care. There are many things we are supposed to settle that have not been settled. But then the election is here we have to do it. If I have my way, we need to restructure first.

Our natural inclination is towards regionalism. Look at those who are coming up as presidential candidates. You will find out that wherever they emerge from, their people support them. South West, Tinubu Osinbajo, You go up north Atiku and his people, in the east you see Okorocha and his people.

The truth is that we are many nations in a nation. We have been unified forcefully. Until we resolve the national question we will just be going in circles. But then, the 2023 election will still have to be done. I just feel that there is a need for us to go back to the drawing board and address the question of our nationality.

We need to address the foundation. The constitutional reviews and elections we have been having are deception. We need to go back to 1966, have one Prime Minister and six regions and let every region develop at its own pace. The truth is that we are not one people. We are diverse.

And the Bible tells us that a people cannot work together except they agree. We are just lying to ourselves. But those who are benefiting from this present charade will want it so. A senator who earns over N30 million in a month won’t want a change. I think we need to correct this fraud.

What is your idea of an ideal president?

I think the next President should go back to the 2014 constitutional conference re-durst it and implement the recommendations. We are operating a constitution that has no provision for a referendum. That is worrisome. And these are some of the traps that have just been set. Except we address it, we won’t be going anywhere. Our problem is foundational.

How can the church help the nation make 2023 work?

One of the ways is this sensitization we are doing. There is serious voter apathy in Nigeria. It is worse in the church. This is because there is a problem of trust deficit. People are saying they have trusted so much nothing positive is happening. So they are just fed up with the system. Prof. Charles Soludo won the election in Anambra with about 200,000 votes out of over 1,000,000 registered voters.

Nigerians don’t vote. DPG is waking the church and saying don’t abandon this thing. Prayer alone will not change Nigeria. By the grace of God, we are succeeding. We are making them go to the grassroots and be part of the system because that is where the action is.

What the political godfathers have is the grassroots. Except we are there in the grassroots, we can’t change anything. There is a lot of monetisation going on in the political space. But we are telling the church to go to the grassroots. If the church wakes up today, it can change the status quo.

All the big churches are listening to us now and we pray they will listen to us all through.

Some people believe Nigeria is not working. Some are in fact moving out in droves. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

There is light if we do the needful. There are people who can fix this nation but they are not getting the opportunity of being there. What goes on in the grassroots is pathetic. They fight over money and do all sorts of things. If good people go to the grassroots deliberately they will make a difference. Except we have credible people in power there is no hope.

All these young people leaving the country are making a mistake.  I will advise them to stay back in the country and let us salvage it. Instead of running out of the country they should run to the ward level and put good people there. It is when we put credible people there we can have a change. Democracy presupposes that the masses send their representatives up. But it does not work like that in Nigeria. Parties are owned and funded by vested interests.

 

The annual ministers’ conference of the Baptist College of Theology Lagos holds from February 21-23.

The theme of the conference is:” Developing effective spiritual strategic pastoral ministry.”

The Rector, Professor Emmanuel Oyemomi, said the College, which is affiliated to the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogmosho, is strongly focused on providing sound ministerial and theological training for ministers.

The conference holds at the permanent site of the institution in Agbowa Ikosi in Lagos State.

Chairperson of the Conference, Rev Mrs Bolatito Babarinde said the theme is aimed at equipping ministers of the gospel with requisite skills and scriptural insights to remain versatile and vibrant in minsitry.

Those who do not wish the Yoruba well are in the vanguard of those goading our sitting vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to throw his hat into the presidential ring. It is not out of love for the genteel law professor. I bet it is simply to draw him out to square up to his one-time boss when he was state commissioner and his political boss by any standard, so that the two Yoruba gladiators can fight themselves to the finish and fluff another bright chance of the Yoruba. The lure is great, and it behoves every right thinking Yoruba person to dissuade the vice president from toeing that line.

I can also sniff that some people of Yoruba extraction who dislike Osinbajo as much as they detest Tinubu are showing preference for an Igbo presidency, not necessarily out of genuine love for our Southeast brethren but because they must exhibit that flaw in Yoruba character that “I don’t care who gets it, provided it is not Tinubu or Osinbajo”. People with such mindset most times regret their actions after the deed is done.

Tinubu is being accused of all manner of sins, as if sin is designed for saints. But then, what offences are being ascribed to Osinbajo that neither of them is fit to be President. Methinks the words of my people that “inunibini ko kan aimowa hu” comes in handy here. There is nothing you can ever do to please bad-belle people!

As sitting vice president, Osinbajo is perfectly entitled to formally sit on the presidential chair on which he had earlier been privileged to sit in interim capacity whenever his current boss was away. But as things stand today, Tinubu is considered by many as the best and the most ideal candidate among the Yoruba eyeing that position. Some others covet the position as well but are for now coy about coming out openly to declare their intention. Do they belong in the ranks of those waiting to be pushed into the ring?

I personally detest the idea of unwilling candidates because the very idea can be correctly interpreted to either mean being ill-equipped for the job or a sign of negativity which is the stuff of which spoil-sports are made. Conversely, I admire those who have prepared themselves sufficiently for the top job and have become passionate about it; a classic example being Alhaji Lateef Jakande who equipped himself for the Lagos governorship before he made a go for it in 1978. The result is his unprecedented, landmark achievements in a short space of four years and three months. Those achievements were no mere fluke or flash in the pan, as he moved on to the federal level as minister of works and dazzled doubting Thomases with his housing scheme achievements in Abuja under just two years before he dropped out of the cabinet.

Tinubu followed in Jakande’s footsteps with the radicalisation of governance under his watch when he became Lagos State governor in 1999 and steadied the economic growth of the state for eight years. He bequeathed a template to the state which his successors have found impossible to abandon because in that template is the winning formula for progress, for which the state has justifiably earned the epitaph of “Centre of Excellence”. If the man Tinubu says the presidential project is his life-long ambition and there’s evidence that he can walk his talk, why deny him the opportunity to prove his mettle, especially from his homestead?

I cannot but be fascinated with the profound wisdom in Yoruba philosophy and idioms. Take this: Ehinkule l’ota wa, inu ile l’aseni ngbe. Why is it unceasingly becoming the second nature of the Yoruba to sharpen the pull-down machete with which they destroy their own?

“Ebe la nbe osika, ko tun ilu re se”; again another wise saying of the Yoruba. Isn’t it time for our foremost traditional rulers to come together and jaw-jaw with all their children with presidential ambition towards the end of getting them agree on presenting a solid, winnable candidate among these aspirants – the one we know ready as well as those still lurking in the shadows.

You may want to ask where will I cast my lot if asked? My answer will come musically from one of our best ever music icons, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister: “E ma f’ori aja we t’olola iju; won jo’ra won, sugbon iyato wa nibe o”, meaning the kitten’s head and that of the lion may look similar, but there’s a world of difference between the two. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu fits the bill best, all things considered!