Ambode: 10 things you should know about sacked pastor saga

Ambode 10 things you should know about sacked pastor saga

Pastor Femi Taiwo has been axed from the Lagos State chapel. We've been following the story enough to share.

play Governor Ambode's wife during church service
(Lagos govt) 

If you've been following the news like we do, the first lady of Lagos State, Bolanle Ambode and Chaplain of the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Femi Taiwo, aren't the best of buddies.

Actually, as we've got to learn, Mrs. Ambode and Taiwo haven't been seeing eye to eye for a while.

Here are a few other things we know:

1. Pastor Taiwo used to preside over a church which is under the Lagos State Ministry of Home Affairs.

Actually, the Office of the first lady supervises this church.

play Bolanle Ambode, Akinwunmi Ambode and Femi Taiwo
(Liveofofo.com)

Which implies that this church can be transformed into a plaything of the first lady if that's what she chooses to do.

For the purpose of this piece, let's refer to the first lady by her first name--Bolanle--henceforth. 

play

2. Bolanle attended church service one fine Sunday and there was Taiwo; conducting the anointing session.

Exactly who she didn't want to see.

Let's just say at this point, she had come to hate the look of the 'good' Pastor.

Why had she come to loathe Pastor Taiwo so much?

We'll be telling you all of that in a minute if you could just hang in there....

ALSO READ: Governor reportedly sacks pastor for allegedly embarrassing Lagos First Lady, Bolanle Ambode

3. According to reports reaching our news desk from the first lady's office, Pastor Taiwo was in the habit of visiting Bolanle without authorisation from the governing council of the church.

The governing council of the church wasn't aware of these meetings either.

4. According to a Premium Times version of events (as spilled by a source), Taiwo schooled the first lady on why he should be the “alpha and omega” on anything spiritual concerning Governor Ambode and his family".

Oh well, that was a tough ask, but what do we know?

play Bolanle Ambode fixes earing aid on a kid at the General hospital
(Pulse)

5. Pastor Taiwo was also accused of insubordination and disdain for the first family.

It was learned that the Pastor fell out with the first family after someone else was hired as Governor Ambode's Special Adviser on Religious matters.

Premium Times quotes a source as saying: "Taiwo assumed wrongly that as the chaplain, it was his duty to play such roles and to act as the spiritual father to the First Family.”

Taiwo considered being overlooked for the position, a slight.

Someone else told Pulse that Taiwo hated the idea of other Pastors ministering in his church.

The Pastor has declined comments for this story.

6. Let's borrow a few paragraphs from a story run by Premium Times on this saga:

"Taiwo told the first lady that the small church inside the State House should be reporting to him. And that he would withdraw some of the staff if his demands were not granted, almost threatening the first lady,” one official said.

play Bolanle Ambode (right) at a function
(Pulse)

"Mrs. Ambode, one of our sources said, was shocked by the clergyman’s attitude, and she promptly contacted the church’s Governing Council to complain.

"The Council “was shocked that Mr. Taiwo, a supposed man of God, could lie and misrepresent himself to the first lady, and immediately queried the clergyman, demanding explanation.”

7. When Bolanle arrived church with her entourage on May 14 during this special anointing service, she joined the queue of worshipers waiting to be anointed.

Except that Pastor Taiwo didn't accord Bolanle recognition befitting a Governor's wife.

Bolanle didn't like that she wasn't treated as a dignitary by Pastor Taiwo and stormed out of worship in a rage.

play Bolanle Ambode (DailyTimes)

8. Next day, Taiwo became the ex-Pastor of Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa.

He was also ordered out of the church's official quarters.

The last we heard, church members have been helping him settle down into his new life as an 'outcast'.

9. To rub some more salt into Taiwo's wounds, on Tuesday, May 30, 2017, the Lagos state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), backed the Lagos State government and turned its back on Taiwo.

According to Alexander Bamgbola who is Lagos CAN chairman, sacking Taiwo was in order because “the governing council has the constitutional responsibility to recruit and terminate the appointments of officers who run the chapel.

“Two officers run the affairs of the chapel, the presiding chaplain and the chaplain. They are officers of the government, they are strictly employees of the state government and subject to terms and conditions of the government.”

play Governor Ambode attends function with family and friends (Punch)

“Having investigated the matter carefully and objectively, we wish to state that the governing council that recruited Venerable Femi Taiwo, acted within its constitutional authority to terminate his appointment.”

10. CAN also heaped plaudits on Bolanle Ambode.

According to Bamgbola: “Mrs Ambode is a true woman of God who fears God and lives a godly life. God raised her at this time.

“The social media should desist from circulating unfounded reports. The Bible said judge not that you should not be judged. This matter should be closed and be left for the church to handle. We are more than able to handle all matters.”

And on that note, we are off...