HOLY SUBJECT

At the church gate, waiting for members to demand the payment of the levy on all members was our pastor in his cassock, now my turn , Sister Olutosin, the payment for building God’s University, even if only for your two children now must be paid, your levy, your husband’s and lady living with you can be paid later, God’s university must be built by all members, out lchurch eaders are really disturbing Pastors complaining that we are not doing our jobs. please sister we must remit the levies this week, we must not lag behind in our district. I responded, Yes Sir, I will try my best but not today. This is a levy for building the University members of this denomination will never be able to afford the fees. God’s University.

Assuming that our Lord Jesus Christ is a Nigerian and happens to be physically alive today, He would not have been able to afford the fees of Christian Universities in Nigeria today, although some hypocrites would offer His children scholarship but H e would chastise them and say, these ones that you denied education are my children do as you would be done by, what ever you do to these little ones you have done unto me.

In actual fact, religion is a very sensitive topic all over the World, but if it has a name then we must discuss issues around it, it is an issue that bothers you and I, the men are so much revered that we will not discuss them in order not to offend God whereas our intention and opinion will not count, we respect them more than God, that it is why religion is destroying homes, countries, relationship etc. Threading softly might not really help; we need to speak the truth.

In the beginning of formal education, missionaries came into Nigeria, risk their lives to change our lives some died in desert, dungeon and as sacrificial lamb in our shrines others do not have graves, but they succeeded in bringing us from darkness into light, stopped the killings of twins and introduced the three R' rithmeticcs, reading and writing. They built schools with their income, health care canters and these were free of all charges when all we could afford to give them were tubes of yam and death those were real missionaries.

We became liberated and drove them away, but the structures they constructed are still in use after hundred years, the schools established are still standing why those built ten years ago by contractors related to Governors are now rubbles.. Government took over from these missionaries and our certificates became an offensive sight worldwide, Leadership became our problem when the white men left, politically and religiously, church leadership became problematic while some drag one another to courts to settle cases.

Presently in Nigeria today, the fastest way to getting rich is to establish a church, hear the voice of God pick some followers, then the journey to wealth begin. The Government of Nigeria licensed faith-based organizations and other bodies to establish institute of higher learning thinking that like the days of old people will acquire good education at a platter of God’s gold, we were so glad that at least children who have been denied their rights of admission will have choices what obtained before is that students will have to stay at home for 3 to 4 years or more waiting to gain admission because in Nigeria it \"who you know not what you know\" therefore you can pass the entrance examination in flying color and not secure admission while a dunce will pay himself into the university.

Church members began to contribute money, we all agree that 90% of believers are poor people there are no middle class here it is either you are rich or poor, universities begin to spring up, women running helter-skelter to contribute their quota, they have the highest number in churches. Tithes begin to flow because you must pay your tithes in order to avoid tightening period.

Structures were put in place for universities by different churches; rivalry among churches is another problem we are spraying to God to intervene. More than ten denominations in Nigeria erected Universities and when it was time to peg the fees it was as if it premeditated by these pastors, when I was in the university about eleven years ago, I paid less than a dollar per year including accommodation fees, these Pastors too went through these universities sponsored by Nigeria and some were even fed free of charge, if not most Nigerian pastors would not have been able to see the four walls of a university. Alas the fee runs into hundred of thousands of Naira, those women who sold their landed properties and gave to God can not send their children to schools built by their contributions.

Christian universities in Nigeria are not built for the masses but for the millionaires in our midst, how many of these millionaires do we have? These Universities became another avenue to reap masses of their life savings in a Godly way, in no time church overseers began to buy private jets, while members are living in penury, do they have jobs we do not know about? Years back these men of God were teachers or jobless Nigerian, now anointed by the most High God, they easily forget history. I may keep quiet if all is well for my people, if not like a town crier will I moan.

Though a sensitive and holy subject, we must not forget that it is an issue bothering women and children, lthey for m the majority in churches, et us join hands to beg Pastors and Overseers in Nigeria to join hands with the people and help the poor to enjoy God. Let us assume that Jesus is alive today, watching in a corner in Ajegunle slum in Lagos, because He identifies with the less privilege, in His words, you will forever have the poor in your midst, will He be happy to see that in God’s schools there are no space for the poor, whereas you were all from poor families and attended free education provided by white men who were neither related to your fathers nor mothers!.

Lastly, enough of using God’s name for business, none of these pastors would have been able to erect these entire edifices if they were secular jobs, it is the offerings of the poor meant for God that was gathered or do we say Nigerian Pastors have other Business deals hidden from the World?

Everyone around me said that I must not write about men of God and their deeds, what if God had instructed them to make it unaffordable to the poor? Alright, If the instruction is from Him, we beg God in His mercies to temper justice with mercy, and allow His servants to help us educate the masses too. We belong to God Almighty, we are His children. We also implore the world to assist building Nigerian Education, it is at the verge of collapse, the rich can afford to send their children abroad for sound education, God’s University must be made affordable for His children.