Ena Ofugara

By Ena Ofugara

I wrote an article about three years ago “Jesus of the Yorubas” and said that there is a new colonization going on in the Niger Delta especially by the Yorubas. I said that except someone has this Yoruba accent, he is not close to God and cannot preach. I pointed out that Lagos was our new Jerusalem and Mecca. The Arabs did it to the world. Their native (Mohammed) was the intercessor to Allah. The Europeans did it to the world. Okay, Jesus was not European but why not make Vatican in Rome his home? Jerusalem, well… do not really stress it. Vatican and St Peter Square is really the most important Christian spot in the world.

Yes. Students of History know both the Qoran and Bible have been used as tool for domination. In our lifetimes, we are seeing it happen as intelligently the Yorubas are spiritual masters of the Niger Delta.

No really, were you not in SHILOH or some camp in LAGOS? Even Baptist Church go to Ogbomosho as headquarters. If it is not in Yoruba land, if the pastors are not Yoruba, the Niger Deltan cannot communicate with God.

William Kumuyi Enoch Adeboye, Adefarasin, TB Joshua, David Oyedepo, Matthew Ashimolowo, Bimbo Odukoya…. Yes PRAY FOR US. Redeemed. Make your appointments and let all be Yorubas. Who are WE to merit a call to serve in the higher echelon mediating between God and man? Only Yorubas can and must.

But as Michael Dedon points out, the BLACK MAN must learn to keep tribalism and racism away from so many things. He says that YES Yorubas founded REDEEMED CHURCH, as those defending the ALL-YORUBA appointment of officers for Redeemed Church have argued, but have never marketed it as such to the nation. He says that the Italians founded the Roman Catholic Church, yet today an ARGENTINE IS POPE. A Nigerian is up there in the innermost room of the papal decision-making epicenter. The Roman Catholic, Anglican and all of these churches have moved beyond the SMALLNESS and PETTINESS of believing only their NATIONALITY or TRIBE is fit to intercede between God and man.

But what do we care in the Niger Delta? For politics we look to the Fulanis, upon the advice and recommendation of Yoruba press and critics. For religion, we look to Yorubas. The minute a Yoruba Pastor was on APC ticket, even with a Muslim bigot at the top, it became a religious MUST to vote for them. I said in 2012 that if Yorubas decide that ALL NIGER DELTANS MUST WEAR WHITE THIS SATURDAY, the whole of Bayelsa, Warri, Port Harcourt etc will look like Willi Willi or Celestial church. Yes. Imagine all the aforementioned pastors like TB Joshua, Adeboye, Oyedepo etc come together and say “WEAR WHITE”. That is POWER. That is CONTROL. No control beats RELIGIOUS CONTROL.

My only solace is that Yorubas are pretty cool folks. They will not wake up and kill us tomorrow or make their lands uninhabitable for us. Also they do not force it on us. It is just the continued disbelief in OURSELVES as a people, whether in politics, religion, control of our resources, employment of our own sons, listening to music in our tribes and not just nodding when we hear nothing of what Olamide is rapping (I worse pass all of una. Kiss Daniel, Adekunle Gold are my best musicians on the planet). They will not read this and say ENA HATES YORUBAS, just because you point out something that may not be palatable to them, unlike some others I know very well.

MY POINT? Let us believe in ourselves a little more and let us not feel everything about us is inferior. Every wedding today in Sapele has groomsmen in AGBADA. If we are not looking like “Yoruba demons” (they call themselves that ohhhh,) we are not married yet.

What is in Sokoto is in Shokoto. How is TB Joshua different from Bishop MIMEYERAYE now MIYERIJESU, Jesus’ Holiness, Saint Daniel Dikeji Miyerijesu, the Demon Destroyer aka Osu (Leader), and by the Divine Grace of God, the Bishop of the whole world?

The annoying thing is that like Palm Oil, this whole PENTECOSTAL thing is ours. Idahosa, Ayo Oritsejafor and Omobude invented this. But again like palm oil, we have become importers of what is originally ours.

Furthermore, WATCH YORUBAS MORE. These our Western brothers only speak English of “detribalized” “oneness” Objectivity” etc etc when it is your son or daughter in a position. The minute it is up to them, AWOLOWO WILL SITE UNIVERSITY A SECOND UNIVERSITY IN IFE, MILES FROM IBADAN. He will not move it to Benin as everyone prevailed on him to do then for fairness sake. NO. In appointing people to lead REDEEMED, all the work by pastors from other areas is in vain. OnlyYorubas are good enough for God of REDEEMED. All we as Niger Deltans are good for is ATTENDANCE and OFFERING

And Yes, Yoruba pastors, pray for us sinners, Now and Forevermore. Amen!