Society Gists

There is anger at the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Lagos State, after the Presiding Chaplain, Venerable Femi Taiwo, was sacked by the Governing Council allegedly on the order of the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

We gathered that Taiwo got the sack on Monday, May 15, without any query or official reason stated in the sack letter.

He was said to have been ordered out of his official quarters where he lived with his wife and two children within 24 hours of receiving the letter. Despite pleadings from church leaders and other reputable elders in the church, the government was said to have insisted that the cleric must leave the church.

Some church members reportedly contributed money to buy gas cooker, and other household items for the family as they vacated the vicarage. Investigations by our correspondent showed that Taiwo had angered the Governor’s wife, Bolanle Ambode, who had visited the chapel on Sunday, May 14, when the church held an anointing service.

The church is under the Lagos State Ministry of Home Affairs, while the Office of the Lagos State First Lady supervises church. Church members were said to have filed out to receive anointing oil during the May 14 service without any preference given to Bolanle, who waited endlessly with her entourage. She was said to have later moved to be anointed and moments later, stormed out of the church, as some of the women leaders ran after her.

Bolanle, who was reported to be visibly angry, allegedly shunned entreaties from the women, which included the wife of the presiding chaplain. The cleric got the sack the following day.

The directive was issued in a letter dated, May 15, 2017, and signed by the Chairman, Governing Council of CCTL, Mr. Olugbenga Solomon. The letter also ordered the Assistant Chaplain, Very Rev. Ayo Oyadotun, to take over with immediate effect.

It was learnt that Taiwo still had two years to spend as the presiding chaplain when he was fired. “The members said their pastor did not offend them, and protested the sacking.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, said, “The former chaplain had been queried a number of times in the past for conducts unbecoming of his office. The culmination of various indiscretions led to the Governing Council of the church issuing yet another query that led to his being relieved of his post.