The Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), has absolved the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode from any blame in the recent sack of the former Chaplain of Chapel of Christ The Light, Ikeja.
CAN also said that the sack of Venerable Femi Taiwo was in order as both the Chaplain and his Assistant were appointees of the State Government.
The former Chaplain had been relieved of his duties at the Chapel on May 15 and was given 24 hours to vacate the vicarage over allegations that he disrespected the Governor’s wife during an anointing service held on Sunday May 14, 2017.
During a press conference at the Chapel of Christ The Light Auditorium, the Chairman of CAN, Lagos State Chapter, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola said that the matter was blown out of proportion and far from the truth.
Legal constitution
“We believe that CAN Lagos State must make clarification and educate the public correctly on this matter; having looked into the matter objectively, the Chapel of Christ The Light was built by the Lagos State Government for itself, families of Christian employees and the public at large…The State Government also created a standing legal constitution for the Chapel. By this Constitution, there is a Governing Council of the Chapel which reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Council has the responsibility to recruit or terminate two officers who run the Chapel and the titles are the Presiding Chaplain who is the senior minister and the Chaplain who is the deputy, so the Presiding Chaplain and the Chaplain are officers of the Chapel and officers of the government of Lagos State, hence it should be known to the general public that these two officers who run the Chapel are strictly employees of the state government and are subject to its terms and conditions,” Apostle Bamgbola explained.
The Chairman stated that the accusation laid at the doorsteps of Mrs Ambode was not true.
“Deaconess Bolanle Ambode as far as we know is a true woman of God who fears God and lives a godly life,” he reiterated.
Family affair
The Secretary-General of CAN, Dr Israel Akinadewo stated that it was not in the culture of the Christian body to resolve its issues on the pages of newspapers.
Dr Akinadewo said that the sacked Chaplain remained a part and parcel of CAN and pleaded with the public to leave the matter for the Christian family to sort out within its fold.
“It is quite unfortunate that this matter got to the press, there is no officer of the Chapel that does not belong to any block of CAN, so this is a matter among the children of Christian leaders which as far as we are concerned has been taken out of context, matters concerning the Church are treated within the confinement of the church; Venerable Femi Taiwo is our own and God will continue to elevate him,” the Secretary-General stressed.
The Chapel of Christ The Light is under the Lagos State Ministry of Home Affairs while the Office of the Lagos State First Lady supervises church.
The sack of the former Chaplain was said to have been premised on the fact that the Governor’s wife was not given first right of consideration during the May 14 anointing service which made her and the entourage to have waited endlessly.
The following day, the cleric got a sack 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 Reverend Ayo Oyadotun, to take over with immediate effect.
