MANY ASK, WHAT ARE OTHER TOP MEN OF GOD DOING TO HELP THE POOR?
It has been said and written over and over again that when it comes to showing empathy and compassion to not just members of their congregation but even non-members alike, out of the thousands of men of God that litter our landscape, only very few of them can stand up to be counted. And Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele is one of them.
For several years running, the Leader and Founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has been celebrating his birthday every February 14 by reaching out to the less privileged in the society. This very unusual but incredibly compassionate man of God tells anyone who cares to listen that his birthday is not a day for him to gather friends and lavish money organising expensive birthday parties and showing off his enormous God-given wealth when thousands around him are languishing in poverty, rather, the prophet sees it as a day to show love to the needy in the society by supporting them financially and empowering them to actualise their various goals. The aged, the widows, orphans, the sick, the unemployed, students, artisans, and Muslims within the community, are just a few of the many groups of people Primate Ayodele often supports, not just on his birthdays but at different times within the year. But last year, this renowned man of God who has continued to stun many for decades now with his consistently accurate prophecies added a new dimension to his philanthropy. He has undertaken the responsibility to hold palliative markets to give the masses the golden opportunity to buy costly food items at unbelievably cheap prices at a time when inflation and poverty are tearing the very fabric of our national existence as a country apart. The first phase of the palliative market was held late last year. Many women besieged it within the community and a lot of them went home delighted and grateful to the Primate for making it possible for them to buy food items they would ordinarily have been unable to afford if they had gone to the regular market.
The second edition of the palliative market took place within the church’s expansive ground on Wednesday, 14th Of February, 2024 to commemorate his 21-day annual Thanksgiving programme which began on January 29.
This edition of the palliative market was no different from the first except that it was way bigger than the first. There were more food items up for sale this second edition than the first time. Among the several beneficiaries were church members, community members, police officers, security operatives, Muslims, and Journalists, to mention but a few.
For those who thought the first edition was a fluke, they were in for a surprise. During the first edition, prices of food items crashed ridiculously to reduce the effect of economic hardship on the people. A bag of rice was sold for N20,000, a bag of beans was sold for N2,000, Tubers of yam were sold for N1,500, a bag of semolina was sold for N1,500, garri was sold for N3,000, a carton of Indomie sold for N1,500, wheat was sold for N2,000 and many more.
Primate Ayodele made it clear that the palliative market was a way to relieve Nigerians from the burden of economic hardship and to send a message to the federal government on the need to crash the prices of goods instead of trying to implement other measures that are not benefiting the people directly. He advised that making food affordable for citizens will go a long way in reducing economic hardship
‘’The local, state and federal government should know that this is what we call palliatives. The palliatives they are doing at the government level aren’t done the right way because the citizens are not benefiting directly. The economic hardship will not reduce if the government doesn’t do palliatives the right way it should be done. Politicians should not control palliatives, it should be controlled by people who are closer to the people like leaders of religious institutions, that’s why palliatives can get to the right people
‘’President Tinubu should wake up, there is hardship, people are in pain and to checkmate these palliatives, the government should have markets across the country where food items would be subsidized for citizens. A committee that will be accountable should also be created to this effect.’’
’We foretold everything happening regarding the economy today and they should have prepared ahead but they didn’t take it seriously. If the government doesn’t do the right thing, the price of flour will shoot through the roof and that’s why I will be commissioning a bakery and a health care centre in few days in order to assist the government.’’
Traditionally, every year, Primate Ayodele supports his church members and journalists with empowerment packages and car gifts and this year was no different. He presented five exotic cars as gifts to church members and a journalist, Wale Lawal, an editor with City People Magazine for their dedication over the years.
Explaining why he found Mr Wale Lawal, deserving of the car gift, Primate Ayodele described him as a media practitioner he loves wholeheartedly for his efforts in promoting the gospel. The prophet recounted how Lawal would come to his church uninvited and write stories unsolicited.
‘’Some days you come to my church, you watch and go. You write things even when I don’t ask you to. I know you came here by foot but I am giving you a car to appreciate you for all you have been doing.’’
Apart from these, Primate Ayodele presented cheques worth N2 Million to support the projects of other churches that are just coming up.
In addition, Primate Ayodele presented scholarships, WAEC and JAMB forms to youths, empowered widows in his church, gave out appliances like refrigerators, hair dryers, and medical equipment, to church members. It was indeed a massive philanthropic programme.
While all of these were going on, some of the questions many of the guests present at the event kept asking were, where are other top men of God? Why are they not emulating what Primate Ayodele is doing? Why do many of them prefer flaunting their wealth in the faces of their congregation buying exotic cars and mansions, rather than trying to lend a helping hand to the less privileged around them? Questions, questions and more questions begging for answers…
WALE LAWAL (08037209290)
