The presiding pastor of Calvary Bible Church, Ikotun, Lagos, Olumide Emmanuel, has said that considering the level of social, political, economic and security problems bedeviling Nigeria currently, only the church could salvage it.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu, though said to have done well as Lagos Governor, cannot handle the country’s problems because the state is different from the federal level. He also noted that neither the candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, nor that of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has the answers to the country’s problems.
He insisted that only the church has the answers to the country’s myriad of problems.
In this interview with the DAILY POST, he spoke on a wide range of issues, ranging from politics to business and the church, among others.
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the religious leaders were divided among the presidential candidates. In your opinion, at that time, who did you expect to win the election?
When you look at the politics of Nigeria, you will see that we are still very far from where we are supposed to be. That election was supposed to be a game changer because the understanding of direct transmission we had was unfortunately different from what INEC had. I already knew from my own perspective that Atiku could not win the election. So, he was not in my reckoning of who would win the election. I was looking at Tinubu or Obi. Atiku has been trying again and again, just like Buhari had been trying, but nothing had come out of it for him. He comes during the election, and after the election, he disappears. It was the Obi people that were a surprise to everybody. It was like a movement. I was asking myself if the Obi movement had coverage
throughout the whole country? It is not just about being popular in the south. Also, all the people shouting, INEC does not count Instagram likes. INEC does not count Twitter comments. INEC counts only the PVC. Some of them are also abroad and I know you cannot vote from abroad. All these noise makers, do they have PVC? People were abusing each other, husbands fighting wives, brothers fighting each other such that it became so toxic; even up till now, it is still toxic. I know Obi one-on-one. The man is a peaceful person. Well, everything went the way it went and Tinubu is the president.
As for Tinubu, we knew what he did in Lagos. But, we also know that Lagos and the federal level are two different things. But, people say he did well in Lagos, and those who came after him are also doing well. And here we are; Tinubu is not the answer. Atiku is not the answer. Obi is not the answer. The church is the answer. Unfortunately, the church is also part of the problems. If you like, get all the presidents in the world, until what needs to be done is done, we will continue in the circle.
In one of your sermons, you said your church choir members, unlike others, are not paid a salary. Why
think you must be referring to paying the church music instrumentalists. One of the things I’ve tried to do in my life is to give people understanding because, most of the time, what people don’t understand, they criticize. We live in a world of social media, where people make decisions based on clickbait. They see a one-minute clip, or three-minute clip, and they make judgments without getting the whole picture. You see, the church is both an organism and an organization. Now, in every organization, there are organizational policies, systems of structures, and frameworks within that organization. I personally believe that if you want to be part of an organization, you should align with the principles of that organization. So, it doesn’t mean I don’t pay staff. You’ve seen a lot of people working, but most people have come into the church to say they want to play instruments. You are coming to church on a Sunday morning to play instruments just like every other person in church to worship God. So, if I have to pay you for playing the keyboard, the drum, or the saxophone, does that mean I have to pay the children’s church teacher too? Do I have to pay the security man at the gate? Do I have to pay the cleaner? Many times, people think there’s money, but I believe they are joking. Most of the time, people say they are professionals; are the people teaching in the children’s church not professionals? They are professional teachers. So, what I’m saying is when you come into a church, you are a son
and a daughter in a kingdom. And you’re supposed to bring your own part to the table. If you know you’re looking for a job, let us know you’re looking for a job. But, I cannot pay people for coming to serve God. So, if you know you want a job, you will have to resume full-time. That means you will resume in the office Monday to Friday like every other normal person. And then you can play an instrument on Sunday. Then, Monday to Friday, I will give you other assignments to do. For instance, the music director of this church right now is a full-time staff member on
