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Of men of God and impunity: who will bell the cat?

The collapse of church building in Akwa Ibom State killing many members and the silence that has followed has once again brought to the forefront the impunity with which men of God get away with many things..

Any attempt to point out any wrongdoing by a so-called pastor, bishop or apostle, you will hear statements like ‘touch-not-God’s-anointed’ as if they are above every human being on earth.

In fact, some Christians (those in name, by the way), equate their pastors next to God and their words are final. It is not out of place to hear someone say ‘my pastor said’, without finding out what God says in such a situation.

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The same scenario played out when a church under construction in Akwa Ibom State, Reigners Believers Church, collapsed on the very day the General Overseer, Apostle Akan Weeks, was to be ordained a Bishop.

In attendance was the state Governor, Udom Emmanuel, alongside some of his Commissioners and aides, top Bishops who were to perform the ordination of Apostle Weeks.

The church building, according to those who saw it, was done in a haphazard way with the construction hurriedly put together to accommodate the high-profile visitors but when it came down, those who lost their lives were the lesser mortals, the regular church goers, the choristers and those who trooped to the church because they knew Governor Emmanuel would dole out some little cash to tide them for some days.

The police authorities in the state, in their usual manner, have put the casualty at less than 30 but people on ground swear the people who died would not be less than 120 with those who were injured put loosely at 250.

Though no one is blaming Apostle Weeks for the disaster, but has he come out to take responsibility? Reports have it that the church was told to stop the construction of the coliseum but they ignored the warnings of the Akwa Ibom State Housing Authorities and continued with the construction.

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The church located along the Uyo Village road, according to engineers, was a disaster in the making because the dome did not have strong pillars to hold it together and the job was shoddily handled by some members of the church without the requisite experience.

Governor Emmanuel, who lost one of his most trusted aide who sacrificed his life to save him, has set up a high-powered investigative committee and has ordered the arrest of the construction engineer who handled the project, what will happen to the man of God who owns the property?

What will happen to the poor souls who, in the search for salvation, lost their lives in such a monumental disaster?

Some have compared the situation to what happened some time ago when a building in the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed killing many people and the General Overseer, Prophet TB Joshua is still working free today but with the vow by Gov. Emmanuel to arrest the engineers, who will bell the cat in prosecuting men of God who, by omission or commission, they are found culpable in the deaths of their members?

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Are they so powerful that they should be treated as special while collapsed houses of mere mortals are seized by the same government?

When will Nigerians ever learn?

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