Yesterday, my mum and a friend lamented about the untold suffering road users were subjected to along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway as a result of the Camp program organised by RCCG. I know this has been going on at least for the past 10 years..

To get an idea of how bad this is, simply imagine yourself spending 6 hours on a journey that should take 30 minutes, then multiply that by two. That's the unbearable hours people spend on that road during conventions. Folks sometimes spend 13 hours on a trip that should take less than a hour. That's how hellish it is.

It's instructive that the Vice President, Governors of Lagos and Ogun experienced the horrible traffic gridlock and will probably not do anything about it because it will be perceived by its members (and them as well) that such actions is tantamount to going against God and his church.

Interesting isn't it that such programs are also held abroad but these same people are careful not to inconvenience citizens of other nations like they do in their native country. Governments of other nations will NEVER permit such needless hardship to travellers. They would have long closed the Camp down till traffic issues are sorted out. Why should non-members, and definitely a huge number of non-Christians suffer while travelling on a Federal road constructed from State resources and maintained by their taxes as a result of your Church's regular programs?

I heard a 3-million seater auditorium is almost completed at the same location with no environmental impact assessment. That implies DOUBLE TRAFFIC DISASTER. Of course, nothing has been heard from the government about plans to ease the plight of road users on an already congested route and nothing will be heard.

The government fears the Church so much that it can't cut its excesses. What do you expect when government officials fall over themselves to identify with the unquestionable men of God? Even Ambode beamed with smiles when the General Overseer bragged that the Church is so blessed that it took two attempts over two days before even the Lagos State Governor could get to the Camp. The congregation all screamed with joy over that announcement and so did the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The hardship and suffering of the opulent and the masses were celebrated on live satellite TV, all because of religion.

We do have a long way to go as a country. I'm ashamed of this country.

cc: seun, lalasticlala, ishilove, obinoscopy

Hmm

avoid the road during such programmes

LeeCodeman:

I heard a 3-million seater auditorium is almost completed at the same location with no environmental impact assessment.

Can you substantiate this claim of no EIA?

Lamentation...

A̶̲̥̅̊₪d̶̲̥̅̊ the church will always win. Too bad

I am a member of the Church and I will tell you that the problem on that highway is as they say on the street, 'no be today e don tey' . It is a result of government recklessness and irresponsibility. Recklessness in the sense of approving the purchase of hectares and hectares of land by various churches with many I mean mega population within the same neighborhood ( MFM, DLCF,FOURSQUARE, NASFAT AND RCCG). Irresponsibility in the sense of not maintaining the highway and not developing the railway mass transit. A train could convey at least 60-70 mass transit buses volume of passengers at one time, if the government had developed the railway transport and there is one station at berger in Lagos and another one very near the mega-camps, it will reduce the stress on the road.
Another dimension to the issue is the Omoniles, there was a time that RCCG wanted to construct a link road between Mowe( the village directly in front of the RCCG camp). The road is strategic in the sense that if you are coming from Ibadan or Shagam, you don't need to take the express-way, Just go over the bridge, take the road in front the Nestle factory, enter into the villages, follow the road and you come out back to the express almost at the main gate of the Redemption camp, you spend like 1minute on the express turn at car-pack C and enter into the Camp. Long story short, the omoniles said no unless they are settled. There is another road that link the camp with Ikorodu called Ogijo road, if this road is fixed it will ease the stress and craze on the highway.
Hardly would you find worshippers parking on the road, so you can't blame the church. It is unfortunate but true that even when the new express construction is completed, the problem could still persist because millions of people moving in one direction within one week is not cheap bean. I once spent 7 hours between Lagos and Osun last year, it is pathetic,we all need to find alternative solution.
The church could do better by putting pressure on the government to do right thing and also involve the government to resolve the omonile palaver.