₦airaland Forum

Teewhy2:
He should tell us how he became the special assistant as it is not something that comes easy like that.

VBCampaign:
Biodun Fatoyinbo aka "Robust Reply" Visits Ibadan

by Deji Yesufu

A few weeks ago, I saw a billboard that announced that Biodun Fatoyinbo was coming to Akobo, Ibadan. He would be guest minister to Gbeminiyi Eboda’s church – the Harvest House Christian Centre. I made up my mind that I was going to attend.

At least to behold this gentleman who had long promised Nigerians a “robust reply” but whom somehow has refused to speak on the matter almost five years after the allegations of his sexual philandering hit the news in this country.

Gbeminiyi Eboda is the reigning “man of God” in Akobo, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, this moment. Mr. Eboda has not always been big. He used to pastor a tiny congregation in Basorun, Ibadan, in a certain building called “Iya Ni Wura House”. There his church shared the building with two or three other churches within the office complex. Today he pastors the “Alpha Cathedral” in Akobo.

The one and only time I listened to Mr. Eboda was when he was a guest speaker at the Vine Branch Church, Mokola; where he ministered at a Tuesday service – about 7 years ago. That day I was not impressed with his preaching at all. For whatever reason best known to him, he chose to preach like T. D. Jakes. Mimicking his manner of speaking and all that. When I saw Mr. Eboda this last Wednesday, he had indeed “evolved and increased”. He was no longer preaching like T. D. Jakes.

Gbeminiyi Eboda and his congregation have built something close to a cathedral at the Iyana Olopa Bustop at Akobo, Ibadan. It is arguably the fastest growing congregation in that vicinity of Ibadan. Populated mostly by young people, some of whom are young and rising professionals in various fields of occupation in the humble city of Ibadan.

On the street that Eboda built his church, there are no less than seven other churches – all competing for members. I noticed that even the break away Bishop Bolu Martins, who left David Oyedepo a few years ago, also has his church facing that of Eboda. I also noticed the conspicuous absence of the pastors of these churches in Mr. Eboda “revival” meetings.

I arrived the opening night of the meeting on the 14th of March, 2018 on top of an Okada at exactly 6pm. It was my first time at Mr. Eboda’s church. As I paid my fares, I noticed Mr. Eboda arrive the same venue in a Pajero Jeep. Two rows of about 30 young men and women had been set up, in the midst of which Mr. Eboda walked into the church. As he walked, these young men and women were singing his praise, while he waved at them like a newly elected government official.

That night, Mr. Biodun Fatoyinbo was to be the guest preacher. Mr. Eboda introduced him to the congregation with fanfare and after a short “worship” session, Fatoyinbo launches into the meat of his discuss for that night. Usually in meetings like this, the invited minister spends the first few minutes of his message to “praise” his host; stating that he is the best to have happened to that congregation since the invention of pounded yam.

Fatoyinbo said nothing less; just that he said a little more and I just could not but wonder at how things have deteriorated in these charismatic assemblies since I stopped attending them some four years ago.

Fatoyinbo said “I knew that Pastor Eboda will make it…” That statement is pregnant with meaning because Fatoyinbo goes on to explain how he had always been friends with Eboda when he was little known.

How he used to visit his home when he was a student in Ilorin. He states that this was his first time visiting Eboda’s church. And I just could not but wonder at the dichotomy of these words: you never visit your “friend”, until this friend of yours built a cathedral – one large enough to contain your person.

These prosperity preachers never change, I said to myself.

Fatoyinbo continues: “Heaven has come to Ibadan…” I say to myself: I can imagine. “Eboda is a great man. He oozes out wisdom. He is a genuine man of God. Pray for the gift of such a friend… This is a church to cling to… Only beautiful people come to my meetings… I have come to master three things in life: what I say, what I think and where my money goes to…”

The last remark elicits a lot of laughter from the congregation as the guest minister invites us to take our seat. He launches into his text for the night and this is where I must make a point. Fatoyinbo is preaching a message in this opening night of the meeting themed “evolve and increase”.

It is incumbent on him to find a biblical text that will support this theme. The trouble however with preachers like him is that they go into the Bible, find a text that supports a particular theme or topic, reap it out of context and make that text say what they want it to say; not what it really says.

Fatoyinbo goes for the mother text of all Faith Preachers: Mark 11:24. It reads: “Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them”.

Mr. Fatoyinbo closes his Bible, turns to the congregation and asks: “when do you have them?” He goes on to answer: “You have them the very moment you pray.” Then he ditches the text and proceed to tell the congregation what he wants them to know and not what the text is saying: “You are made for movement… God expects you to go forward… You need to continually evolve and increase… There is more out there for you… Everything you will be, you are already… Not one person here will miss their destiny… This is the least that you can be… The Lord has instructed me to declare things… Prayer is not only the key, it is the master key…”

Preaching the same sort of nonsense that prosperity preachers long before him have been preaching, Fatoyinbo fans the embers of the congregation’s ego and self, and positions their mental state to believe that God exists to satisfy their lusts.

He takes a perfectly spiritual tool, prayer, and uses it in a clearly unspiritual manner, to bring about the desires of the congregation. The prosperity theme of the meeting remains: evolve and increase.

It is the same with all the other big churches in Nigeria, including the “Open Heavens” and the “Shiloh” or whatever “Experience” that people are seeking in these churches. The aim is to use God to satisfy human lust. God somehow has lost control of his world and he is now depending on men to make him do certain things: particularly to brings blessings and prosperity on all men, so preach these men.

To drive home his point, Fatoyinbo laces his messages with anecdotes that will arouse the greed of the congregation. He explains that he does not think he has arrived. He has a friend in the USA who pastors a big church – this guy is just 36 years old. He explains that Beyonce once visited this church and gives this young man $10 million to advance the gospel. In the midst of the hues and cries, I wonder at the congregation and thought to myself: do these people know who Beyonce is? What has Beyonce done to ever advance the gospel through her music that to plainly glorifies sex and vanity? Will a gift of $10M suddenly absolve her of all her ways?

Fatoyinbo is not done with stories. On his second night preaching, he tells the story of how he was given a beautiful car which he discovers that his five year old son loves so much. So one morning, he calls the boy and gives him the car. He told that story to say that although his son owns the car, he cannot drive it. He wanted the congregation to grow in maturity to be able to own and use the things God wants to give them.

While the congregation hails his point, the other fact of how pastors subtly or directly compel members to give them things is carefully overlooked. The vision of the pursuit of mundane things etched on the listeners is not seen. And the disguised pride in his own wealth comes out in a veiled form. He tells us of how he had to silence a proud preacher once. He simply took the man around his congregation and showed him his wealth. The congregation was just like “wow!”

I have intentionally reported Fatoyinbo in the negative in this article because I am hopeful that Nigerian young people would some day discover the deceitful manner ministers like him can defraud them.

But Fatoyinbo was not all negative in the two nights encounter I had with him at Eboda’s church. He came out to me as a man that has minimum education: he speaks very well. His father was a politician and he and his siblings were raised with some silver spoon.

He regarded himself as a “rich kid”, who got away with certain things in the home of his relatives when he visited them in the village because his father had money. After making that statement, Fatoyinbo prayed that the congregation will have the kind of money that will make them “somebody” in society.

It was at the second night of his ministration that Mr. Eboda introduces Fatoyinbo as “his lordship”. Where I sat, I just cringed at the manner to which these men take the praise of other men to.

I have long suggested that two of Nigeria’s leading trouble are her politicians and her preachers – especially those of the Prosperity/Pentecostal ilk. While Nigeria’s politicians defraud her, the preachers lend legitimacy to their actions. Fatoyinbo himself alluded to this when he said that what most young ministers do now is to come to Abuja and be errand boys to politicians. He says these young men will spend hours praying for politicians and when they are done, they are rewarded with some cash as honorarium. As he recounted this story, I say to myself: but, sir, you also left Ilorin for Abuja at some point too now. It is working for you; hopefully, it would work for these boys too.

I end this essay by stating emphatically that there is nothing Christian in many of the gatherings that call themselves “revivals” in Nigeria Pentecostal churches today. They are simply the gathering of a people to rub the ego of one man and to source for more membership for him. Pentecostal churches are ponzi schemes that cause the people at the top to increase in wealth as their base line followership increases.

These gatherings are devoid of the Christian gospel and the foremost call of the Christian church, which is to make disciples for Jesus, is not even a motive for them. The whole motive is to get members, so as to grow a church, that will have people “sow” into the life of the “man of God”.

In late 2013, a young woman by the name of Ese Walters came out to accuse Mr. Biodun Fatoyinbo of indulging in months of sexual philandering with her. She claimed that they both carried out the acts in hotels far away from this country. She had severed relations with the pastor as of the time of making these allegations. Her own way of finding healing was to make the whole matter public.

Mr. Fatoyinbo came under fire from that moment on. The Sunday after the scandal broke out, he promised Nigerians to give a “robust reply” to the allegations. Five years down the line there has been no response. Rather, Mr. Fatoyinbo has only continue to “evolve and increase” in ministry, bringing his friend, Gbeminiyi Eboda along with him.

These men are in their early forties and they are the new face of Pentecostalism in our nation. As they continue their business, some of us will continue to track them and hold them accountable to their words and ways. The only people one pities in this whole drama are the young men and women, whose mental faculties these men eat into with their nice words. Their judgement lingers not (2 Peter 2:1-4).

I spent fifteen years of my youth in these environment and I know the toxin these people are instilling into the life of young people. I advise that parents should guard their children and wards, and keep them from these people.

http://mouthpiece.com.ng/biodun-fatoyinbo-aka-robust-reply-visits-ibadan/

abimbawealth:
My people, have you seen a Moses that can't cross

restore8:
I actually earn thousands from silver extraction and am willing to teach people how to do it for free.

Now that's what u call tithe and offering.

olasaad:
Well you have to kick Bola Tinubu out first, if not Remi is going to represent you as long as she wants.she can even bring her brother from no where too, to represent you people

MissAprokoMedia:
So before we commence with todays subject, "4 reasons why Celebrities don't go to Church on Sundays, yet claim to be Christians", I will like to wish you all a happy Sunday and pray that God grants you your heart desires, last night we asked a question on why Celebrities dont go to church, some of you gave reasons based on your own opinions, so here is my own 4 reasons why Celebrities dont go to Church on Sunday.


1. SUNDAY IS THE ONLY RESTING DAY, THEY HAVE:


I believe Celebrities are workaholic, thata why their marriage dont last long, they wont have time for their partners talkless of a little time for God, where have you heard an A List Celebrity attend church service in Nigeria? They work from Monday to Friday, some times Saturdays and take a break on Sunday, its also possible that they can decide to worship and commune with God from their various Homes as they say God is everywhere.

2. THEY ARE SILENT WORSHIPPERS


Its either our Celebrities are silent worshippers, they probably dont want the world to know that they are praying to God or our Celebrities don't worship God at all, they probably dont want to get stalked by fans during or after church service.

3. THEY ARE HEATHENS, THEY ARE PRETENDERS
This is the annoying part of celebrities, I dont like, if you truly worship God, show it... Someone like Tiwa savage will sing song looking Rauchy, hot and sexy to sing Get it now, what are we getting? And just after releasing the video will she will come and say OLUWA IS INVOLVED �, or is it Flavour that wants to get in between the legs of every Model in his music video that will come and sing LORD YOU ARE THE MOST HIGH and we will be singing it in church, yet he doesnt portray it... He claims he is christian.

4. THEY FEEL TOO BIG TO BE IN GODS PRESENCE.

Our Nigerian Celebrities probably feel too big to worship God as they have millions of Fans worshiping them, they have forgotten every thing ends 6ft below, their fans wont die with them, Personalities like Wizkid and Davido, dont even know the road to church, so those ones... We call them what? this celebrities should get it right... They should make it clear if they are Idol worshippers or true christians as they claim.


Thank you!

You can Add yours!


NEWS BY JOELSBLOG

https://joelsblog.com.ng/see-4-reasons-why-celebrities-dont-go-to-church-on-sundays-yet-claim-to-be-christians/

holuwertobex:
Ace Nollywood director Tchidi Chikere is today celebrating his wife actress Nuella Njubigbo who turns a year older.

Chikere shared lovely photos of himself with his wife and penned down a sweet message alongside.

He wrote;



https://hitng.com.ng/lifestyle/birthday/director-tchidi-chikere-celebrates-his-wife-as-she-turns-a-year-older/

Mowoe:
Putin's guts tickle my Fanzy.

eTECTIVe:
Which one is drowned to death again.. Do Ppl drown to coma before? And from frying pan to fire.. Got drowned kwa!! He didn't get drowned, he simply drowned ..


U are even dumber dan d OP... So one can die and still b in coma too abi. To drown is to die by submersion in water... U shld b very sure of ur facts before poking ur nose where it does not belong and end up embarassing urself.
I was jus catching some fun because I'm sure it was jus an innocent mistake but urs is simply a case of crass ignorance..

owukpa:
Dr. Paul Enenche, Senior Pastor, Dunamis International Gospel Centre on Saturday, dedicated a gigantic auditorium of the church in Minna, the Niger State capital.


IDOMA VOICE observed that the event was climax of his Apostolic Invasion Programme in the state church, located at around Brighter Road, Western Bye-pass, Minna.

He was accompanied by his wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Becky Enenche.


The programmed witnessed salvation, all manner of healings as well as deliverance.


See pictures below.

SOURCE>>http://www.idomavoice.com/2018/03/dr-paul-enenche-dedicates-gigantic.html

ameri9ja:
Yeah, but who exactly do u have to replace him?
Is it Atiku caught red-handed in corruption? That's the problem. They r all corrupt.

pzphoto:
Nigerian man angered by some Turkish police officers’ decision to smoke inside a church in Istanbul. See screenshots below


Gist from praizeupdates


News source : http://www.praizeupdate.com/nigerian-man-decided-to-smoke-in-church-in-istanbul-because-of-turkish-police/

rattlesnake:
Her bawo

DIKEnaWAR:
Imagine how the lady interviewing Akpabio looks. Does she not have something presentable to wear rather than dressing like a masquerade on low budget?

chyy5:
I Think Is Right To Walk Away This Time.

The woman I so much love has been taken me for granted.
There is a guy in Malaysia that takes her time all the time.
I have tried severally to stop her from contacting the guy but she still does.
I am not the kind of guy that beats up a lady otherwise I would have beaten her up very well.
The so called Malaysian guy doesn't provide any of her needs.
Infact from their heartbreaking chats I read, there was a time the guy told her she is free to date any other guy for money that she shouldn't depend on him for any benefit.
My gal told him that she's not in for money.
This is a gal I love with all my heart. I've been enduring this for long thinking she will change. I've had heart to heart talk severally with her telling her how pained I am. Yet every night she will be on whatsapp call with this guy for close to 3 hours after work.
Their whatsapp chat breaks my heart each time I intrude to read.
She keep telling the guy that she doesn't have anybody and even when the guy argued she told him he will confirm when he sex her.
It kept me weak yet I continued loving her.
Just last week my cousin that is to travel to the states told me to come over to her place. Meanwhile my gal has been having issues with accommodation. Where she stays isn't really OK and her rent will expire ending of this month. I taught it wise to rent the place for my gal. I took her to the place and we concluded with my cousin; she agreed to leave the place for her and even auctioned all her property for her which supposed to amount over 200k but my cousin decided to collect 150k because of me.
I collected her account details and told her I will transfer the money to her including the house rent so she can pay the landlord to avoid extra agent fee.
As we were going back, my gal was busy apologising to her Malaysian guy why she wasn't able to pick his calls because the guy has been calling when we were there.
She told the guy she went out with her house agent to search for an accommodation. I was mad.
I am now being referred to as house agent.
I forcefully collected her phone to call the guy. She almost died. She throw herself on the bed and was crying pleading I shouldn't call.
I left her house.
Meanwhile she's having issues raising deposits since she's a DSA. As God may have it I have some funds to help her out but due to her behaviour I've decided to move on
She's been calling and pleading but I know is all because of the house and deposits since she's not willing to let the guy go
I love her so much and it breaks my heart.
I have called her severally and pleaded with her how hurtful I feel seeing her chats with that guy yet she continued.
This is a guy that doesn't care about her needs but she kept glued to him.
I've endured much hence I am walking away. It pains, yes it pains but I have no choice.

AndrewFarms:
people didn't turn up for the match

Kyase:

Kyase:

Kyase:
Nonsense Match, una good night

Kyase:
Nonsense Match, una good night

Sheungbengar:
I checked on EPL records since modern football and Manchester United takes every bit of glory...
I wonder why some silly beings give hate speech on United...
We are definitely the best...

Omobolajiatanda:
With Woodward solidly behind him? I doubt that

Omobolajiatanda:
he compared the past 6 seasons to this, called it "football heritage"

Omobolajiatanda:
did you see his 12 minutes press conference yesterday?

Banter1:
Manchester please dont cut my ticket o, you must win both half. I carry God beg una biko.

lloydpras:
Utd pls don't let me down today...

Anyway.. WIN or Lose. I am still here.. United4Life

I survived Moyes' pathetic Era.. What's the worst that could happen

holuphisayor:
its just a game bro. Don't be too emotional.

Even if man utd lose 7 games a row. Its just a game.

iwaeda:
Manchester United will name the same squad that was knocked out of the Champions League by Sevilla for their FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton.
That means defenders Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind, as well as midfielder Ander Herrera and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, remain out.
Brighton will be without suspended winger Anthony Knockaert for the tie at Old Trafford.
Full-back Gaetan Bong and midfielder Dale Stephens are doubtful.
What they said:
Watch Mourinho's impassioned 12-minute speech
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho: "Every match is important.
"We train very well, always. We train always very, very well, so we don't need a reaction to train better than we do because the training, the professionalism, the enthusiasm, the organisation, every training session with us since day one, since I arrived, the players have been absolutely brilliant."
Brighton manager Chris Hughton: "What we all know about Manchester United is they have huge quality, and are only second in this division because Manchester City are having an outstanding season. They are going to have days that are not so good, and we'll have to make sure that we play well enough to get a result.
"To go through would be wonderful for this club. It's a big task and United will be clear favourites. What we can get confidence from is that on our last visit to Old Trafford we played very well."
Match stats
Head-to-head
Manchester United and Brighton have not met in the FA Cup since January 1993, with United winning 1-0 with a goal from Ryan Giggs.
The Seagulls have only won one of their 17 matches against United in their history (drawn five, lost 11), winning 1-0 in a top-flight fixture in November 1982.
Manchester United
United have been eliminated from three of their past four FA Cup quarter-finals, progressing only in 2015-16 against West Ham after a replay. They have not won a quarter-final without the need of a replay since 2010-11 against Arsenal.
Romelu Lukaku has scored 11 goals in his past 10 FA Cup appearances - the only match he failed to score in of those 10 games was against United for Everton in the semi-final in April 2016.
Mourinho has won 14 of his 16 home FA Cup matches (drawn one, lost one), winning all three with United by an aggregate score of 10-0.
Brighton
This is only Brighton's third FA Cup quarter-final appearance and their first since 1985-86, when they lost to Southampton; their other quarter-final came in 1982-83, which they won against Norwich on their way to facing Manchester United in that season's final.
Hughton has managed four matches at Old Trafford in all competitions and lost all four without seeing his sides score a goal.
Brighton have lost seven and drawn one of their past eight away FA Cup matches against top-flight opposition - their last away win of this kind was at Newcastle United in January 1986.

tomakint:
National
Atiku to speak at Chatham House
By Editor
16 March 2018 | 4:04 am

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice President of Nigeria Atiku Abubakar, will give a major economic speech at London’s Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) at 10 am on April 25, 2018. The keynote speech entitled ‘The Importance of Strengthening State Economic Management Systems’ will unveil innovative and tangible solutions that once implemented will help Nigerian states come out from their current economic challenges and help get Nigeria working again.

During the trip to the UK, Atiku will also give another major keynote speech at the Invest Africa and British Council for Africa ‘Annual Debate’. He will be speaking alongside Dr Liam Fox, International Trade Secretary, UK Government, on the subject of “Building new trade partnerships in Africa”

These speaking engagements are a follow-up to Atiku’s meeting in June of 2017 with Liam Fox and Prime Minister Theresa May where they discussed the UK’s plan to increase trade with Nigeria post Brexit.


During this trip, the former Vice-President will also be the guest of honour at a lunch on Nigerian inward investment hosted by Lord Anthony St John (former UK Minister for Africa) and be a guest speaker at Round Table of key UK business leaders interested in investing in Nigeria at the Institute of Directors, Pall Mall.

The three-day trip will be capped off by giving the keynote speech to UK Diaspora in the City of London on the subject of “Maximizing the benefit to our economy of all our talents, wherever they may be”

https://m.guardian.ng/news/atiku-to-speak-at-chatham-house/