I think we should pay a bit more attention to the conversation this issue is generating.
While there will always be people who think the pastor didn’t act well and others who will think he acted properly, we need to interrogate the culture of lateness we have as Nigerians and Africans.
A few years ago, I was at an event at Iseyin. It was meant to start at 10am. I left Ibadan very early so I could be there on time. I got there at 9am and saw that the venue wasn’t even ready. A grader was still working on the site with dust everywhere.
Canopies were not even in place. And this was a state event that was advertised on air. I was shocked. Later on, we sat waiting for the commencement of the event. Kings and so many high profile people were in attendance. We waited until around 5pm when the host showed up.
He didn’t even start the programme straight away. He went around shaking hands with those who were seated and they all grinned and smiled as if everything was okay. When he mounted the podium, everyone clapped at everything he said. I was miffed and quietly left the place.
There is almost no meeting in Nigeria that starts on time. We do not respect the time of others. We keep people waiting and then mouth apologies-only to repeat the same thing again.
We expect apologies to be sufficient or at worst, we expect others to understand that this is Nigeria and many factors can contribute to our lateness. This is why when we encounter people like this pastor, he suddenly becomes an outlier.
There have been many times that I almost missed my flight because of the hectic traffic. It wasn’t that I didn’t set out on time but then Lagos traffic can be unpredictable. On one occasion, I got down from my car with my luggage and took an ‘okada’. I couldn’t afford to be late.
This is why if I have an early morning flight, I usually sleep close to the airport. We must begin to foresee unforeseen circumstances. The way we treat an event actually shows how important it is to us.
We will do almost anything never to be late for interviews- whether for jobs or visa. People will arrive for visa appointments hours before the doors of the embassy or consulate is open. Why can’t we treat other events that way?
Most people are guilty of this and I will not extricate myself. As a people, we must strive to do better. We all can begin to make this little change and our society will become better for it. The painful aspect is that it is a wedding that has spurned this conversation.
By the way, no be me cancel wedding oooo. Some bloggers are already using my picture to say na me cancel wedding. It’s time to start suing some bloggers for defamation and libel. Don’t say I didn’t warn you oooo.
Bayo Adeyinka
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Sometimes last year, a sow on my farm gave birth to many piglets but refused to give them suck. We tried all we could but the piglets died one after the other. It was a very traumatic experience losing all the piglets within a few days.
I belong to a piggery group on WhatsApp and it was when I reached out for help that I was given a suggestion that could have solved the problem but it was too late. Some weeks before, I had turkeys that died off without any warning. The first set of goats I bought died.
One of them had eaten a polythene bag and it blocked her innards. Through all these, I now know what to do should I be confronted with similar situations again.
Brother Joseph, The Judge and DNA: May Our Loyalty Not Be Tested
I think the most under-rated character in the Bible is Joseph. Yes, Joseph the husband of Mary and the ‘father’ of Jesus. I don’t believe he got his due acknowledgment.
I think his role in the birth of Jesus and upbringing has not been given the right credits. During Christmas, we talk about the wise men. We talk about the shepherds who watched their flocks by night. We talk about the angels who appeared to the shepherds.
We talk about Mary and rightfully so. We talk about the Baby Jesus. We even compose songs for all of them. We hardly talk about Joseph and I’ve never heard of any song composed for the dude. It’s almost as if there’s a ‘conspiracy’ of silence to ‘edge’ him out of the picture.
Now after this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she secluded herself completely....
Luke 1:24 AMP
That was the Scripture the Lord gave me when my wife became pregnant after 8 years of waiting.
I felt like rolling out the drums but that Scripture kept me. I told myself, “People celebrate babies and not pregnancies”. So my wife and I spoke to our Pastor’s wife about our conviction. I still remember her counsel till date. She asked us to take pictures during the pregnancy
Then I told just one person from my own side- my junior sister. My wife informed only one person from her own side- her own sister. Both people were under strict instructions not to divulge the information to anyone. I didn’t inform any of my parents neither did she.
How time flies! It looked like yesterday when I sat in front of the theatre with Mo Fatokun eagerly anticipating your arrival on that Wednesday. I had butterflies in my stomach even as I tried to look calm outwardly.
My knees were knocking and as I prayed under my breath, I felt sweat dropping from my brows.
My heart beat faster and I felt my hands suddenly become clammy. With every opening of the door, I got up to see what was happening.
As nurses ran helter-skelter, I tried to keep my emotions under control. After waiting for what seemed like centuries, a doctor stepped out to announce the good news of your arrival.
A young guy approached me to mentor him. I agreed. A short while after, he asked me for money. I declined. The next day, I sent him some personal development initiatives. He never responded till date.
I became friends here with a lady. I would later meet her at an event in Abuja. She eulogized me and told me she would love me to mentor her. I told her I don't mentor ladies as a matter of principle. She requested for my personal contact details so she could stay in touch.
I obliged. By the time we concluded the event, she came back to meet me and gave me a funny story about an emergency trip she had to make. Long story short, she asked for money. I declined. I was shocked at her audacity. Thereafter, I noticed her negative remarks on my posts.
It's been my first week with the team and what a week it has been. We had a fantastic strategy session and people gave commitments with boldness. And some are making it good already.
But quite a number are nowhere near their commitments. Fortunately, there is still one more week to go. What is the value of one week? What can be done in one week?
In one week, God created the heaven and the earth and all that is in it- including man. That's huge. The stars, the moon, the sun, trees, all animals, the various type of fishes, flora and fauna in one week and even took a day off to rest. How did He do it? I think I have an idea