On
Saturday June 28, it rained heavily in Ibadan. For me, it started around 2pm cos I was
at the University of Ibadan to give a talk on freelance journalism. Because the
rain kept falling, I had to speak for more than 3 hours.
My
team made a quick stop at somewhere you'll read about tomorrow before heading
to Olodo area at night for another assignment. At Wofun area, commercial buses
asked commuters to alight due to the heavy traffic ahead - everything was at a
standstill, no car was moving.
I
asked some of the drivers why no one dared to take on the flood at the bridge
at Olodo. They told me everyone decided to wait till the level of water got
reduced having heard how a church in the area got flooded leaving many
worshippers awashed.
They
said one of the worshipers called the attention of the pastor to the flood but
was shouted down and slammed for being a coward. According to the report, the
pastor said God will calm the storm.
I
was also told that the Elemi (a lady suspended in the spirit) also
predicted flood would sweep away the church with possible fatality. Yet
the pastor refused to order an evacuation of the structure. He said they had
been in the location for more than ten years. He added that God is more than
able to avert the crises.
True
to the prophesy, the flood came strongly. The church's structure could
withstand the flood and many worshipers were left dead - they are yet to find
the Elemi as at the time of writing this post.
This
incidence brought 2 major issues to the forefront - government's abandonment
and spiritual stubbornness.
Oyo
state recently got funds from the World Bank to tackle flood. Did the
government ask why exactly the World Bank gave the state the fund? What it is
expected to do with it? Furthermore, areas with serious fatalities are not new,
why are people still dying when information is available on the crises? Can the
governor assure us that it would never happen again in Ibadan?
In
terms of spiritual stubbornness, the issue is quite a rhetoric one that is open
for debate. When do we simply heed clear warnings, and when do we trust God's
ability to turn bad situations around for good?
PS:
Nothing happened to the pastor. He survived with another high ranking member of
the church
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