The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has disavowed Senator Remi Tinubu’s comments about Igbos residing in Lagos who are refusing to support the local politics and customs of the state.
A video of the National Assembly senator representing Lagos Central speaking about chasing the Igbos with the deities of Lagos had sparked a range of comments.
The Redeemed preacher asserted that Igbos who refused to wed their Yoruba counterparts would be expelled, and that whatever love provided to them (the igbos) should be reciprocated.
The wife of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, bemoaned the state’s Igbo residents’ attitude as proving difficult despite the love shown to them.”
She said, “We will entreat all the deities of Lagos to chase Igbo people out. Igbo who didn’t marry Yoruba, we will inherit them. Given how much we love Igbo, you now want to spoil everything.
“You are not the only tribe in this place, Hausa are here, we accommodate them, Calabar are here, we accommodate them. But Igbo are proving difficult. We will inherit you.
Despite the love we have for you… others are here and we accommodated them.”
However, the remarks offended social media users who condemned it widely as hate speech and unacceptable. Others criticized the church for appointing Senator Tinubu as a pastor.
Some few persons wrote off the comments on Igbos as merely a joke, and shouldn’t be analysed so critically while others blatantly rejected it unacceptable from an office holder and “Pastor of the Redeemable Christian Church of God” where even Igbos worship.
The Head of Media and Public Relations for the RCCG, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi, told The Punch that the church was unaware of the video
“We are not aware (of the video) and I’m sure Remi Tinubu was not speaking as a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God,” Olubiyi said.
When asked about the outrage questioning Remi’s ordination, he said; “I’m not in a position to answer that because the church knows what it considers before ordination and social media does not dictate to the church what the church should do. She has her life.”
