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Pastor J. T. Kalejaiye

Between Kalejaiye and Gowon By Emeka Obasi

Many of us saw the good times when the Head of State moved freely in an open Rolls Royce or Jaguar and put smiles on the faces of children as they exchanged waves. Dr. Johnson Tomisin (JT) Kalejaiye relishes his first eye contact with General Yakubu Gowon.

On this particular day in 1972, Gowon was moving around Lagos and pupils lined the streets to say hello with their five fingers. One of those little boys, Kalejaiye, had no shoes. As he waved, the General looked straight at him and waved back, smiling.

The boy felt on top of the world that the Head of State gave him attention. Someone from an Ondo fishing village, who combined primary education with street hawking, carrying fufu on the head was definitely not going to forget that experience.

Unfortunately, today’s pupils cannot enjoy that atmosphere anymore. Our leaders are so much afraid of death and detached from the people that they hide in bullet proof Sports Utility Vehicles, like Ojuju Calabar. In terms of visibility, our leaders are like the masked one, Lagbaja, when they are on the move.

It all began with General Ibrahim Babangida, especially after the Gideon Orkar led coup of 1990. General Sani Abacha continued with the tradition of distancing the ruler from the ruled. Probably, due to their background as coup plotters, the generals were afraid of everything.

The civilians continued from where the soldiers stopped. Under this our jaundiced Fourth Republic Democracy, even ministers and members of the National Assembly, hide themselves in multi billion bullet proof vehicles while the masses face gunfire from bandits, herdsmen, kidnappers and sundry terrorists.

Back to the Kalejaiye story. He is better known as Pastor J. T. Kalejaiye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God ( RCCG ). Only God knows if that eye contact with Gowon was a message passed from above. Both men are now preaching the word.

Gowon was born to an Evangelist father, Pa Yohanna. The family lived in Wusasa, Zaria, far away from their Ngas home on the Plateau. The general attended a Church Missionary Society ( CMS ) school, St. Bartholomew’s and actually wanted to be a missionary, like his father.

More than  fifty years after that eye contact in Lagos, Kalejaiye came face to face with Gowon. It was in Abuja, at the official residence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The former pupil walked up to the General after introductions. He said : “Sir, in 1972, I was one of the school boys that lined up Lagos streets to greet you. And you looked straight into my eyes and waved back.”

Trust Gowon. He did not forget those words. In his years, Dodan Barracks was the Aso Villa of Nigeria. And his first Minister (Federal Commissioner) of Finance was an Ikenne heavyweight and lawyer, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

This meeting in Abuja was hosted by another Ikenne heavyweight and lawyer, Prof. Osinbajo, Vice President of Nigeria, at the time. Awolowo’s granddaughter lived in that house as Osinbajo’s wife. There had to be another meeting.

Again it happened in Abuja. It was at the Aso Villa Chapel. Ministering was Pastor Kalejaiye. At the end of service, he walked up to greet the General again. Just as he wanted to open his mouth, Gowon said: “This is our third time of meeting. The first time, I was your Head of State. Now, you are my Father in the Lord.”

As I listened to the Pastor recently in one of his Lagos offices, I remembered that Aso Villa once haboured a President who had no shoes. It does appear that growing up without shoes is a sign of Goodluck. After all, Jesus walked around on ten toes, performing miracles.

Kalejaiye is not Jesus Christ. He is just an Evangelist who flies across different hemispheres carrying the Bible.  I call him God’s Own Man. There is something about this man  that I want our Archbishops and General Overseers to take home.

Jesus did not just go about preaching the gospel. He understood the essence of giving. The Master never preached to a hungry congregation. Hunger was tackled before ministration. Christ did not share palliatives, the people got enough.

Kalejaiye does not own a warehouse. There is no supermarket bearing that name. Hey, just visit Overcomers Assembly of RCCG during Yuletide. Truck loads of rice, yam and other essential commodities add to the welcoming environment. This is when Christianity hugs Islam. Hunger does not discriminate and you do not need a pass to go for goodies.

I have met Archbishops and General Overseers. In terms of giving, this Global Evangelist is the winner. He has embarrassed me severally with gifts – shirts, bow ties, golden pens and more. There was a day the Pastor asked me to take one of the brand new designer shoes he brought from the UK. I pretended that the size was not mine because my bag was loaded already.

This Gowon/Kalejaiye story is a powerful message. Our leaders should create a conducive environment that will bring them closer to the people. It is difficult to know who is inside the President’s official vehicle because the Secret Service will not make you understand.

As a boy, I remember singing : ‘We salute you, General Gowon, as he drove across the East Central State, after the Civil War in an open – roof official vehicle. He was not afraid that aggrieved ex – Biafran soldiers could pelt his convoy with Ogbunigwe.

The first time I saw North – Eastern State governor, Col. Musa Usman, he rode in an open – top vehicle with Ajie Ukpabi Asika, Administrator of East Central State. That was the same way I met Benue Plateau State governor, Police Commissioner Joseph Gomwalk. They moved about freely across the East. The day any South – East governor does this, I will run naked, from Dodan Barracks to Aso Villa.

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