GLITTERING STONE
EPISODE TWO
In the auditorium of Unity for Christ Gospel Church, honorable Adetunji, a short septuagenarian with a bald head and puffy cheeks reflecting the tribal marks peculiar to the compound of Odetode sat at the front roll waiting for the meeting he called to start. Odetode family is a well known and respected family in Akinlalu for the amazing record of Odetode, their ancestor, who killed a whole elephant with just a cap when he went hunting in a thick forest before the white merchants started coming to Nigeria to buy slaves. He sat on the armchair specially made for him. His protruding belly which he caressed and his fresh skin like that of a new-born baby witnessed to onlookers his status of being one of the crème de la crème of the society. He served as the Minister of education during the first four years of President Obasegun who emerged president after the last military regime. When he was serving, students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife protested several times requesting proper funding of the education sector. But instead of funding the sector he headed, he diverted the fund to his foreign account. There were uproar in the street but to the shock of protesters, the president turned deaf ears and he was never probed let alone prosecuted. He returned to Moro after retirement to spend the rest of his days serving the Lord till death closes his eyes in the midst of his half caste grandchildren. He greatly contributed to the development of the church and that earned him a honour in the Nigeria Gospel Church. He donated millions of naira to the national body of his church to water the ground for the future political ambition of his son Dapo, who is still enjoying the snow of United Kingdom with his white lovely wife and two boys.
Honourable Adetunji stood from his seat and raised his left hand up to signal to those conversing at the back to move to the front, so, they could start the meeting. Mr. Abiola, the church secretary led the opening prayer while they all chorused "Amen" with firmness in their voice. Honourable Adetunji, the church leader gave a short charge and admonished everybody on seat to contend for the faith they profess. They listened with keen interest, not wanting to miss any of the word he was saying. It is about the kingdom of God and being the peak of the pursuit of all christians, they took kingdom duty serious.
It was time to discuss what made them assemble. It is the issue of the church. "How do we tackle the decrease in the number of our members in Sunday service?" Honourable Adetunji asked. As if the question was anticipated before he spoke, Bro James, the youth leader raised his right hand to signify that he would like to say something concerning the matter.
"I expected people to stop coming to church," he said with utmost confidence, looking straight into the eyes of the church leader, not minding the murmur of the elders. "When a church does not have pastor and the affairs of the church is being treated like a political affair, what do you expect?" His statement dropped with fire with the sound of "hum" filling the auditorium. Many murmured accusing him to have been rude in the way he replied the esteemed honourable who has been to the house of assembly twice and requested that James apologise to him. James refused and his peers supported him. The meeting ended in disagreement between the youth and the elders. It was a word war that made the youths spit fire that burnt through the heart of Honourable till the meeting was closed. It was clear that the youth are tired of his leadership and needed an anointed man to meet their spiritual need.
"If they want the leadership seat, they should come and occupy it. Do they think it's that easy to lead," he muttered silently to himself while enjoying fresh air with a glass cup filled with red wine placed on a stool in his garden that night. It is not the first time he would be saying it. He made the same statement five years ago, not long after he started living in Moro, when the youth wanted a new pastor immediately pastor Kehinde, their former pastor left. He was able to silence them with money. Now, ten years after, they have come again. So, he will have to set up a committee that will search for a new pastor or close their smelling mouth with money. He cannot continue to feed jobless youth who remained idle after their undergraduate studies. He will have to take a proactive step.
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