By Bamidele Johnson
Watching him deliver a lecture at Bishop Mike Okonkwo’s birthday reminded me of how sharp a speaker Professor Yemi Osinbajo is. The video was shared with me late last night by Funsho Balogun, but I was already sleepy when it came. I woke up to pee much later and decided to see what it was all about, having seen people circulate it days before.
Osinbajo deserves hectolitres of kudos and “more blezzing” (I would have added Trovi if he were not a preacher) for taking the hammer to one of the most corrosive features of today’s Christianity, the transactional gospel.
At Bishop Okonkwo’s birthday lecture, Osinbajo did not just clear his throat but swung a sledgehammer at the altar of miracle money and quick-fix blessings, the kind of messages that have turned pulpits into the floor of the stock exchange or casinos.
In a country where pastors live like Saudi princes, his words sting with refreshing honesty. He pointed out that true gospel preaching instils honesty, diligence, and responsibility. By implication, he was calling out the sermons that glorify shortcuts, magical wealth, and endless sowing into church accounts as the narrow path to holiness.
The clear inference from what the former VP said is that the teachings of men like David Ibiyeomie, David Oyedepo, Joshua Selman, and Johnson Suleman who preach that giving to their institutions proves righteousness are fraudulent distortions of the faith. Holiness is not a tithe card. Righteousness is not a seed receipt. The Christian call has always been to care for the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the hungry. Yet this core demand of the gospel is often drowned out by prosperity mantras designed to fund private jets, luxury automobiles, and immodest opulence.
It is, however, impossible to miss the irony. Osinbajo himself is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, perhaps the flagship of transactional faith in Nigeria, led by a General Overseer who, while always dressed like a 70s inspector of education, lives like he owns Sibneft and Saudi Aramco. I am an RCCG dropout, by the way.
To Osinbajo’s credit, he did not dodge the truth just because it might splash mud close to home. That makes his intervention even more remarkable. If his words are taken seriously, perhaps we may one day see the Nigerian church return to being less of a cash register and more of a refuge for the broken. But his words will not be taken seriously. There is addiction on both sides. Preachers are hooked on easy money and worship. Their audiences cannot get enough of the syrupy messages and would fight tooth and nail to defend their right to be exploited. Cold turkey will not break the habit.
