Between pastors and Area Boys

Both should naturally never be grouped together for any reasons whatsoever. They should be worlds apart. At least, one is seen to be on the side of God and the other, offsprings of mammon. But Lagosians are often heard grouping together pastors and societal miscreants known as area boys.

Here is the usual argument. Many with no religious inclination believe the offering given in churches are meant for the maintenance of many pastors’ sartorial taste for the worldly. The argument is further driven by the premium these so-called pastors now place on “big” offerings even in a dwindling economy.

Faith-driven christians may not buy this argument even if it is obvious that pastors expend the offerings on behalf of the church. Whatever is offered is for God, the Rewarder of those who cheerfully give, they would counter.

But many Lagos pastors are not helping faith-driven congregants to have a say in their defence. Eko Akete had heard many comparing such pastors with area boys, the extortionist miscreants that dot the landscape in the state.

The usual last-line in the yabis is that while pastors cajole with subtle scriptural threat to make their “victims” (congregants) part with the little they have, area boys simply resort to rough tactics of threat, intimidation and force.

Anytime such argument is rounded off with the line above in a compelling way, even faith-driven christians are always left bewildering. And it isn’t much about the argument but the conducts of their pastors!