This morning, a well-meaning member of our great church, who is also a good friend and colleague, sent me a write-up being circulated on the internet.

The said write-up titled, “SUP/EVANG AJALA! THE MASTERPIECE OF FABRICATION,” was authored by Tunji Dabira Bakare, a member of the Celestial Church of Christ in the United Kingdom.

Even as I read through the write-up, a smile of amusement creased my face, and a feeling of pity for the author of the article in question, Tunji Dabira Bakare, also welled up in me.

I felt this way because this was not the first time that Tunji Dabira Bakare would cross my path. The last time he did was a few months ago when he picked up his phone one evening to disturb the peace I was enjoying at home in the company of my children and grand-children, who’d come visiting.

On that occasion, he’d called to inform me that he was in Nigeria and he wanted to give me his address so that I could come arrest him with policemen.

Apparently, some gossips and mischief makers had told him that I was planning to get him arrested anytime he stepped on Nigerian soil. An allegation that was COMPLETELY FALSE!

And without bothering to get his facts right, Tunji Dabira Bakare called me to invite me to come and arrest him in a nasty tone that clearly showed that he believed all the lies that he’d been told about me.

He sounded like a man who was completely out of his mind. Spewing gibberish! Methinks that a saner mind capable of logical reasoning would have tarried a while and bothered to ask me if what he was told by whoever was true.

But nay, he simply picked up his phone and like a rabid dog, began to bark provocative insults and falsehood at me. Not one to suffer fools gladly, I gave him the full length of my tongue before cutting the thoughtless call.

Back to this morning, I took my time to read through his article where he struggled to paint me as the C.C.C. Spokesman who distorts facts and fabricates stories that are posted on the church website.

And truly, I probably would have ignored his quackery but that would mean doing myself a great injury and injustice. Lies told repeatedly without being debunked would gradually begin to sound like the truth. But before I begin to debunk Tunji Dabira Bakare’s many lies in his article about me, I need to educate him a bit.

Our Dear Alagba Tunji, a person who stands in the role of a spokesperson is one of the most visible people within an organization. A spokesperson is a person whose responsibility is to speak on behalf of his principal, a group or an organization.

The spokesperson’s main responsibility, or role, is to provide a public voice on behalf of his principal or organization. And in discharging this duty, a spokesman must strictly adhere to strong professional ethics. In this case, the profession of Journalism and Public Relations.

Now listen attentively, Tunji, I’m a thorough bred professional who has put in close to four decades of outstanding performance into the profession of Journalism. If you doubt me, I could give you the names and contacts of some journalism greats in this country, who are my contemporaries in the profession. Go talk to them and they would be glad to share my antecedents in journalism with you. But if that would be too tasking for you to do, you can type my name on Google, I’m sure you’ll get enough information to confirm to you that I’m neither an upstart nor a gatecrasher into this profession. I’m certainly not a Psychiatric Nurse who is struggling so hard to show unpolished skills as a writer and a journalist.

I do not fabricate stories. I do not distort facts. I work closely with and take regular briefs from my Principal, His Eminence, Reverend Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, Pastor and Spiritual Head of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide.

I’m like a trumpet in the hands of my Principal. It is what the trumpeter blows into the trumpet that trumpet dishes out.

Concerning your allegation that I’m a puppet in the hands of the Head of the UK Diocese, Most Superior Evangelist Amos Olabode Fatusin, I have absolutely no apologies for that!

The fact remains that Most Superior Evangelist Amos Olabode Fatusin, HoD UK Diocese, C.C.C. W/w, is the appointed and recognised representative of my Principal, His Eminence, Reverend E.M.F Oshoffa, Pastor and Spiritual Head, C.C.C. Worldwide, as HoD of the UK Diocese. And for as long as he holds that position, I shall work closely with him (in my capacity as Head of Media and Publicity, C.C.C. W/w), and with other members of his Executive Council for the progress of that Diocese.

As regards your other spurious allegations and lies, I have taken the pains to simply publish the relevant memos (with short footnotes) to show who is fabricating or distorting facts – You or Me?

Before I leave you to your folly, Tunji, I need to chip in a word or two of brotherly advise:

Tunji Dabira Bakare, you need to calm down! For a man of your age, you have too much bitterness and hatred bottled up in you. Over what? Over church matters! Let me tell you something, bitterness and hatred are self destructive. If you don’t begin to purge yourself now, bitterness and hatred would continue to eat you up and eventually lead you to grave consequences …

I can help you with a cure though…a cure for the so much bitterness inside you…I’ll send you a package of giant lollipops. They are very sweet. Lick one in the morning, lick one in the afternoon and lick one at night. You’ll see that the bitterness that presently rules your life would begin to decrease with time.

Don’t bother to thank me for this brotherly advise and generousity. Just send me your delivery address and your package of giant lollipops would be on the way.

Katchya!!!.

– Superior Evangelist Kayode Ajala MPIC/Head, Media and Publicity, C.C.C. Worldwide.