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Christy Anyanwu
Senior Pastor, Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has apologised to Mr Femi Adesina, special adviser on media and publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari over his attack on the presidential spokesman following the latter’s article entitled: ‘Beheaded Adamawa pastor: CAN got it mixed up’, which the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) equally kicked against.
After Apostle Suleman attacked Adesina, the spokesman took to his tweeter handle to reply the man of God.
But Apostle Suleman yesterday in an open letter to Mr Adesina in online news platforms said: “If I could reach you privately, I would not have resorted to the media. I also took this approach to respond to the heavy insults and name-calling on your tweeter handle which is, well, okay by me and understandable because you were angry.
“But I hope this meets you well. This is me pouring my heart to my brother. I am actually not good at writing letters like this. Unlike someone, we all know that does. I guess I would meet him for tutorials. I love you my brother and God bless Nigeria.”
The cleric, therefore, said: “Sir, when I read your response to CAN, two things came to mind: I asked myself, must the allure of power make you antagonistic of church leaders whilst your colleague is protecting his? I equally felt your response was ill-timed, knowing these leaders where mourning. I apologise if it came out wrongly or rudely.”
He told Adesina to remember how they spoke to power in the last administration “in a more corrosive and acidic manner than we do now,” saying that it was not a big deal as that administration was tolerant and had ignored most things that were said then.
“Therefore, this government should stop responding to everything. The best way to respond to complaints is to give result, not explanations, insults or counter upper-cut….
“I personally bleed when I hear drumbeats of war and yearnings for the dissolution of Nigeria, either from tribal or political overviews. No nation remains the same after war. Therefore, we can’t be fanning the embers and heating the polity of revolution or dissolution,” he said.
Apostle Suleman also said that he is usually shocked to hear some people erroneously say the president is a religious bigot.
“How can that be? A very good friend of mine recently spoke to me about President Buhari and I told her my views of him and she laughed. And that evening, President Mumhamadu Buhari called me on phone and we exchanged pleasantries. And, at the end, I prayed with him in Jesus name and he said Amen! Tell me, which religious bigot does that?
“So, seeing what is happening now tells me that he is surrounded by people who are painting him wrongly before some who aren’t privileged to know him. Or has he changed from being whom I knew him to be then?
“When he was sick, I called all our church members in the 58 nations of the world where we have branches to pray for his speedy recovery and homecoming.
“Also, a few weeks ago, I tweeted against Nigerians insulting and using demeaning verbal assertion on the person of the president. I mean, if not for anything, his age should be respected. But I came under fire and was taken to the cleaners for defending the president. But I ignored the backlash because, if you wrestle with a pig, you will be stained but the pig would enjoy it,” Suleman said.
