Patrick U. Akongwale|5 November 2017
I did my NYSC in Lagos, was residing in Magodo & working in Isolo axis. I take bus to Ikeja along everyday, before connecting Alausa/home via Keke Napep.
So, the women heading home from Oshodi Market were my regular neighbours during the trips home. We had two conductors inside the bus; the official one and a the supreme one. The Supreme one is mostly a Christian pastor, these guys shout and scream inside the jam-packed bus, plus the gridlock and heat until we get to Ikeja.
One day, I summoned the courage to confront one, I told him; ''Bro, even God, won't support this your preaching, this is a sin —have pity on the women and children that are sweating inside this bus". These "Bus Pastors" are barely educated and operate from the portion of the Bible that says : "we should take the good news to the ends of the earth", they practiced it without any form of empathy/emotional intelligence.
Fast forward to 2017, my bus trip today exist mostly on WhatsApp Groups. I belong to about 6 of them. I am an Administration on 3, some are secular while a few are professional. In all but 1, I have Muslim members as well as Christians. The Muslim guys tend to keep their faith far away from the group, but the "Educated Christians", bombard the group with messages from their pastors, priests & bishops.
These guys don't think spreading daily devotions from their clergies online constitute emotional assault and pollution. I can predict the likely reactions of these folks if a Muslim/traditionalist try expressing their beliefs in public space.
I might need to apologize to that bus-pastor I confronted in in 2010, since I have come to realize that the disease has no limit; but looking for him in Lagos is like searching for a stone in an ocean —I rather learn how to avoid such by reducing the number of my WhatsApp Groups.
Patrick U. Akongwale
Is a Social Commentator
