Prof Lawrence ETIM
The recent utterances attributed to Pastor Yinka raise serious concerns about credibility, responsibility, and moral consistency. A careful review of his statements reveals troubling contradictions that undermine both his message and the authority he claims to speak with.
First, Pastor Yinka initially asserted that he was instructed by God to make disparaging remarks about the people of Akwa Ibom. Such a claim is weighty and demands the highest level of moral caution, because invoking divine authority to justify insults against an entire people is both reckless and theologically questionable.
However, in a subsequent video, he contradicted himself by stating that his pastor friends from Akwa Ibom asked him to make those same insulting remarks. This shift in narrative is significant. One cannot, with intellectual honesty, attribute the same action simultaneously to divine instruction and to human prompting. The contradiction raises a fundamental question: which account, if any, is true?
This pattern of inconsistency suggests a habitual disregard for truth. To claim divine backing at one moment and then shift responsibility to colleagues at another is not merely careless; it erodes trust and trivializes the very idea of divine guidance. One is left with the impression of a man willing to say anything to suit the moment, even if it means speaking falsely in God’s name. Such behaviour deserves firm moral censure, not applause.
If Pastor Yinka is indeed so easily persuaded by his peers, one must ask where personal judgment, conscience, and spiritual discernment reside. Leadership – especially spiritual leadership – demands the courage to resist foolish or harmful suggestions, not blind compliance with them.
More importantly, if Pastor Yinka feels compelled to embark on a crusade of moral correction or “liberation,” logic and history suggest that he should begin much closer to home.
In 1806, Fulani Muslim forces overthrew the traditional Yoruba ruler of Ilorin, killed him, and installed a Fulani emir. To this day, Ilorin remains the only Yoruba city ruled by a Fulani emir, a historical reality that many Yoruba Christians regard as a symbol of unresolved domination and injustice. If liberation is truly his concern, Kwara State his home state – particularly Ilorin – would be a far more appropriate starting point. Charity, after all, should begin at home.
Similarly, Pastor Yinka’s wife is from Benue State, his silence on the persistent and tragic violence there is even even more puzzling. Benue communities have, for years, suffered devastating attacks from armed Fulani herdsmen, resulting in massive loss of life and widespread displacement. If moral outrage and spiritual intervention are his priorities, Benue – where his in-laws come from – cries out far more urgently for attention, advocacy and crusade.
This is not merely a personal attack on Pastor Yinka, but a reasoned critique of inconsistency, misplaced priorities, and the dangerous misuse of religious authority. Public figures, especially religious ones, must be held to standards of truth, logic, and moral responsibility. Selective outrage, contradictory explanations, and verbal assaults on innocent communities do not advance justice, faith, or national harmony. If Pastor Yinka truly seeks to serve God and humanity, he must first reconcile his words with truth and redirect his energies to the real and urgent crises closer to home.
Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly should pass a motion condemning the insulting utterance of pastor Yinka.
