(The Press interviewing the G.O)
Reporter: Good morning sir.
G.O: Morning.
Reporter: We'll like to talk briefly on issues that borders on the church and marriage.
(G.O cuts in)
I hope that's all we are going to talk about and likewise that's what you'll write. I don't want to read what i have not said o. Also, please report me verbatim and don't imply me.
Reporter: Sir, are you saying there has been some untrue stories reported about you?
G.O: Look...you have started again abi? Se aditi ni e ni? Immediately i told you not to do something you have started to do it. Did i tell you what you have just asked me? So nibo lo ti gbo iyen? Se won fi wahala se yin ni? By the way, is this what you told me we are here to discuss? I think i'll have to call off this interview if this is the direction you want to go.....
Reporter: sir...sir....i am sorry if you think i have erred. Can we please continue?
G.O: Alright before we can continue, i'll have to collect your camera and delete all what you have recorded so far then we start afresh.
Reporter: Is that neccessary? Alright sir...i'll do that.
G.O: I insist that i do it by myself....otherwise.....
Reporter: Alright.....alright sir...here we go. (hands over the camera)
G.O: Oya come and show me...delete da? Bring up the file.....what will i press?
(After about 10mins the G.O was satisfied)
So just go straight to your questions and don't twist my instestine.
Reporter: Sir, an incident was reported in the news media of a wedding ceremony that turned ugly when the housewife appeared at the church to disrupt the weddding. Apparently, the man was currently married and he was leading another woman to the alter. What do you have to say to that?
G.O: Firstly, i didn't read or hear about the incident. I don't read newspaper.
(Reporter cuts in)
Can you briefly tell us why you don't read the newspaper? Does it have to do with what you have read in the past about yourself and you are not happy with?
G.O: Reporter! Reporter!! Respect ara e orelse ma sepe fun e. Let us focus on the matter on ground.
As i was saying before i was rudely interrupted, the incident you have just brought to my attention is a serious one but not strange. There are so many couples out there living decietful lives. So many have done this type of thing and got away with it, while some didn't go to the extent of church or registry but have multiple partners in different states of the federation. It is a life of lies. It is a life of cowardice. It is a life of shame. It is a life of error.
Several questions need to be asked and all the parties involved have to give answers.
What questions did the pastor who conducted the marriage ask the couples?
How much did the new wife know of the man before going to the alter?
Why can't the man dissolve the existing marriage properly?
Where did they get the crowd that attended the wedding ceremony dancing and clapping? Are they all in the dark about the man's marital status?
You see reporter, it's all questions...questions...questions. But all these questions are pointing to the same foundation- TRUTH. When this is missing in any kind of foundation you lay from the beginning, then everything else will go wrong sooner or later.
Reporter: So what steps are you taking to ensure something like that do not happen in your church.
G.O: Well there are measures already in place to curb this. .....to curb not eradicate...because you cannot eradicate this kind of thing.
But the system is such that couples are not just joined at short notice.
There is a letter of conscent they need to bring from both parents/guidance, there are checks to be conducted at the registry, we need enough time to announce the bans of marriage in the church...atleast minimum of 3 consecutive sundays asking people to come forward and tell us if they know of any reason why the couples should not be joined together. We need people of reputable character in the society who can also stand for them to come forward to certify that they are both single and would make a good home. Privately, we also conduct our investigation especially where either of the couple are not resident in the place where the marriage will hold. Lastly, we have the period of counselling. At this stage, they are told the harsh reality of marriage.
If after taking all these measures and something still happen somewhere along the line, it is not my business. It is theirs. We can rest on the fact that we have taken due care in our procedure.
I don't think the pastor who conducted the wedding can boast to have done any of these things except probably conduct a shambolic counselling for them.
Reporter: What advice do you have for intending couples in your church?
G.O: I usually tell them TO LOOK BEFORE THEY LEAP. I mean in this age, such secrets should not be hidden again. In this era of social media, you can search and also conduct your own personal research about the person you want to marry. But you see so many people are so loved up to do that.
I also advise intending couples to confess any secrets or mistakes in the past which could come back to haunt them as early as they can. If you have given birth before, don't hide it. Asiri si ma tu later o. If you were once an oloso....confess before somebody sends your photos and video of where you were doing the 'do' to your husband. Iyan ogun odun si ma njo ni lowo o.
Lastly i tell them to allow God to choose for them. If you choose yourself, you'll choose wrongly.
Reporter: Thank you sir for your time.
G.O: Thank you reporter. Please report well.
