By Uche Amunike
The Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare has opened up on the discouragement he felt after visiting ex-president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari last week.
Speaking, during a webinar, Saturday, he stated that he left Buhari so discouraged that he knew that he needed time to encourage himself in the Lord.
According to him, it was the same discouragement that made him turn down the invitation by the governor of Kaduna State, Malam El Rufai, to inaugurate a road in Kaduna state.
During the webinar, he explained that he was trying to put the record straight, because he did not attend the inauguration.
Before beginning his speech during the Zoom program, which was titled, ‘Building the New Nigeria: The role of the Diaspora’, organised by the PTB4Nigeria in Diaspora Group, Bakare explained that even though his name was written on the road he was supposed to commission, he did not attend the event.
His words: ‘They wanted me to come and commission some road in Kaduna with my name written boldly on it. I see the road here, Isa Kaita Road, and they wrote on it (that) it was commissioned by Pastor Tunde Bakare on Friday, May 26, 2023. I wanted to share with you that I didn’t go, I wasn’t there,’ Bakare said.
The cleric read a message he sent to El Rufai, through WhatsAp, Thursday explaining his reasons for not making it to the program.
It read: ‘Good morning, hope you had a good night’s rest. Sorry, I missed your call, I slept late last night, so I just got home. I would like to sincerely appeal to you to please release me from commissioning any road tomorrow (Friday).’
‘I’m so discouraged after I met with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), last night. I need time to encourage myself in the Lord my God.’
‘I’m not in the mood to discuss the cumulative effect of the past 13 years on me (2010 to 2013)’.
‘I thank God for sparing my life and seeing me through it all. My confidence is in God alone and by his grace I will surely bounce back, and by his intervention, whichever way, Nigeria will still work in my lifetime,’ he maintained.
He explained that he truly appreciated the invitation sent to him, even though it came last minute, to commission one of the many roads constructed in Kaduna, during El Rufai’s tenure as governor, but couldn’t make it because of his disappointed state after seeing Buhari.
In response, El Rufai replied: ‘Na wa o, my Oga, what has he done to push you even to this state of mind? I’m sorry, sir, I understand if you’re unable to make it, we’re all struggling with the heartbreak of PMB.’
Pastor Bakare, however, said that he was not disappointed at all, knowing what God had said.
Recall that El Rufai invited numerous dignitaries for the inauguration of various infrastructural projects, as part of the Urban renewal program of his administration on Friday.
Former Kano State Governor Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso also inaugurated the New Ungwan Rimi Market and other roads in Kaduna on Friday, while the former Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bisi Akande, also inaugurated the expanded Bida Road.
The Raba Link Road was inaugurated by ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo who assured that the project was for the good and progress of the people of Kaduna state.
