New photos of the Senior Pastor of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo, show that he has been suffering from an ailment for a while now. He looked frail and way older than his former self.
His new look has drawn reactions from several corners. Some persons have said that he is being punished over the numerous controversies he has faced for some years relating to sexual allegations. It will be recalled that some women, including Ese Walter and Busola Dakolo accused the preacher of sexual misbehavior.
However, a pastor, author and software engineer, Charles Awuzie, has said that people should not judge the pastor. He also gave a personal account of when he was previously ill and the comments that followed.
He wrote on Facebook, “Same person, different seasons. This is the story of Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo. This is also my story. Last year, by this time, I was looking like a walking corpse. I lost a lot of weight, I was very itchy everyday. I ate tasteless food daily and had given up on living.
“Everytime I looked in the mirror, I saw a different person but I knew I was the same person, just different seasons. Some people said all kinds of things. Someone said I was being punished by God. Another said that I was acting like a demigod, so the true god used sickness to humble me. These things were posted on Facebook by people who were close to me and even family to me.
“So, I have been where Pastor Biodun is now and I encourage Nigerians to be kinder to people going through difficult times. Be compassionate to both the rich and the poor. The rich need as much compassion just as the poor.
“One thing I have discovered is that once people think you are rich and famous, they stop seeing you as a human being who deserves to be loved and they see you as a figure who should either be worshipped or criticised. Those who worship Pastor Biodun or any other famous person will never see their weaknesses as a human and those who criticise him will also never see that he is a mere human trying to experience life…”
In the comment section, he continued, “To the new people on this platform, my name is Charles Awuzie. I have been in the Pentecostal ministry for decades and share close bonds with most senior pastors across Nigeria.
“When Dr. Uma Ukpai came to COZA in April, our brother Biodun was not well. After that meeting, his condition worsened. I got several calls from top leaders in the country. I sat down with many more and we wished him a quick recovery.
“Living in denial is not proof of love. Love is vulnerably sharing one’s seasons with those who look up to them and that’s what this post is all about. I share my personal story here too. This is to inspire compassion and not condemnation or argument.
“Be kind to everyone – the poor and the rich, popular and unpopular, we are all going through the same thing. Sickness is not a shame…It is an announcement of our shared humanity. Change your mindset about these things.”
One of Awuzie’s Facebook friend, Kelechi Deca said, “I’ve been so sick that people who knew me couldn’t recognise me. At a point, some were visibly confused when I introduced myself. 2015 was supposed to be the worst year in my adult life, but it was also kind to me as I never stopped working for a day because of sickness. I fought to live and here I am. He will bounce back.”
On his part, a self-acclaimed relationship coach, Solomon Buchi, also advised against condemning Pastor Fatoyinbo. He wrote on Facebook, “If you are a Christian and you gloated over those lanky photos of Pastor Fatoyinbo of COZA, your heart is not right, no matter what was said in the past, never gloat over someone’s ill-health or even wish them evil. This isn’t Christian at all..."
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