Ayo Fasoro

 

Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El -Kassis

 

The month of July 2026 just passed.

It was thirty one days filled with happenings; some common, some regular and others unusual.

 

First, the happy occasions of July 2026.

The month started with the most joyous occasion of the dedication of the Cathedral of Osogbo. Bishop John Oyejola whose tenth anniversary of episcopal ordination was on the last day of June was graceful enough to suppress celebration of the personal milestone. Instead, he chose to celebrate the Cathedral, a symbol not only of his authority as Bishop, but also of spiritual connection to the people and our faith.

A couple of days after, Archbishop Felix Alaba Job, Emeritus of Ibadan, marked fifty-five years of episcopacy, and marked it with pomp. We can’t say enough about that.

It was during the same month of July that the abductees from Oriire Local Government of Oyo State were released. Various accounts of details of their release have trended. That they are reunited with their loved ones is more important than the truth of how they were released.

While rejoicing with the people whose loved ones have returned home, those who lost their lives because of the episode should not be made to die in vain. Furthermore, those held in captivity in different areas of the country, be it North-West, North-East, North-Central, East-Central, South-East or South-South, deserve to return to their families as well. A day spent in captivity is inhumane and an affront to our decency as people made in the image of the Father.

 

Before July went to rest, the Holy Father appointed Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El -Kassis as the Holy See’s Permanent Observer at the United Nations. A Maronite from Lebanon representing the Holy Father on the global world stage would seem somewhat unexpected. No, it is not. It symbolizes unity of the universality of the Body of Christ. It also attests to the global spread of the Church and the participation of men of all nations in her governance.

Archbishop Christophe is the fourth holder of the position since 2010 when Indian Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt was appointed. Next was the Filipino Archbishop, Bernardito Cleopas Auza, appointed in 2014. And then an Italian, Gabriele Giordano Cassia, appointed in 2019 and who was recently appointed to United States as Nuncio.

The world is wide; the net of Christ is cast far and beyond human comprehension. The vineyard demands hard tending, but the labourers are few only in human estimation. The One who gives the task has also provided for the job.

 On the not bitter-sweet side, Monsignor John Adeniyi, last of the titans of old Oyo Diocese, passed on at the thankful age of ninety-two years. Osogbo celebrated Baba spiritually, socially and culturally. The people of God in the diocese honour Baba with deserved festivities. In many parishes, the traditional practice of frying ‘akara’ was undertaken. Some parishes did so with musical accompaniment.

 It was during the month of July that Olukoyede informed us that a twenty-two year old boy who never worked a day in his life  had five billion naira pass through his bank account during an eighteen-month period. In case you do not know, Ola Olukoyede is the Executive Chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission. If he thought that he was trying to surprise the nation, he probably does not know the nation that he is attempting to sanitize. Unsurprisingly, Olukoyede failed to tell us the name of the billion-naira boy.

Three years ago, Nigerians were delivered from the stranglehold of a cabal which we were told was collecting rent from all of us by being paid subsidy on every drop of petrol that you and I consumed. Have we ever been told the names of members of the cabal that robbed us blind? Or the amount of subsidy paid out on our behalf? Instead, members of the nameless cabal enjoy their loot. The public pays much more for fuel. The politicians have more money in their pockets and God blesses us all. Deo Gratias.

 

Ayo Fasoro

Non Sum Dignus