Rev. Theophilus Banji Ogundele is the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Eruwa, Oyo State chapter. In this interview with FEMI OJEDOKUN, he speaks on the menace of internet fraud pervading his community.
Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?
I am Reverend Theophilus Banji Ogundele, the Chairman of, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Eruwa branch. I am the Minister in charge of St John’s Anglican Church, Aborerin, Eruwa and over 40 years of age. I am a native of Lanlate in Ibarapa East Local Government Area and was born to the family of late L/R James Ogundele and Mrs Bola Ogundele.
I attended Methodist Primary School, Lanlate, and Eruwa High School where I finished my secondary school education in 1997. I later went to His Coming Bible College at Sango, Eruwa where I obtained a Diploma in Theology and from there, I went to the University of Ibadan Affiliated School where I had a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology.
What are the achievements you have recorded so far?
There are lots of achievements. We were able to gather about 175 widows at Eruwa, counselled and gave them food items just to contribute to their well being and before the end of this year, we will, with the help of God and the cooperation of my people, launch an album by CAN choir.
What are the challenge(s) you have been facing so far?
Well, everybody face one challenge or the other but the only challenge I face is finance. There are programmes lined up to boost CAN activities in Eruwa but due to the paucity of funds, It has been a major challenge and I believe with time it would become a thing of the past.
Internet fraud appears to be becoming pervasive in Eruwa. What is your take on this menace?
It is so unfortunate that Eruwa town, famous for a high concentration of youths eager to earn a decent living for themselves, Is fast turning into a town no one will be proud of courtesy of some lazy and hopeless youths. A young man of 18 to 20 years of age is driving expensive cars worth between N5 million to N10 million without being engaged in any visible job. How did he get the money to buy these expensive cars?
I want to warn the young ladies not to kill themselves prematurely. Any lady these boys make love to will produce money and sooner or later such a girl would die while the Yahoo boys would be enjoying their money, even though I am very sure that they will meet their Waterloo sooner than later. As the CAN Chairman in Eruwa, I want to advise ladies, most especially students of Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, to be extraordinarily careful. They should not allow themselves to be used for money rituals. Again, I want to advise parents to take proper care of their children by providing for their needs so that these boys would not entice them with money. A parent that collects money from a child(ren) who is schooling is wrong, such parent(s) should stop it.
I also want to encourage the management of the polytechnic to enforce discipline on campus, no student should be allowed to drive cars into the school premises. It is wrong and dangerous for any lecturer to collect illegal money or bribes from these Yahoo boys. Such a lecturer could be used for money rituals by these boys. I would also urge the Oyo State government, led by Engr. Seyi Makinde, to empower security agencies in Eruwa, to make anybody caught engaging in unlawful activities face the full wrath of the law. Though they are trying their best, the government should give them more support.
It is quite unfortunate that these Yahoo boys operate openly anywhere at Eruwa. You would see them with dreadlocks, putting on earrings like a female. All these should not be allowed on the campus of the polytechnic. Government should create a special security network to deal with these suspected ritualists called “Yahoo boys.”
What is your advice to the government of Seyi Makinde as it pilots the affairs of the state?
I want to commend the governor on his performance so far, but I still want to charge him to put in more effort. Again, the hike in the price of food items in Eruwa has become a source of worry and it would affect our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) because the majority of the people do go to neighbouring Igboora to buy their meat. The fare between Eruwa and Ibadan is almost the same as Igangan to Ibadan, which should not be so.
I will advise that the Chairman of Ibarapa East Local Government Area, Hon. Gbenga Obalowo should convene a stakeholders’ meeting to do something about the hike in the prices of essential commodities.
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