It took us 22 years to build our demolished building — Church

Tell us about yourself.

I am Jonathan Adebari; ex-pastor of a church that was pulled down in Abule Egba by the Lagos State Government.

For how long have you been a member of the church?

I was born and baptised in the church in 1945. I became the pastor of the church between 2006 and October 2015. My father was one of the foundation members of the church.

How do you feel about the demolition of the church?

It goes to show that we have a government that lacks vision, a government that does not think about the future of the younger generation. In developed countries, the government would have planned the exercise out properly. A demarcation would have been made.

Did the church authorities get government approval for the building?

Yes we did. If the government knew it was going to destroy the building, why did it approve it? It has been over 10 years since we got the approval. It took us 22 years to build the church. We are not rich. We contributed money from the little income we made to erect the structure. It would cost us about N20m.

What role has the church been playing in the lives of its worshippers?

It is a moral builder not only to the congregation but also to people in general. It consistently strives to build morals and deepen the spiritual lifestyle of people. Indirectly, we are helping the government to reduce criminality in the state. The government should consider our impact on the society and compensate us for the loss.