Segun Adio
The memories of the famous Rwandan genocide of 1994 was brought to the fore recently in Kigali, the East African nation’s capital, which Nigerian politicians were urged to learn from.
Recall that over a million natives of that country were killed in a most grueling manner during the period.
World renowned Evangelist and philanthropist, Reverend Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi, who spoke recently at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Arcade, recalled with nostalgia the harrowing experience of the genocide and the aftermath it brought to that country.
It was at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Arcade that the victims of the genocide were buried.
Twenty-five years after, many families are yet to recover from the effect of the war.
Rev. Mother Ajayi and her husband, Rev. Apostle Ademuyiwa Ajayi, were invited to that country by the Rwanda Development Board (RBD) and Solace Ministries, a non-profit, non-denominational Christian organisation dedicated to comforting widows and orphans in response to the overwhelming needs of traumatised survivors of genocide especially HIV/AIDS victims.
Apart from helping Rwandans to heal their wounds, the organisation is essentially committed to reconciling the survivors with Christ.
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A leading religious sect in that country had, during the war, disappointed the faithful having allegedly played obnoxious roles in the gruesome killing of thousands of their members that sought refuge in the church. Also recall that 90 per cent of Rwandans are confessed to be Christians.
Welcoming the Ajayis to Rwanda, the Chief Investment Officer of RDB, Mr. Guy Baron, appealed to the family to invest in the country especially in the real estate and agricultural sectors.
Rev. Mother Ajayi promised to study the proposal and get back after the family might have decided on what to with Rwanda.
The global philanthropist was also at the Solace Ministry which is about 20 kilometers to Kigali, the capital Rwanda.
The ministry not onlyprovides spiritual therapy for the traumatised Rwandans, but provides means of livelihood to the community inhabited by over 50,000 families.
Rev. Mother Ajayi and her husband together with their entourage, visited patients in the hospital and the ministry’s new structure under construction where they joined worshippers in their fellowship to praise God for the lives of the survivors.
Welcoming the Ajayis to the church, one Gakwandi, who narrated how he survived the war by miracle and special grace of God said, “Today is a special day for us. Though we are small but we have a very big God.
“I heard of what Rev. Ajayi is doing around the world but I thought we are not in the category of people she could have time to visit, but she is led by Holy Spirit to visit us today.
“I was told of what she did in Liberia, but her coming here should be seen as her love for Christ and Christians. 25 years ago, devil struck but you have come to see what you might have watched on TV or read on newspapers.”
Rev. Mother Ajayi who was much elated with the hymnals, ‘Pass Me Not by Gentle Saviour’ and ‘Nearer My Lord to Thee,’ sang in Kinyarwanda, Rwanda local language, charged them not to be hopeless but look onto Jesus who is able to wipe off their tears.
Her powerful and spirit-filled 30 minutes ministration did not only make Madam Nyinawabega Xabena who lost her seven children to the war clapping and praising God, but her faith reaffirmed in Christ.
Addressing the congregation, Rev. Mother Ajayi said, “Devil will always want to remind you of yesterday to get you stuck in pains but forget yesterday and thank God for today and be assured of greater things God will do for you tomorrow.
“Jesus is the great healer; believe in Him and whatever that has happened to you will end in praises”.
She used the story of her life as once a homeless and jobless Prophetess in England, but now with abundance of God’s favour and mercy to assure them of greater tomorrow.
She continued, “It is only person who had suffered will understand what you are passing through.
“There was a time in London, I was a Prophetess without any work, my husband who was working became sick, we were sent packing by the council and became homeless with four children.
“If God can change my story today, He will surely visit you and give you reasons ro smile. Do not despair, Jesus is alive”.
During the ministration, she said God told her that some of them were with no hope of “what to eat this afternoon”. The number of people who raised up their hands with tales of woes spurred the human kindness in her and thereafter gave each person in the church some dollars that brought out tears of joy from many widows and orphans.
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Rev. Mother Ajayi also said, “In this kind of situation, you don’t just preach to hungry people, you have to demonstrate the kindness of God by providing succor to them”.
She also donated hugely to the completion of new hospital structure.
Speaking on the lessons to be learnt by Nigerian politicians of the Rwanda episode, Rev. Mother Ajayi said it would be nice for those fanning embers of disunity in Nigeria to take a trip to Rwanda and see the effect of war in that country.
Mother Ajayi said Nigeria and indeed, Africa, needed leaders that would preach love, peace and unity amongst their people and canvass for votes on what they have to offer and not on ethnic sentiment.
Her words, “Twenty-five years after the genocide, I can still feel the impact among the people.
“The memory was still fresh and their tears are yet to dry. I pray such heinous crime against humanity would never happen again in Africa, especially in Nigeria.
“We must continue to pray for Nigeria for peace to reign. Our religious and political leaders must preach love and peace at all times and we must be our brother’s keepers. God is love and whoever that does not love his or her neighbor does not know God.
“But the good thing I see in Rwanda is the good spirit to forgive and march on. Though they didn’t forget the incident and that made them to resolve that never again would they allow anybody to divide them. No more Hutus or Tutsi but they see themselves as Rwandans. This should be a great lesson to Nigerians.
“We also notice good governance here. President Paul Kagame and his team seem to know what they are doing. They are attracting a lot of people and International conferences to their country,” she said.