By Sam Eyoboka

COMMUTERS on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will soon heave a sigh of relief as the week long 59th annual spiritual retreat of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, which started last Monday at the Redemption Camp on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway comes to a close today.

Commuters on the road, on Friday night, had a har-rowing experience as all the approaches to the sprawling Redemption Camp were completely taken over by persons who wanted to make it to the venue of the Holy Ghost Service, the star attraction of the annual convention.

Sirens and escorts could not help Governors of Ogun and Ondo states and other eminent Nigerians to mean-der through the sea of vehi-cles that have clustered one of the busiest highways in the country. Motorists who left Lagos as early as 6.00 p.m. with the hope of getting to the Camp early enough to take advantage positions where they can fully part-icipate in the proceedings from the altar or watch from any of the large screens dotting the length and breadth of the auditorium, didn’t arrive until three or more hours later.

While it will be a great relief for commuters on the road, the revise is the case for thousands of those whose lives were transform-ed during the spiritual fiesta, the numerous moth-ers who gave birth to their babies free of charge at the Redeemer’s Maternity, tho-se who received their heal-ings and those who made brisk business selling one item or the other during the convention.

The economic benefit of the convention which att-racted thousands of people from all over the world including the US, UK, Israel, Canada, Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, et al cannot be overemphasized, not with the large number of tourists who graced the occasion, traders who will be smiling to the banks this week, transporters as well as the petrol stations, many of whom, stayed all night to attend to motorists who had run out fuel in the long traffic.

As late as 10.00 p.m. on Friday night young men were still on the highway selling plantain chips, egg roles, different varieties of gala, pure water and other soft drinks to frustrated motorists who were left with no choice than to eat and drink to overcome their frustrations on the road.

Young men and women who were begging for atten-tion shouting ‘white hanky’, were besieged as soon as the man of God announced that every participant should bring out a white hand-kerchief.

Instantaneously, those petty traders made tremendous sales as some persons were willing to buy several of the handker-chiefs.

Apart from those who traveled from other parts to sell their wares, there are residents along the appro-aches to the camp who also will now experience a lull after a period of bounteous harvest.

Much as the RCCG had tried to update facilities in the Redemption Camp, the place is growing by lips and bounds just as facilities are being overstretched and therefore people in the neighbourhood have start-ed letting out their homes as hostels to desperate participants while several others were contented mak-ing money from charging phone batteries. A few young people were seen mending shoes and even clothes.

So, when thousands will be singing the nunc dimitis today, millions of persons will have one thing or the other to remember the 59th annual convention of the Redeemed Christian Chur-ch of God for.