PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON 9TH SEPTEMBER 2016 AT INTERNATIONAL PRESS
CENTRE, OGBA LAGOS, NIGERIA AT 10AM BY PASTOR BAYO AKINJIYAN.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the press. I want to welcome you to
this place again exactly four weeks after our first meeting which was to
highlight two major issues with the authorities of RCCG. I bring you an update
on these.
The fact that until now, there has been no official statement by RCCG in
reaction to the issues raised in the media in the first place was an admission
of all the facts placed before the public by the church. They knew what evil
they did to me, but God turned it for my good. The only response to this came
through a phone call five days after the press conference from the Asst General
Overseer AGO (Admin & Personnel) - Pastor J.F Odesola requesting for a
meeting with me, at my convenient time and place, on behalf of Pastor E.A
Adeboye, the General Overseer (G.O) who he said was traveling out on
ministerial assignment. As a mark of courtesy for the office of the caller and
the person who sent him to me, I agreed to meet with him the following day at
his house at Redemption Camp. I spoke with my lawyer who agreed to the
arrangement with a word that any legal issue arising from the meeting be
referred to him. At the meeting, he apologized on behalf of the G.O for his
inability to personally meet with me and his desire to resolve the matter
amicably without recourse to the court of law. My immediate reaction was to ask
if Pastor Adeboye was aware of all the letters earlier sent to him, an answer
he (Odesola) could not give.
He showed me a letter written by the church, acknowledging the transfer
of our house at plot 15 Diligence Rd Redemption camp to the church and a cheque
of the value requested from Christ the Redeemer's College with an attached
letter stating in part that the payment was made on "compassionate grounds
..." My immediate reaction was to object to the letter as I was duly
appointed by the Board of Governors of the college with documentary evidence
and I discharged my duties diligently and responsibly and hence should be paid
based on works and services rendered to the college. He promised to effect the
change and he asked how he could further reach me on the issues, I directed him
to get in touch with my lawyer for further discussions if need be. He requested
for the lawyer's contact phone number which I later sent via sms and e-mail
where I indicated that the church had a window of discussion which would be
left opened till 9am on Friday 19th August, 2016.
We exchanged pleasantries and I made some suggestions on how to avoid
such unpleasant situations like the one on ground in the future. The meeting
was witnessed by his wife and one of my godly seeds who requested that the
church pay us compensation beyond just giving a letter of acknowledgement
bearing in mind what we had been made to pass through. Pastor Odesola, who
appeared more political than I used to know of him, was very warm to us and
promised to communicate this to the G.O.
The legal dept of the RCCG headed by one Titi Adegbile together with
Pastor Odesola later turned the episode into a melodrama such as posting
fallacious internal communications between them on the social media for reasons
best known to them.
A recent update from my lawyer indicated that he, the lawyer accepted
the cheque for payment for my consultancy fees in exchange for my company's
official receipt No. 700 dated 22nd August 2016 for 'Architectural consultancy
services on CRC projects (2009-2012)' a copy which was received and stamped by
the legal dept. of the church while he signed for them that there will be no
further litigation by either party and that it was paid on 'compassionate'
grounds which he later explained was to safe the face of the church having
boxed themselves into a tight corner. At a time, the church demanded for an
invoice duly signed by the chairman of the college board of Governors before
they could pay my fees. I explained to them that consultants don't have to give
invoice since they provide services and are not selling sand, gravel, cement or
television sets, and also the fact that the college released more than five
times the money I was requesting as fees to me for project execution without
any signed invoice by the Board chairman and even without receipt of
acknowledgement for the payment. They also held on to a letter sent to the
college in 2012 that the college was not owing any individual or organization.
I explained that this was with respect to a report on artisans and tradesmen
that we engaged on the projects and not my fee as I was still engaged as their
Architect as at that time and I still consulted for them even after the said
letter was written. My lawyer also received a cheque on the house according to
the church as ex gratia payment 'for the sake of the kingdom', representing
less than 15% of the present value of the property at Plot 15 Diligence Road
Redemption Camp. With the church having accepted the reality on the ground by
acceding to our demands, the issues hopefully have been laid to rest.
MY COUNSEL TO RCCG.
The RCCG has blazed the trail in church planting and massive drive for
membership through diverse evangelistic programmes especially in the last two
decades. This no doubt is lofty and praise worthy. The church has brought
meaning to what a visionary leadership represents. From a modest beginning in
1981 with less than forty branches when the present leadership took over the
saddle, the church is virtually in every country around the world today. Glory
be to God. I would like to salute the doggedness of the leadership of the
church headed by the General Overseer, Pastor E.A Adeboye.
Why bordering yourself giving counsel, having left the church and having
got your consultancy fees paid? Let them run their church the way they feel,
you might say. No, it's not about me or the consultancy fees requested but
about a divine prophetic mandate given to me to the body of Christ and Nations
of the world. I could just have kept quiet at this time or allow the matter to
die naturally but God won't be happy with me. He said, son of man, draw their
attention to their present state. If they repent, I will spare them. If they
don't, their sins will be upon them. The church has risen to a level that
whatever happens to it has a great impact on the body of Christ, around the
world. I decided to take the route I had taken in the past few weeks after much
prayers and when I was convinced beyond doubt that God is behind it. I wish
RCCG well. There is no way I would write my autobiography without giving due
attention to my adventure in this organisation where I spent a greater part of
my youthful life even more than the time I spent with my parents or in all the
higher institutions of learning I attended all put together.
Why not seek the G.O's attention and suggest these privately to him? I
have written over ten letters without any evidence that he got them as they
were not acknowledged. From the events of the past few weeks, it has been
proved that the only legitimate way to get Pastor Adeboye's urgent attention is
through the media. It's been proved that you can't see him even at his request
unless those who surround him made it possible.
A top official of the church advised me to be bringing my tithes to the
G.O, attend their meetings and then it would be easy for me to meet with him.
Methinks that I've had enough of that for 23 years. I desire to see more of
Jesus now more than ever before.
This is why I'm making the following suggestions open. I make them with
the best of intentions and also as directed by God to warn the church to sit
up. It is not for any personal vain glory:
1. Structural review to enabling e communications to and from the
leadership of RCCG to get to the desired destinations. There are so many Pastor
Bayo Akinjiyans within their system, who have for so long been suffering in
silence with no courage to cry out for justice. With the gargantuan size of
RCCG, the newly appointed AGOs should be empowered to act decisively on some
issues and only give feedback to the top. An enduring structure should be put
in place immediately. I reliably learnt that there is now a complaints
commission. I hope they 'll be empowered to act decisively. I also would like
to suggest that the phone numbers of the G.O's Secretary and that of his Personal
Assistant should be in the public domain. Please sir allow your people to get
to you. Many of them are being oppressed on daily basis and their cries have
reached the high heavens.
2. Many of RCCG senior pastors both at home and abroad are nice, refined
and godly, but some of them have become larger than life pastors who have
graduated to become provincial principalities and regional terrorists. Ask me
of my experience, I'll write you a book to read. God is against every form of
oppression and injustice. Pastor Adeboye needs to do something fast on these
demi-gods who have bought their way into leadership positions and have become
untamable and uncontrollable. They sit over mega churches and have access to
questionable wealth. I'm sure he knows them.
3. Need to review the rules bordering on home ownership at Redemption
camp. Times have changed and only God remains unchangeable. Anyone exiting the
mission without blemish and have served acceptably should be given the
opportunity of his house being bought over by the Mission or sold at the
prevailing market price to church members, provided his immediate family
supports this in writing. The present scenario of losing your house if you
leave the church calls for an urgent review as it is anachronistic, unprogressive,
slavish and outrightly unjustifiable. This can't be done in Redemption Camp at
Fortsworth, Dallas in the USA For those who saw my actions of building in
church owned land as foolish, well I don't blame you. Some of us who bought
into this idea of building on camp ground in the first place are hurt by the
fact that the church took undue advantage of us. Please carry out a survey on
the present residents to know their fears and feelings.
4. A forensic audit should be carried out from time to time on RCCG
Mission affiliated ministries- Christ the Redeemer's Ministries, (CRM) and its
agencies such as schools, bookshops, supermarkets, university and others. If
pastors in charge of parishes cannot buy a bottle of coke for themselves with
church money after a laborious Sunday service without being queried by
auditors, same should apply elsewhere. What is good for the goose, is also good
for the gander. What do you say in a situation where a school principal could
single handedly award a contract of repainting a block of classroom, clinic and
small crèche of the size of a 3 bedroom flat, a dining hall (seating less than
500) for a whopping sum of N8.438Million Naira. This is why many of the church
members can't afford to send their children to these high fee paying mission
schools. It's a shame! Are those in authority aware of this malfeasance? When
you see them, please ask them. Please sir, sanitize the system so that God can
answer the prayers of the saints.
5. Appointment into positions within the church and affiliate agencies
should purely be on merit. People who are appointed into positions on other
considerations by the church leadership tend to abuse the system and most often
uncontrollable by the board or authority overseeing them. Family members should
only be appointed into positions if they are qualified but not all positions.
In the light of this, could there be consideration for an appointment into the
position of AGO Finance?
6. The church should avoid double standard. Same yardstick should be used
for everybody. Please sir, permit me give one or two instances here: a
celebrity pastor was allegedly forced to resign a few years back because he
went into a second marriage while the first wife walked out on him. What
difference does that make to another pastor, a widower who was allegedly joined
in 'holy' matrimony by the church to a divorced woman with three children from
the first marriage while the first husband is still alive? Except that one took
place in Nigeria, and the other in the USA. Or what do you say of a pastor who
was allegedly asked to refund less than N5,000 which was unaccounted for during
an audit exercise of his church while a foreign mission director was alleged to
have collected $10,000 for a mission field abroad only to part with 40% of it
to the missionary on ground out of which his (director) accommodation and
honorarium were paid? The remaining 60% according to him was for the 'people at
home'. Meanwhile the missionary was made to sign for $10,000.00. No audit for
such money transited? There should be no sacred cows. We are all equal before
God.
7. Finally, it is time for the church to become more relevant to the
needs of her members and the society especially at this trying times in our
Nation. More efforts should be geared at giving back to the society. After 64
years of her existence, more is expected from RCCG. The annual budget of RCCG
is alleged to be higher than that of some states in the federation. Please sir,
kindly look into provision of more scholarships for indigent but brilliant
students, lower school fees in schools owned and operated with mission fund,
free skill acquisition for your youths and women in urban and rural communities
throughout the Nation, better welfare package for full time staff and junior
part time pastors below the rank of Zonal pastors, investment in hospital
ministry through provision of drugs, hospital equipment and cancer screening
Centres for members and the general public. Immanuel recreational park at the
Redemption camp is a misplaced priority project; grossly under utilized and
please sir, no gate fee should further be charged. Let those children enjoy the
investments of their parents. There is no point for pastors riding expensive
cars in the midst of hungry looking church members or building a gargantuan
worship Centre, that will soon be burnt by fire at the imminent coming of the
Saviour, it is abomination to pack in members who barely feed once a day in
glass cathedrals. Ministry has gone beyond only gathering crowds in millions to
impacting them with the word of life, raising disciples and meeting their
emotional and financial needs through support systems. After all, how many
auditoria did Jesus build? He gathered the people, taught them scriptures, gave
them food and dispersed them. Please don't misunderstand me for speaking the
truth. Your best friend would tell you what you need to hear. Your worst enemy
would tell you what you want to hear. Again, I wish RCCG well
APPRECIATION
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, let me start by thanking God
Almighty, Jehovah Sabbaoth for His grace, strength and courage to speak up at
this time and for fighting for me. To Him alone be all glory, honour and
adoration for evermore. I also thank the media- mainstream print media,
particularly Punch Newspapers (Saturday Punch) and online media- especially
Sahara Reporters and others who against fear and intimidation braced all odds
and gave the first media conference a wide readership. You have proved to be
the voice of the voiceless.
I will also like to thank International Press Centre (IPC) for providing
their press centre free of charge and giving this coverage every available
support. To the chairman of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, who had always been on
the side of truth and justice right from his 'great Ife' days and his team, I
say kudos.
I cannot fail to appreciate all my family, friends, brethren around the
world especially those who called, prayed and identified with me on the social
media despite the challenges of being ostracized by your church, I salute your
courage. May God bless you always,..in all ways. Thanks to all NGOs who offered
help and advocacy.
 |
| Pastor Adeboye |
I have no word of appreciation for RCCG but an admonition that the
church should repent and ask God for forgiveness. The rod of the wicked shall not
rest on the lot of the righteous. That's what God says in His holy words.
"...Oh, my lord, if God is with us, why is all this befallen us ?..."
The church needs to examine itself in view of recent but strange events
happening around her. Spiritually speaking, the ship of the church is sailing
fast towards the abyss in the dangerous waters of the Bermuda Triangle and only
divine intervention and prayers of saints can avert the imminent cataclysm.
Forget about all the propaganda of foreign programmes, crowd gatherings and all
the hypes, the chicken will soon come to roost.
Should I thank the church that has devalued my professional fee by over
50% due to 4years of delayed payment? Should I thank the church that
guesstimated the value of a property and paid what is less than 15% of the open
market value? What is left in a once beautiful church now turned into RCC of
Greed, that has turned a house of prayer for all nations into a den of thieves
on the expressway.
This is the harvest of the seed of injustice, oppression and hate that
they have planted and nurtured over the years. I know some must have learnt one
or two lessons from my adventure. I thank God for His enabling grace this much.
Drawing inspiration from the story of Joseph in Genesis chapter 41, I forgive
and forget all the afflictions I had suffered in the hands of my 'brothers' in
RCCG, I move on. I am as strong as I was twenty six years ago I when I joined
the church. God has vindicated me and He has made me to forget the afflictions
of the past. No man can destroy my destiny. I refuse to be dragged to their
level but chose to rise above it and tap into God's unlimited grace. He has
brought me this far not to abandon me. Nobody can defeat me as I have the
Spirit of God in me. No one can curse a man blessed by God. I let go what men
have done against me as all have started working together for my good. I
continue the journey into my glorious destiny. I release them. I leave my case
in the hands of the best Advocate and He will always answer for me.
Thank you ladies and gentlemen of the press, God bless you.
September 9 at 4:12am · Public
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