The crisis rocking one of Nigeria’s oldest churches, the Assemblies of God Mission, has taken a new dimension as the acting superintendent of the troubled church, Rev. (Dr.) Chidi Okoroafor, accused the suspended leader of the church, Rev. (Dr.) Paul Emeka, of peddling falsehood.

Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, Rev. Okoroafor said the contents of the information circulated by his predecessor are false. He said the leadership of the church has been careful not to join issues with him on the pages of newspapers. Okoroafor added that their reaction became necessary in order to disabuse the minds of Nigerians and set the records straight. He stated as follows:

•The crisis rocking the church started when members of the church’s Body of Ambassadors and National Consultative Assembly (BANCA), the highest body of the laity, passed a vote of no confidence on Rev. Emeka.

•In a five-page petition dated September 24, 2013, signed by 12 members of the body and addressed to all district presbyteries of the Assemblies of God Church, BANCA had accused Emeka of high handedness, financial mismanagement and abuse of office.

•They had posited that it was wrong for the cleric to have arrogated to himself absolute and autocratic powers in managing issues affecting the church.

•BANCA had also accused the General Superintendent of allegedly spending N250 million in the acquisition of a property in Germany without approval of the Executive Committee and misappropriation of another N200 million withdrawn from the Pension fund without due process.

Emeka was also accused of introducing an alien culture of wearing “big rings on some fingers of both hands”, some people within the congregation known as “GS boys” had already copied the practice BANCA said.

Explaining the position of the church, Okoroafor said: “For the first time, we are responding. Before now, the leadership decided to be quiet. We felt it was an internal affair and did not want to go public. The matter is in court. The suspended former leader of the church took us to court. He filed three cases against us. We felt we should keep quiet. But everyday, he keeps going to the newspapers, which do not represent the true position of things.

“There is this insinuation that people are against the suspended head of the church because he is from Enugu State. Assemblies of God is a national church. A 17-man committee of the church is the highest decision-making body in the church. Dr. Paul Emeka was suspended because he breached the laws of the church. Assemblies of God is a disciplined church.

“Officers saw some anomalies in the church about some of the things that could dash the church against the rock. We are still open to reconciliation if he is ready to accept that he is wrong.”

•Adapted from a Daily Sun report. Photo shows Assemblies of God acting Superintendent, Rev. (Dr.) Chidi Okoroafor.

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