Christian leaders have started reacting to Pastor Tunde Bakare’s comments that a revolution would consume religious leaders in the country, and the way he condemned the acquisition of jets by renowned Christian leaders in Nigeria.
One of those who reacted to Bakare’s comments is the chairman of the Northern Christian Elders Forum, Evangelist Matthew Owojaiye, who said Bakare’s comments should be ignored.
Also, Apostle Isa El-Buba, the General Overseer of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries International, Jos, Plateau State, defended preachers who own jets, concluding that Bakare’s condemnation of these men of God was blasphemous.
According to El-Buba, “There is nothing wrong in a preacher owning a jet. If people in the secular world can acquire jets for chief executive officers of big private enterprises, there is nothing wrong in giving gifts to a man of God of Pastor Oritsejafor’s standing. This is a man of God that travels across the whole world. He deserves what he has been given.”
Similarly, the General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Musa Asake, flayed Bakare, saying: “What is wrong with giving a gift to Pastor Oritsejafor? Did Pastor Oritsejafor embezzle church money?
Did he collect somebody’s money? Some people came together and bought it for him so as to ease his work. This is to help him to continue with the work of the gospel. Oritsejafor is a man of God.
He is doing everything for the work of God. It is a welcome idea. I support people who help ministers of the gospel in their work. He did not go out to lobby for it.
It was a surprise for him. I was at that occasion. I saw things myself,” he argued.
Yet another Christian leader, Reverend Gideon Oyibo, President of the Delta State Baptist Conference, exonerated Pastor Oritsejafor, saying there was nothing wrong with such gesture.
According to Oyibo, “The environment influences the way people talk. If you come from a family background of poverty and a member of the family is rich, people will conclude that he is a ritualist.
They will conclude that he has stolen money, because in that family, the members do not expect anybody to be rich.
In Nigeria, we have a traditional environment in which a pastor is expected to operate by our own evaluation. Whenever a pastor is living above our own evaluation, then we can say anything about that person.
The question we should ask is that: did Pastor Oritsejafor ask for the jet? Did he beg for it?
Or was it that certain people gathered together under the leading of God and decided to buy it and present it to him as a gift?”
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