The sudden decision by the renown man of God and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God to name a national General Overseer has been attributed to some new laws, tagged as anti-Christians promulgated by the Federal Government, News Punch has learned reliably.
The Daddy G.O., as he is fondly called yesterday suddenly announced the change in baton of the Church leadership by naming a very close confidant, Pastor Joseph Obayemi as his successor to lead the RCCG in Nigeria, while he (Adeboye) still in charge as the general Overseer, Worldwide. This decision it was gathered according to Pastor Adeboye was to comply to new government laws on churches in the country.
The renowned cleric decried government’s meddlesomeness on church matters in the country.
Speaking at the 2017 Ministers’ Annual Thanksgiving on Saturday at the Redemption Camp, Kilometre 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Adeboye expressed worries over deliberate anti-Christian laws being churned out by the Federal Government to interfere in church affairs, Nigerian Tribune reports
The clergyman, however, urged members across the nation to join political parties to be part of decision-making in the country's governance.
The clergyman, however, urged members across the nation to join political parties to be part of decision-making in the country's governance.
“The government has been showing increasing interest in church affairs.
Unfortunately, for us in RCCG, it might not be very helpful,” the cleric fondly called Daddy G. O. disclosed.
The man of God went further to accuse the government of not allowing the church to continue with its stipulated lifetime 100 per cent salaries to its pensioners.
“For example, when I decided on what will be the pension of our pastors, what I decided is not done anywhere in the world.
That somebody will retire and continue to earn full salaries all his lifetime.
This, I started, but government stepped in and made a law that we should be contributing to pension fund.
We’ve to obey and we started doing that. The results are that pastors don’t get as much as they were getting under our own previous arrangement.
But what can we do? We’ve to obey the law,” he disclosed.
Speaking further, Adeboye disclosed that other fresh laws had been enacted by the government to ruffle the feathers of church in the country, with a particular target on RCCG.
According to him, “Now there are fresh laws. We have a rough idea of what the law is about.
Continuing, he said: “some people believe that RCCG is becoming too influential and we’re going to be more influential.
When you get home, tell members to join a political party.
Join a party and become a card-carrying member of any party. Just join any party. We shall decide issues right from ward level.
If you are not active at ward level, you’ll do what they plan and say at the top.
Enrol in any party of your choice and have a card.
When holding meeting at ward level to choose delegates, be there.
One Muslim in Ibadan said years ago that he didn’t know what’s wrong with Christians that we help them to occupy political positions and serve, refusing to capitalise on our population.
That’s going to change from now,” the man of God instructed his ministers.
On the tenure of general overseers of religious bodies in the country, Pastor Adeboye disclosed that in the “new law that has been announced, they said that nobody can be overseer for more than more than certain number of years.
And according to that law, people like me, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, Bishop Mike Okonkwo were already gone.”
Having said this, Pastor Adeboye presented Pastor J. O. Obayemi, as the new Overseer, Pastor Johnson Odesola as secretary and Pastor Adeyokunnu as treasurer of the mission.
Pastor Obayemi and Odesola were former Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Finance and Special Assistant on Administration and Personnel respectively.
Speaking on the new law, Pastor Adeboye, while presenting the new appointees, said: “So, I want to present to you your new overseer, so you can pray for him.
They also said we must have a secretary; they said we must have a treasurer too.
So, I present to you Pastor Obayemi, Pastor Odesola and Pastor Adeyokunnu to you.
As God will have it, the people have been prepared for the jobs for years.
For instance, Pastor Obayemi has been in charge of salary review committee for years and inland missions.
He’s been out representative at Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for years, so he’ll be doing what he’s been doing.”
Adeboye, who did not specifically announced that he had resigned or retire as GO, said he has no problem performing his God-given role.
“About me, no problem. RCCG is in 192 nations of the world and the overseer in Nigeria will not drive me out of the camp.
He won’t stop me from doing the Holy Ghost services and he won’t stop me from visiting you.”
Pastor Adeboye joined RCCG in 1973 and was appointed General Overseer of the church in 1981 after the demise of Ondo-born founder of the church, Reverend Josiah Akindayomi.
