The crisis rocking Assemblies of God Church has taken a new twist after a faction petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alleging that the factional General Superintendent and six others defrauded the church of funds running into billions of naira.
With over 2.6 million members and headquartered in Enugu, the Assemblies of God Church that has 50 missionaries in nine countries across the world with over 11,650 ministers has been torn apart over leadership crisis.
Professor Paul Emeka and Dr Chidi Okoroafor(both pictured) have both been laying claim to the church headship, the General Superintendent, GS, and have been fighting dirty and assassinating each other’s character.
The latest is a petition written by a factional Assistant General Superintendent, Rev. Ramsey Ogagaoghene to EFCC alleging that a factional General Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Chidi Okoroafor and six others embezzled over N100 billion belonging to the church, adding that Rev. Okoroafor was the Assistant General Superintendent until March, 2014 when he could not account for funds of the church and formed a parallel group that threw the church into crisis.
The petition read in part: “On behalf of the Assistant General Superintendent, Rev. Ramsey Ogagaoghene, Bright Arukwe, Clement Esochaghi, Oliver Udensi and Sunday Palma for and on behalf of pastors and other concerned members of the church, we claim that Rev. Vincent Alaje, Rev. Femi Adegoke, Mr. Dickson Ukpai, Mr. Michael Ugbor, Elder Mike Okoro and Tony Ewelike engaged in illegal and unauthorized business without the approval of the General Superintendent.
“Alaje unilaterally spent about N115 million belonging to the church, personally negotiated and concluded payments for three plots of lands and has started developing the plots without the consent and authority of the General Superintendent and other officers of the church.
“Alaje was fond of commandeering the money of the church, approving same by himself, and authorized payments without the consent of the General Superintendent. This was evidenced by his requisition of 5/4/2013 for the sum of N1.5 million which he tagged, ‘Trip to Ibadan with family.’ The unilateral stashing of fund was after the church magnanimously approved N2 million for him.
“Mr. Tony Ewelike could not account for N1.4 billion Assemblies of God Ministers Benefit Scheme, AGMBS, just as Alaje illegally collected N28.5 million as staff investment premium without any authorization.”
