After
serving at the Redeemed Christian Church of God for 23 years, Bayo
Akinjiyan, 55, has decried what he described as “man’s inhumanity to man
and the travesty of justice” by the church he served “meritoriously.”
serving at the Redeemed Christian Church of God for 23 years, Bayo
Akinjiyan, 55, has decried what he described as “man’s inhumanity to man
and the travesty of justice” by the church he served “meritoriously.”
Akinjiyan,
who voluntarily resigned from the church in 2013 after rising to the
position of an assistant provincial pastor at Lagos Province 25, said he
could not fathom why an organisation he was once a part of for 23 years
would treat him with “human indignity” and refuse to pay him what is
due to him.
who voluntarily resigned from the church in 2013 after rising to the
position of an assistant provincial pastor at Lagos Province 25, said he
could not fathom why an organisation he was once a part of for 23 years
would treat him with “human indignity” and refuse to pay him what is
due to him.
Upon his exit from the church, Akinjiyan
said he had to vacate a N15m house he personally built on Plot 15,
Diligence Road, Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which is in
line with the policy of the church that a non-member has no rights to
own any building at the camp.
said he had to vacate a N15m house he personally built on Plot 15,
Diligence Road, Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which is in
line with the policy of the church that a non-member has no rights to
own any building at the camp.
However, after handing over the
property, its receipt has yet to be acknowledged by the authorities of
the church; a position Akinjiyan said had made him uncomfortable.
property, its receipt has yet to be acknowledged by the authorities of
the church; a position Akinjiyan said had made him uncomfortable.
His other grievance is over unpaid
consultancy fees amounting to over N2m on projects designed, supervised
and or managed by him since 2012.
consultancy fees amounting to over N2m on projects designed, supervised
and or managed by him since 2012.
Akinjiyan said he had exploited all
available media to express his grievances to the church, including
through the writing of private letters to the General Overseer, Pastor
Enoch Adeboye, but after waiting for over two years and his grievances
had yet to be addressed, he had resorted to writing an open letter to
the leader of the church.
available media to express his grievances to the church, including
through the writing of private letters to the General Overseer, Pastor
Enoch Adeboye, but after waiting for over two years and his grievances
had yet to be addressed, he had resorted to writing an open letter to
the leader of the church.
His letter read, “First, I want to
address the attitude and response of the authorities and leadership of
the Redeemed Christian Church of God over the house on Plot 15,
Diligence Road, Redemption Camp Estate, Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway that I handed over to them upon my voluntary exit from the
church after 23 years of meritorious service and having risen to the
position of assistant provincial pastor.
address the attitude and response of the authorities and leadership of
the Redeemed Christian Church of God over the house on Plot 15,
Diligence Road, Redemption Camp Estate, Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway that I handed over to them upon my voluntary exit from the
church after 23 years of meritorious service and having risen to the
position of assistant provincial pastor.
“This was contained in my letter of
resignation, dated November 3, 2013. That I gave my best in this
adventure was alluded to by the church in the letter of release, dated
March 11, 2014, which states inter alia, ‘…We wish to appreciate you for
your contributions to this ministry and we pray that God will reward
and support you in your future endeavours…’
resignation, dated November 3, 2013. That I gave my best in this
adventure was alluded to by the church in the letter of release, dated
March 11, 2014, which states inter alia, ‘…We wish to appreciate you for
your contributions to this ministry and we pray that God will reward
and support you in your future endeavours…’
“Secondly, the attitude and response of
the Board of Governors of Christ the Redeemers College, Sagamu, Ogun
State Nigeria — a private secondary school operated by Christ the
Redeemer’s Ministries, an affiliate of RCCG, over an unpaid consultancy
fees on projects designed, supervised and or managed by me since 2012.
the Board of Governors of Christ the Redeemers College, Sagamu, Ogun
State Nigeria — a private secondary school operated by Christ the
Redeemer’s Ministries, an affiliate of RCCG, over an unpaid consultancy
fees on projects designed, supervised and or managed by me since 2012.
“I know the implications of my actions
and having fully weighed my options, I hereby accept full
responsibilities for my actions. My decision to inform the Christian
community and the larger society is not aimed at destroying or
tarnishing the image of anyone or maligning the church that once gave me
fire, but rather, it is aimed at putting records straight, and
satisfying my God and my conscience. I have prayed over this matter,
consulted those that I needed to, and I’ve come to the conclusion that
God is on the side of those who have a right standing with Him.
and having fully weighed my options, I hereby accept full
responsibilities for my actions. My decision to inform the Christian
community and the larger society is not aimed at destroying or
tarnishing the image of anyone or maligning the church that once gave me
fire, but rather, it is aimed at putting records straight, and
satisfying my God and my conscience. I have prayed over this matter,
consulted those that I needed to, and I’ve come to the conclusion that
God is on the side of those who have a right standing with Him.
“Let us address the first issue — the
house at Redemption Camp. In line with the policy of the RCCG mission on
those who build on its land, the keys to the house on the above
mentioned location, which is a five-bedroom house (all en-suite), valued
by a firm of chartered estate surveyors at N15.5m as of December 5,
2011, were submitted to the church through my letter to the General
Overseer, dated March 4, 2014 upon my voluntary exit.
house at Redemption Camp. In line with the policy of the RCCG mission on
those who build on its land, the keys to the house on the above
mentioned location, which is a five-bedroom house (all en-suite), valued
by a firm of chartered estate surveyors at N15.5m as of December 5,
2011, were submitted to the church through my letter to the General
Overseer, dated March 4, 2014 upon my voluntary exit.
“Reminders were also sent through four
other letters dated September 2, 2015, January 2, 2016, March 10, 2016,
and June 27, 2016. Of all these letters and reminders, the only
response I had was a letter dated October 9, 2015, acknowledging the
letter of September 2, stating as follows, ‘…We wish to inform you that
the issues raised in your letter have been referred to concerned
officials for their comments and response. We shall get back to you as
we receive feedback and further directives from the mission authority.
other letters dated September 2, 2015, January 2, 2016, March 10, 2016,
and June 27, 2016. Of all these letters and reminders, the only
response I had was a letter dated October 9, 2015, acknowledging the
letter of September 2, stating as follows, ‘…We wish to inform you that
the issues raised in your letter have been referred to concerned
officials for their comments and response. We shall get back to you as
we receive feedback and further directives from the mission authority.
“Almost a year down the line, I am still
waiting. My request was that the church should at least officially
acknowledge the receipt of the house, even if there is no form of
compensation. The God who built that for me can always give me a better
one. This is my belief. The need to acknowledge the takeover of the
house becomes necessary for at least two reasons: first, when I get to
heaven (and by the grace of God I will make it), there will be an
official and authentic record from RCCG in my favour, of the house that
was forfeited to her as a result of doing the will of the Master here on
earth.
waiting. My request was that the church should at least officially
acknowledge the receipt of the house, even if there is no form of
compensation. The God who built that for me can always give me a better
one. This is my belief. The need to acknowledge the takeover of the
house becomes necessary for at least two reasons: first, when I get to
heaven (and by the grace of God I will make it), there will be an
official and authentic record from RCCG in my favour, of the house that
was forfeited to her as a result of doing the will of the Master here on
earth.
“Secondly, it is to my knowledge that
properties said to belong to the leadership of the church or that of the
RCCG Mission sometimes allegedly, carelessly and surreptitiously fall
into wrong hands. In view of this development, the question is: Is
Pastor Adeboye even aware of this house in question of having been
handed over to RCCG? If yes, has he given an instruction for my request
to be granted? If yes, what is delaying his instruction from being
carried out almost a year after? If no action has been taken with all
these efforts of mine, what is the reason for this?”
properties said to belong to the leadership of the church or that of the
RCCG Mission sometimes allegedly, carelessly and surreptitiously fall
into wrong hands. In view of this development, the question is: Is
Pastor Adeboye even aware of this house in question of having been
handed over to RCCG? If yes, has he given an instruction for my request
to be granted? If yes, what is delaying his instruction from being
carried out almost a year after? If no action has been taken with all
these efforts of mine, what is the reason for this?”
Akinjiyan’s second grievance is the
non-payment of N2,140,604.66 consultancy fee on projects designed,
supervised and managed by him since 2012 at Christ the Redeemers
College, the secondary school of the church.
non-payment of N2,140,604.66 consultancy fee on projects designed,
supervised and managed by him since 2012 at Christ the Redeemers
College, the secondary school of the church.
He wrote, “I was appointed by the
governing board of the above-named college for the purpose of overseeing
the projects on a week-by-week basis at a meeting held by the Board on
November 28, 2009. My duties and responsibilities were diligently
carried out to the letter. When I wrote to the college for payment
thereafter, no response was given. I wrote a reminder after two years,
the college refused to collect the letter for reasons best known to the
official at their reception desk. I thereafter sent it to the General
Overseer on March 10, 2016. A reminder was sent in June 2016 and also a
personal copy to Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye, the wife of the G.O., who
is a major stakeholder of the college.
governing board of the above-named college for the purpose of overseeing
the projects on a week-by-week basis at a meeting held by the Board on
November 28, 2009. My duties and responsibilities were diligently
carried out to the letter. When I wrote to the college for payment
thereafter, no response was given. I wrote a reminder after two years,
the college refused to collect the letter for reasons best known to the
official at their reception desk. I thereafter sent it to the General
Overseer on March 10, 2016. A reminder was sent in June 2016 and also a
personal copy to Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye, the wife of the G.O., who
is a major stakeholder of the college.
“For all these to have happened in a
church I diligently served for 23 years is questionable in my opinion. I
have yet to find out why I should be so treated in this manner even
after I had followed due process to secure my release. Please also note
that it took the church over two years to organise a send-off in my
honour and this was after I wrote the G.O. about it. It took the church
over two years and after two separate letters of reminder, to pay
royalty on over 30 of my published books in the church bookshops. This
also happened after I wrote to the G.O. about it.
church I diligently served for 23 years is questionable in my opinion. I
have yet to find out why I should be so treated in this manner even
after I had followed due process to secure my release. Please also note
that it took the church over two years to organise a send-off in my
honour and this was after I wrote the G.O. about it. It took the church
over two years and after two separate letters of reminder, to pay
royalty on over 30 of my published books in the church bookshops. This
also happened after I wrote to the G.O. about it.
“Would it be right then to say that
perhaps all these are personal vendetta coming from those on whose toes I
stepped on while I served through my insistence that right things must
be done and I am now being made to pay for my uncompromising stance on
corruptive tendencies within the spheres I served and particularly at
the college?
perhaps all these are personal vendetta coming from those on whose toes I
stepped on while I served through my insistence that right things must
be done and I am now being made to pay for my uncompromising stance on
corruptive tendencies within the spheres I served and particularly at
the college?
“I believe that for our nation to be
great again, all hands must be on deck. Religious leaders have a crucial
role to play beyond praying for the nation. They need to also teach
their members and warn against the evil of corruption, expose its
tendencies within the system. Then and only then can our nation be
sanitised and become great again. The government alone cannot fight and
win this humongous battle against corruption.
great again, all hands must be on deck. Religious leaders have a crucial
role to play beyond praying for the nation. They need to also teach
their members and warn against the evil of corruption, expose its
tendencies within the system. Then and only then can our nation be
sanitised and become great again. The government alone cannot fight and
win this humongous battle against corruption.
“One thing is for sure: for the
leadership of the RCCG to keep ignoring me and all the letters I’ve sent
across to it for its own best known reasons would be cutting off its
nose to spite its face. I know so much more than anyone could think of
and I counsel that they should just let sleeping dogs lie. If this
situation persists in the next couple of days, one may be compelled to
press for full redress on these issues. I am using this opportunity to
call on all those who believe in the course of justice within the church
and outside of it to please assist me in this cause. I’m calling on
human rights groups and civil society organisations and others to please
strengthen my arm through the law if need be.
leadership of the RCCG to keep ignoring me and all the letters I’ve sent
across to it for its own best known reasons would be cutting off its
nose to spite its face. I know so much more than anyone could think of
and I counsel that they should just let sleeping dogs lie. If this
situation persists in the next couple of days, one may be compelled to
press for full redress on these issues. I am using this opportunity to
call on all those who believe in the course of justice within the church
and outside of it to please assist me in this cause. I’m calling on
human rights groups and civil society organisations and others to please
strengthen my arm through the law if need be.
“I also call on the irrepressible media,
both print and electronic in Nigeria and in the international
community, to conduct investigative journalism and prove me wrong in any
of my assertions. A young lawyer friend has provided me legal services
so far and has written the appropriate bodies on these issues. I pray
the church authority will act fast on this, but if they think otherwise,
I am fully prepared for the days ahead. I also know that this journey
may be long, lonely and dreary. The wheel of justice may grind slowly,
but with God on my side, there is a glorious light at end of the tunnel.
both print and electronic in Nigeria and in the international
community, to conduct investigative journalism and prove me wrong in any
of my assertions. A young lawyer friend has provided me legal services
so far and has written the appropriate bodies on these issues. I pray
the church authority will act fast on this, but if they think otherwise,
I am fully prepared for the days ahead. I also know that this journey
may be long, lonely and dreary. The wheel of justice may grind slowly,
but with God on my side, there is a glorious light at end of the tunnel.
“To the Christian community and friends,
I demand your prayers at this time. I know some ‘brethren’ will vilify
me, abuse and harass me, take me through scriptures on how to resolve
church conflicts (I’ve explored all these) or how not to touch ‘mine
anointed.’ I know some would call me names, raise non-existing
scandalous issues that have not surfaced since I left over three years
ago. I know I could be under threat of attack or be monitored. I am not
bothered.
I demand your prayers at this time. I know some ‘brethren’ will vilify
me, abuse and harass me, take me through scriptures on how to resolve
church conflicts (I’ve explored all these) or how not to touch ‘mine
anointed.’ I know some would call me names, raise non-existing
scandalous issues that have not surfaced since I left over three years
ago. I know I could be under threat of attack or be monitored. I am not
bothered.
“What is not worth dying for is not
worth living for. Some might ask: You want to destroy a house you helped
in building or once lived in? My answer is ‘no’. It is to prevent the
house from collapsing on its present occupants that is my concern. Some
might ask why fight over mundane issues such as house or money and just
N2.1m? My answer is ‘no’. I have been involved in projects for the
church to the extent that that if I were to collect consultancy fees, it
would have run into over tens of millions of naira, but yet I executed
some of these projects with my colleagues in the building industry for
next to nothing.
worth living for. Some might ask: You want to destroy a house you helped
in building or once lived in? My answer is ‘no’. It is to prevent the
house from collapsing on its present occupants that is my concern. Some
might ask why fight over mundane issues such as house or money and just
N2.1m? My answer is ‘no’. I have been involved in projects for the
church to the extent that that if I were to collect consultancy fees, it
would have run into over tens of millions of naira, but yet I executed
some of these projects with my colleagues in the building industry for
next to nothing.
“I am not a gold digger nor do I seek to
reap where I did not sow. I belong to the Joshua generation and this
error of treating with indignity people who follow due process in
resigning from the church must stop. I have suffered in the hands of
vipers, vultures, lions, crocodiles, pharaohs and goliaths in the church
system over the years, I’ve suffered with Christ through obedience to
His will. I’ve gone through and still going through ‘indignity’ of
living in a rented accommodation, after building a decent house and
living in it just because of doing God’s will. I’ve had my own portion
of the vicissitudes of life.
reap where I did not sow. I belong to the Joshua generation and this
error of treating with indignity people who follow due process in
resigning from the church must stop. I have suffered in the hands of
vipers, vultures, lions, crocodiles, pharaohs and goliaths in the church
system over the years, I’ve suffered with Christ through obedience to
His will. I’ve gone through and still going through ‘indignity’ of
living in a rented accommodation, after building a decent house and
living in it just because of doing God’s will. I’ve had my own portion
of the vicissitudes of life.
“I have a different spirit and have
followed the Lord fully. Having been given positions of trust and
responsibilities and never abused any, I rejoice and see all these as
part of the faith package of my redemption through Christ Jesus and in
all of these. I’m more than a conqueror. I have no regret of any
decisions taken in the past, I have no better yesterday yet, I’m a
believer in a glorious tomorrow. I have coveted no man’s silver or gold;
I’ve never stolen church funds or church members.
followed the Lord fully. Having been given positions of trust and
responsibilities and never abused any, I rejoice and see all these as
part of the faith package of my redemption through Christ Jesus and in
all of these. I’m more than a conqueror. I have no regret of any
decisions taken in the past, I have no better yesterday yet, I’m a
believer in a glorious tomorrow. I have coveted no man’s silver or gold;
I’ve never stolen church funds or church members.
“Unconfirmed reports indicate how people
who left the Redemption Camp sold their houses through illegal
transfers without the mission batting an eyelid. I decided to do the
right thing and must I suffer for it? While I do not claim to be
perfect, just as no one is, I contend daily for the faith that was once
delivered unto the saints. I am not intimidated and can never be. I
serve the living God, the God of faithfulness and without injustice,
good and upright is He. A word, they say, is enough for the wise and
those who live in glass houses do not throw stones.”
who left the Redemption Camp sold their houses through illegal
transfers without the mission batting an eyelid. I decided to do the
right thing and must I suffer for it? While I do not claim to be
perfect, just as no one is, I contend daily for the faith that was once
delivered unto the saints. I am not intimidated and can never be. I
serve the living God, the God of faithfulness and without injustice,
good and upright is He. A word, they say, is enough for the wise and
those who live in glass houses do not throw stones.”