Home / Faith / Assemblies of God: Rev Emeka wants Gov Ugwuanyi’s intervention to avert looming violent crisis

Assemblies of God: Rev Emeka wants Gov Ugwuanyi’s intervention to avert looming violent crisis

From; Kenneth Ofoma, ENUGU

The factional General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church,

Nigeria, Rev. Paul Emeka has called on Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and other relevant authorities to intervene in the
crisis rocking the church to avert looming violent crisis in the
state.
Addressing a press conference in Enugu Tuesday, Rev Emeka said the
governor’s intervention, which he promised several times but which he has not
done, was necessary due to the fact that the national headquarters
of the church is located at Enugu and has now become a theatre of war.
The Church has been in crisis since 2014 with two General
Superintendents holding sway. They are Rev. Prof. Paul Emeka and Rev.
Dr. Chidi Okoroafor.
Rev Emeka urged the governor to advise Rev Okoroafor’s group and the
police to obey the latest federal High court order restraining them
from further taking laws into their hands to avoid breakdown of law
and order.
He described as laughable, the latest notice of “purported”
excommunication and dis-fellowship for life, handed down on him and
129 other pastors loyal to him, by the Rev. Chidi Okoroafor-led
faction of the church.
While dismissing the excommunication, which he said was the 6th since
the crisis started, as null and void, and of no effect; he stated that
the Church’s constitution has no provision for such and that shows the
desperation of some people who were motivated by monetary gain to
hijack the church illegally.
He urged the general public to discountenance the purported notice of
excommunication as published in a national newspaper, insisting that
he remains the authentic General Superintendent of Assemblies of God
Church.
Rev Emeka explained that the Supreme Court recently delivered a
judgment dismissing an application in which he challenged his
suspension as General Superintendent on March 6, 2014.
According to him, the apex court ruled that the respondents were not
properly served even as the matter was instituted through fundamental
human rights enforcement as against originating summons, meaning that
he should go back to the lower court and do the needful.
“The Supreme Court however made no order to warrant enforcement, a
development that made the office of the Attorney General of the
Federation in a legal opinion to declare that ‘parties are advised to
maintain status quo ante prior to the judgment and approach the
appropriate court for interpretation of the judgment’”.
Emeka narrated that violent crisis ensued in the church following the
forceful takeover of the national secretariat of the church at Enugu
by the Okoroafor-led faction, illegally assisted by the police; and
further attempt to take over other branches of the church nationwide
including Kaduna state.
He said that this made the Attorneys-General of Enugu and Kaduna
states respectively to issue notices and advise the parties to
maintain status quo ante as the Supreme Court judgment was a
“non-executory judgment” and that the Supreme Court did not decide on
the substantive right of the parties and it is therefore erroneous for
any of the parties to claim any right arising from the judgment of the
Supreme Court”.
Rev Emeka further stated that even when Enugu state Commissioner of
police sought legal opinion from the office of Enugu State’s Attorney
General, he was told in writing that “the judgment which you annexed
is not executory and it did not confer any propriety right on any of
the parties… and did not contain any order capable of being enforced”.
The embattled General Superintendent noted that besides, his faction
had obtained an ex-parte order from the Federal High Court, Enugu
Division, restraining security agencies from inhibiting them from
entering the national headquarters to hold their prayers and other
activities.
“I’m also appealing to the state government in Enugu to come out in
the presence of these available documents to do something because we
are getting confused why lawlessness should be allowed to continue in
Enugu state. People do not obey the laws and they make a show of it
publicly and they brag about it. We are requesting the good governor
of Enugu state to please justify that adjective good by coming openly
and boldly and taking the bull by the horn; we are not saying come and
side or do this or other things. We are saying do what the law has
said; nobody will blame you for doing what the law has said,” he said.

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