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Contrary to reports in some quarters that the Pastor and Spiritual Head of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Rev. Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa has passed on, the clergyman returned on Saturday night from France to prove his detractors wrong.
Contrary to reports in some quarters that the Pastor and Spiritual Head of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Rev. Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa has passed on, the clergyman returned on Saturday night from France to prove his detractors wrong.
On arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), the CCC head declared himself as fit and healthy and ready to launch back at the plough to continue the work of God.
Oshoffa, who fielded questions from journalists through an interpreter after he disembarked from KLM flight from France, described the death rumour as unfortunate, emphasizing that the promise God gave him was long life to shepherd his church for a long time.
Oshoffa, who was received by his wife, Mrs. Masauline Oshoffa and some elders of the church explained that he left the country on December 10, 2008 to France for a harvest in that country and said since his rumoured death, thousands of sympathizers, both within and outside the country, had phoned him to confirm the report.
He maintained the rumour emanated when one of the senior pastors in the church gave up the ghost at a private hospital in Ikeja, adding that the said publication was intentionally manipulated as the reporter never confirmed the story from any of his aides before going to the press.
He said: "As you can see, I am alive because I don't think any dead person can interact with you. It is just unfortunate that the newspaper carried such a false story about me. I only went to France for a harvest in one of our branches there but barely few days after I left, a publication pronounced me dead.'
Continuing, he said: "God has given me long life to lead the church and I know he will continue to guide me. In fact, it was a great mistake on the part of the reporter and the newspaper because they never called any of my aides to confirm the story before going for publication. But the fact is that you can see that I am not dead. I want everybody to know that I am alive and doing the work of the Almighty God,' he said.0
Meanwhile, Aviation Minister, Mr Babatunde Omotoba on Saturday apologized to domestic airline operators over the protracted delay in re-opening the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) local runway 18L closed for complete over 32 months ago.
He said the runway ought to have been re-opened far earlier than Saturday, appealing to airlines who have lost millions of dollars in operating from the international runway to bear with the government as a holistic diagnosis of the entire aviation industry would be done soonest.
The re-opening ceremony was, however, disrupted by Arik Air passengers whose flight had been delayed at the airport for what the airline described as technical cum operational reasons.
Babatoba, was accompanied by heads of aviation parastatals, including the Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Richard Aiseubeogun, and his counterpart from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA), Captain Ado Sanusi.
Also at the event were the Managing Director of the Skypower Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) and some airline chiefs.
Omotoba described the opening of the runway closed since 2006 as a stride for the aviation industry, noting that more projects aimed at improving the sector will be carried out.