VP Osinbajo’s Aide Refutes Claim Of RCCG Pastor Ozikpu’s Sack Over Sowore Protests

A personal aide to VP Osinbajo, Nicholas Adesina, had refuted claims that Pastor Ozikpu was sacked from RCCG for participation in Sowore protests. Reacting to a piece on the subject of Pastor Ozikpu’s sack written by Columnist Obinna Akukwe, and made available to opinionnigeria, the personal aide who had severally defended VP Osinbajo on sensitive issues , said that Ozikpu’s sack was in line with policies of RCCG.

According to Adesina “As for his (Ozikpu’s) claims that professor Osinbajo influenced his sacking, I’m surprised he didn’t even claim that professor Osinbajo influenced his arrest in the first place or designated two police officers to track him from his home and then arrest him as soon as he and others wanted to begin vandalizing public property or and endangering lives of Innocent citizens.

“In conclusion, I agree with the writer that the church needs strong-willed and upright politicians and activists in power and also in opposition but not thieves, looters, brigands, and all types of lawbreakers. Remember, we are enjoined to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”

Pastor Elias Ozikpu, an administrator with RCCG Eternal Life Parish, Area 002 Lagos had alleged that he was dismissed from church service after involvement in Sowore’s protest. According to him “And so after years of working with the organisation (RCCGEternal Life Parish, Area 002, LP 48) as its Administrator, myrelationship with higher authorities of RCCG irreparably crumbled when, on August 5, 2019, I was illegally arrested, brutalised and subsequently detained with fellow activists for daring to demand for a better Nigeria at the #RevolutionNowprotests.

“Upon our release from illegal custody, I returned to work and was reliably informed by concerned colleagues that administrative leaders from RCCG Lagos Province 48Headquarters, a body of RCCG branches which operate underthe leadership of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, had instructedour Parish Pastor at Eternal Life to dismiss me on the grounds of my participation at the protest”

Columnist and activist Obinna Akukwe had earlier advised the RCCG authorities to bring back the sacked administrator. According to him “I advise the RCCG leadership that sacking a pastor for participating in a protest in Nigeria filled with evil government officials as a matter of policy, is not right. Protests are means of bringing the attention of evil rulers to their responsibility. The church should even lead in such. I advise relevant authorities to bring back the sacked pastor, pay his entitlements and not muscle activists within their fold because one day the church will need people like Elias Ozikpu, who is an accomplished poet , novelist and literary artist and his services can galvanize the youth in the right direction”

Below is Nicholas Adesina’s response titled ‘Re: RE: RCCG Pastor Ozikpu’s Claim that VP Osinbajo influenced his Sack over Sowore Protests ‘

One need not be a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God to know that they probably do have their laws and by-laws that guide certain actions which mandate expected behaviours and responsibilities of both workers and pastors.

Every organization has its own rules and as such, it came as no surprise when only last week, a football player’s wife made some racist comments during the ongoing black lives matter protest and the said footballer was released of his contract by his club.

It only makes sense going by Newton’s Third Law of Motion that for every action there is an equal and usually opposite reaction and maturity comes from taking responsibility for our actions.

Where a member of the Armed Forces to participate in a civil protest as is his fundamental human right to do, does that absolve him from the resultant court-martial that is bound to follow which is the military is right as well to do?

To appropriately delve into this matter one would have first expected Obinna Akukwe to have at least gotten the perspective of the administrator of Province 48 Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mr. Clarence Haidome or from the headquarters if the former were proving difficult or even better, get a copy of the rules and regulations of the workers and pastors of redeemed Christian Church of God to find out if the complainant actually breached any rules that could have led to his suspension and eventual suck.

The Bible says a laborer is worthy of his wages so if Pastor Elias Ozikpu is justified in his claim why didn’t he at that juncture make available copies of the letters he has sent to the church prior? It doesn’t require a postgraduate degree to identify that his mail was responded to when he copied the headquarters hence it would have made all the sense for him to have told that line and completely left out the name of professor Osinbajo who couldn’t have sat at his disciplinary hearing having been occupied with vice president executive businesses as regards to leading the country.

As for his claims that professor Osinbajo influenced his sacking, I’m surprised he didn’t even claim that professor Osinbajo influenced his arrest in the first place or designated two police officers to track him from his home and then arrest him as soon as he and others wanted to begin vandalizing public property or and endangering lives of Innocent citizens.

In conclusion, I agree with the writer that the church needs strong-willed and upright politicians and activists in power and also in opposition but not thieves, looters, brigands, and all types of lawbreakers. Remember, we are enjoined to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.