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President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayodele Joseph Oritsejafor has celebrated in Warri the 40th anniversary of his being called for high service in the church.
He was converted and ordained a pastor in 1972 by the late Benson Idahosa, the first pentecostal archbishop in Nigeria.
He later founded his own ministry, Word of Life Bible Church based in Warri.
President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta state were at the ceremony today.
The highlight of the celebration was the announcement to the congregation that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has joined the league of rich Nigerian pastors who own private jets. Other pastors in the league are Pastor Enoch Adeboye of RCCG, Pastor David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel and Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.
The new jet marked N431CB is a bombardier Challenger 601 heavy jet and is estimated to cost a minimum of N600million
The jet was reportedly bought for the pastor by the church.
Inside Oritsejafor’s luxury Bombardier luxury plane
Speaking during the celebration, Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan, a special guest of honor at the occasion, described Pastor Oritsajafor as a national Christian, visionary leader and a great man of faith.
Oritsejafor’s jet has stirred controversy on social media, with commentators describing it as one more proof that the followers of Jesus, who did not own a donkey, have derailed.
“Listen Folks if you wanna become rich and can’t get on the political ladder try Pastor Now, New Get rich quick via the people’s gullibility.”, wrote Segun Adekunle Alli.
Kayode Ogundamisi, Nigeria’s activist based in the UK, penned: “The damage most Nigerian Pentecostal churches are doing to Nigeria now is becoming unbearable. It is now more like Pentecostal economic Jihad against the gullible mass. Ayo Oritsejafor’s Jet is just a minute example of how insensitive the pastoral section of the Nigerian ruling class can get. Colonial missionaries blessed us with schools such as CMS Grammar school, CKC in the East and loads of free health services for the poor masses but today Christ is now a reason for the suppression of the poor mass and when they want to fight the oppression of pastors friends in power, they are told to suffer well here and enjoy in heaven. Rather than join the mass to get government to fix death traps called roads, the pastors join political office holders in the jet race, they would fly over us and avoid the bad roads, they sure will also get a section of the Bible to justify the wickedness”.
Chiedu Uche Okoye said he expected Oritsejafor to turn down the gift of jet by his congregation and use the money for the good of members and the community.
Uche Ezechukwu, a public affairs analyst, wrote: “The claim is that it was donated by the members of his flock, most of who cannot afford two square meals a day and had flocked to him for miracles. It doesn’t now matter that Christ did not own even a donkey. Until the government gathers the courage to tax these ‘men and women of God’ who wallow in profligacy but put nothing back to the society, they will lead us to trouble, not heaven.”
Prince Agber Hon Adum a.k.a Prince Kent, based in Washington DC said: “The devil is really having a field day with we the so called believers , even those whom we thought should have known better. Many faces of Satanic temptations: from garden of Eden, to Christ on the cross, to the modern times. No o hiding place for humans, except by his grace and mercies.
Chindima Onwurah Chris appealed to critics to leave “the men of God alone”.
Here are some photographs at the ceremony:
President Jonathan, Oritsejafor at the ceremony in Warri, Delta state today
Above: PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (L) WITH THE PRESIDENT, CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION ON NIGERIA (CAN) PASTOR AYO ORITSEJAFOR AT THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF PASTOR ORITSEJAFOR IN WARRI ON SATURDAY
Below: FROM LEFT: GOV EMMANUEL UDUAGHAN OF DELTA STATE; FOUNDER, THE WISDOM CENTRE, USA, DR MIKE MURDOCK; PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN; PRESIDENT CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, PASTOR AYO ORITSEJAFOR; HIS WIFE HELEN AND CHILDREN CUTTING THE CAKE AT THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF PASTOR ORITSEJAFOR
Oritsejafor, his wife, Jonathan, Uduaghan at the cutting of cake of the 40th anniversary of Oritsejafor’s ordainship
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Source: PM News
Well, he is a man of God. I can’t comment. Only to say that I hope his church/him has assisted the flood victims in the niger delta before buying that jet, I also home that his school is affordable and that the poor in his church can still send their children to school. I want to believe that the fatherless and the likes sees him and his church as a piller of hope and refuge. May God have mercy on us all.
This reminds us of the imortal song of the Jemoican singer, MAX ROMEO. It is equally a bad advertisement for the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) whose leadership has lost the moral fibre to criticise any societal ill in Ngeria.
i have heard so many people talk about the poor in the society and how impoverished a nation we are for some pastors to own jets, but the question that barely comes to mind is if this money used for buying jets is given to the poor will it end poverty in this country? if you had made comments on this page via a blackberry,ipad,laptop and you feel it’s ok for you to own such and not a Nokia 3310 you are an hypocrite sell that your gadget and give to the poor. if you are above 18 and have never won a soul for christ in your entire life and you stand to criticise the wealth for pastors and that of a man that has given 40yrs of his life guyz you are in trouble cause soul winning is the essence of life, come to think of it what is in a private jet? i was taught that an airplane is used for transportation and not for merriment.
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