The claims by an administrative pastor with Redeemed Christian Church of God, Elias Ozikpu that he was sacked from the church after his participation in the ‘Revolution Now’ protests pioneered by Omoleye Sowore, under the Lagos Province 48, headed by Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is very worrisome.
Elias Ezikpu claimed in the writeup that after his release from detention, his local church branch sacked him a church administrator for participating in the protest and withheld his six months arrears of salary.
Elias Ozikpu also alleged that all his numerous letters for his six months’ salary arrears prior to his sack to be paid, copies of which he sent to VP Osinbajo and GO Adeboye, is yet to be attended to.
Pastor Ozikpu claimed in the report that
“On May 27, 2020, I visited RCCG Lagos Province 48Headquarters in Banana Island to serve a reminder of my previous correspondence in which I copied Vice-President YemiOsinbajo and the General Overseer, Pastor E.A Adeboye. Lagos Province 48 Administrator, Mr Clarence Haidome, who was to receive Osinbajo’s copy, was on seat at the time of my arrival. He refused to receive the letter on the pretext that he had not “officially resumed” work! I did not understand what that meant seeing that he was right inside his office. Later that day, I scanned the letter and sent to him via WhatsApp, but MrHaidome ignored it. I also sent him the PDF version of the letter via email, he ignored it too. Mr Clarence Haidome was forced to acknowledge receipt of the letter only when, a week later, I sent him another email in respect of the matter, copying the General Overseer and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
“Dear Elias, this is to acknowledge receipt of your mail. Thank you,” he wrote in what was a forced response”
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H e also claimed that “It is crystal clear that without copying the General Overseer in the email under reference, Mr Haidome would never have acknowledged receipt of the letter. To be working in such an environment and be so unnecessarily insensitive is a curious antithesis, to put it mildly”
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.
The church needs the services of activists in their midst, and though many of us had different views of the Revolutionnow protests, however, it is disheartening to hear that a pastor and church administrator was sacked for involvement in a protest. Pastor Adeboye and VP Osinbajo should incorporate all in their agenda. Their real enemies are not people like Elias Ozikpu, but blood sucking murderous and looting politicians who seize our collective wealth and render church members poor and ravished.
VP Osinbajo should ensure that such injustice does not occur in Province 48 where he is the Pastor-in –Charge. He should be broad minded in his approach. Pastor Ozikpu is not protesting against him, rather against what they termed rudderless leadership at all levels.
Obinna Akukwe, Columnist, profetobinna2@yahoo.com, @obinnaakukwe
