The Christian Association Nigeria (CAN) has hit back at Pastor Chris Okotie, the founder of Household of God church for telling its president pastor Ayo Oritsejafor to resign as CAN president, telling him to fix his home in line with biblical teaching of one man, one wife.
Punch reports that CAN was reacting to Okotie’s outburst on Oritsejafor’s involvement in the $9.3 million smuggled into South Africa, allegedly with the latter’s aircraft.
Okotie, in a statement posted on his church’s Facebook page had said: “Considering the collateral damage Pastor Ayo’s close relationship with the President has done to the Christian community, it is fit and proper for the Pastor to resign immediately as CAN President to salvage what remains of the battered image of the association.
“This is without prejudice to the on-going investigation on the matter. Denials of his culpability by the Federal Government, CAN officials and his own recent defense, does nothing to reduce the moral burden this whole saga places on his shoulders. As the titular leader of Christians in Nigeria, there’s now a serious crisis of confidence on his leadership and he ought to respond to it by resigning from his exalted position.”
CAN’s director of national issues, Sunny Oibe accused Okotie of seeking cheap publicity with Oritsejafor’s name.
He said, “Is Chris Okotie a Christian? How many wives has he? He should go and sort out himself. Even the government has exonerated Pastor Ayo of all the allegations. So, who is Okotie? Well, it is laughable if Chris Okotie should demand that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor should resign as President of CAN.
“Chris Okotie should remove the log in his eyes before he begins to see a peck in somebody’s eyes. Pastor Ayo had a soaring integrity before he was elected the President of CAN. Who elected Chris Okotie to become the spokesperson of Christians in Nigeria? CAN will not like to join issues with Okotie because doing that will amount to making him popular. He is looking for popularity which he doesn’t have through Pastor Ayo and he is not going to get it.”
