MY POSITION ON AYO ORITSEJAFOR'S $9.3M JET SCANDAL

Yesterday before a national working committee of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritdejafor said:

"Distinguished leaders of the church, please permit me to state clearly before God and before all of you here present today, that I am not a party to the movement of $9.3 million from Nigeria to South Africa to purchase arms and ammunition. I am not part of the deal. I know nothing about it.”

I did not expect the revered Pastor to say anything otherwise. In regards to whether he is lying or not, I honestly leave him to the same God that he claim to be witnessing before to judge him. Nonetheless, I wish to state in this short statement that whether Ayo Oritsejafor is guilty of what he is being accused of or not, the honorable thing for him to do at this moment is to resign his leadership position of the CAN and return to pastoring his church in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. If his church executive and people find him not culpable, they may retain his services. If they do find him guilty, they have the choice of sacking him.

As it has been pointed out by Lawyer Femi Falana, Oritsejafor cannot claim to have purchased a private jet for religion purposes (evangelism) and at the same time be leasing it out on business deals. That will be making merchandize of gospel equipments. Churches and the works they do in the Nigerian society are registered as non profiting enterprises or charity organizations. This is why such organizations do not pay taxes to government. When a church is using a vehicle meant for evangelism for other business purposes, that church is breaching the laws of the land. Ayo Oritsejafor, in the bid to aquit himself from allegation of money laundering, has clearly indicted himself as a law breaker and thus unfit to lead the umbrella body for all Christians in Nigeria.

I am calling on the Christian ministers who make up the leadership of CAN, to search their consciences and tell us whether Oritsejafor is still fit to lead them. Truth is that whatever else a Christian might be accused of, he should never be accused of money laundering, arms smuggling or corruption on an international scale like the one Oritsejafor is being accused of.

I call on Oristejafor to resign his position of CAN on two reasons:

1. On the possibility of his being culpable. In that case, there is no question to answer. Just leave.

2. On the possibility of his being innocent. In that case he would have a moral position to fight his case. Some might argue that doing this will be tantamount to admitting his fault. I disagree. Many times resignations are used as a viable means of protest. In this case Oritsejafor will be resigning to protest his innocence.

If however he chooses not to resign, my prayer and hope is that Christians all over this country will do the right thing by calling on him to leave. If not for anything but to save CAN from further embarrassment.