Fresh Facts Emerge on ‘Redeemed Jet’
By Chinedu Eze, 04.02.2009


The purchase of a private jet, a Gulfstream 4XP with registration number 707EA, might have been attributed to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, in error.
Documents available to THISDAY yesterday showed that the aircraft was purchased by five members of the church and will be run as a charter service, but priority is to be given to Adeboye who will be given “free rides” to ease his movement within and outside the continent.
THISDAY had erroneously quoted a price of $28 million but the aircraft papers showed that the aircraft, a 1996 model, was purchased at $10 million (N1.4 billion).
The five members of the church, whose names are being withheld for confidential reasons, made a down payment of 30 per cent of the cost while a first generation bank gave a loan of $7 million for the balance.
“The aircraft is the collateral,” a bank official conversant with the transaction told THISDAY.
The aircraft is to run private charters, with proceeds to be used to offset the loan and pay for its maintenance as well as settle the personnel cost of running the aircraft.
“The business plan is well laid out,” another source told THISDAY. “The Redeemed Church did not put down a kobo. It is not their aircraft. Pastor Adeboye does not have a kobo in it. It is unfortunate that the man is being savaged all over the media and on the internet for something he knows nothing about. Unfortunately, he is not the type to come out and be defending himself or issuing media statements.”
The source told THISDAY that some members of the church had expressed concern about the cumbersome flight schedules the pastor of one of Nigeria’s biggest churches has had to cope with.
“If he wants to go to Banjul, in Gambia, it is a tortuous journey, flying from one connecting point to the other,” the source explained. “This obviously influenced the decision of some entrepreneurs in the church to have this sort of arrangement in which Pastor Adeboye will enjoy free rides and can readily organise his journeys. But the aircraft will pay for itself eventually. It neither belong to Redeemed Church nor Adeboye.”
The aircraft arrived Lagos from Bahamas on Sunday, March 8, 2009.
It is a transatlantic aircraft that has the capacity of about 15 passengers – depending on the customisation.
Adeboye had come under criticism in the media and on internet discussion rooms for allegedly being “insensitive” at these economic crunch times and for allegedly abandoning his simple lifestyle for the flamboyance of jet-age pastors.
The General Overseer of Living Faith Worldwide, a.k.a. Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has a Challenger aircraft, with number D6640.

Praise God for this fresh info. The past few weeks have brought untold damage to the image of the body of Christ.

It would have been quite uncharacteristic of Adeboye to be rolling a PJ in the present situation whether it is befitting or not. So I am happy for the latest development.

Meanwhile @Olakugu, it was a bit of a struggle trying to understand your yarns.

With due respect to Adeboye,,,how reliable is this so fresh fact?why did it take this long before this so called fresh fact has to come up?Bottomline is that until Pastor Adeboye comes out to the public to make a clear-cut statement as regards this saga this so fresh facts cannot overturn the initial facts about the private Jet.
I have not personally raised any negative comments on this transaction,,but for me to rely on a document certain people made available to thisday won't be that smart of me.What about if in a couple of days sahara reporters brings out a counter documentation to fault this document,,,that would even make more damage than trying to wave this saga by a documentation presented to a newspaper house.In the developed world,,pastors who face such public outcry normally douse the tension by holding a press conference to present their case,,,I sincerely expect Pastor Adeboye to do same,

I also feel relieved by this information, as pastor Adeboye is one of the very few pentecostal pastor i have any iota of respect for. I thought he had joined the rest of them. In the light of this new information i would also like to genuinely apologize for any statements i might have made that cast Pastor Adeboye in the negative based on the impression i had that church funds were diverted to buy an unjustifiable and flambouyant item.

It is shameful that THISDAY can't present verifiable facts on the matter, so as to put everything to rest. This article is no different from the earlier one in that there is too much unsubstantiated information. Examples
- Name of the bank involved
- Name of charter service company
- Why the aircraft is the collateral as it is a depreciating asset (though possible if you have enough connections in the bank= malpractice)

Like someone said earlier, a simple statement by the Church would put the whole issue to rest. I don't approve of their sitting on the fence while the issue continues to generate so much discord.

Ironically, supporters of the private jet who earlier argued that the Pastor's heavy flight schedule warranted a private jet, are now readily believing that there will be enough idle time for the jet to be used for a charter service, that would be profitable enough to pay the outstanding $7 million, plus annual fixed cost of almost $1 million, and any other accrued variable costs. At least one of the arguments does not hold water.

fresh fact my foot! they didnt remember these facts before now that the issue has gone controversial fresh facts are now coming out na today!

KunleOshob:

I also feel relieved by this information, as pastor Adeboye is one of the very few pentecostal pastor i have any iota of respect for. I thought he had joined the rest of them. In the light of this new information i would also like to genuinely apologize for any statements i might have made that cast Pastor Adeboye in the negative based on the impression i had that church funds were diverted to buy an unjustifiable and flambouyant item.

Kunle! Kunle!! I no warn you?

REAL TRUTH:

I have not personally raised any negative comments on this transaction,,but for me to rely on a document certain people made available to thisday won't be that smart of me.

What's your problem now? Was it not the same Thisday that first published the story?

REAL TRUTH:

Bottomline is that until Pastor Adeboye comes out to the public to make a clear-cut statement as regards this saga this so fresh facts cannot overturn the initial facts about the private Jet. , In the developed world,,pastors who face such public outcry normally douse the tension by holding a press conference to present their case,,,I sincerely expect Pastor Adeboye to do same,

Have you ever heard of Pastor Adeboye calling a press conference to debunk any false allegation before? Even they said he supported OBJ's 3rd term bid the most the baba did was to say casually on the pulpit that he makes his disapprovals privately known to OBJ and that he does not get involved in public criticsm.

@poster. Please insert the Thisday link to the fresh report.

GOat Pastor Eunuch AdeJALE Adeboye has done it again.

One sin begets another,

first obtaining money under false pretext, next aiding and abetting the most corrupt regime ever-OBJ, then Materialism, Now lies,

In addition to disrupting flow of traffic on Lagos Ibadan expressway regularly thereby causing untold hardship on tax paying road users.

What next for Eunuch AdeJALE?

Mowire:

Kunle! Kunle!! I no warn you?

That does take away the fact that it is highly immoral for any church or pastor to use the church funds to acquire a Jet or indulge in any other excessive luxury at the expense of the children of God and the less priviledge who the money is meant for in the first instance.

@kunle
I also feel relieved by this information, as pastor Adeboye is one of the very few pentecostal pastor i have any iota of respect for. I thought he had joined the rest of them. In the light of this new information i would also like to genuinely apologize for any statements i might have made that cast Pastor Adeboye in the negative based on the impression i had that church funds were diverted to buy an unjustifiable and flambouyant item.

Who gives a fisherman fly what da hell your opinion is or who you have respect for or not.

im not a member of his church and i don't have an iota of respect for him
i have a lot,lot ,lot of respect for him
when i first saw it i just knew there was some tin fishy about everything and now it comes out the real truth

and this goes out to some of us bloggers, , a times u should not just rush in2 a discussion and type some tin just 4 d sake of typing or increasing d number of posts u have but just sit back and watch the situation and i tell u d truth will surely surface and then wen u type, , u would do so with a lot of wisdom

Hmmm,

Who knows what to believe about all these.
I smell a cover up.
When u look at the first info on this redeemed jet, and then look at these so called 'fresh facts', one might say there is a crossroad on what to believe.

But again, if u look at this article published sometime last year,
what then do u feel?

GOD, and GOD alone knows the true fact.

GOD, and GOD alone knows the true fact.

Not complete.
God and the top redeemed management know the truth.
The problem is that what the redeemed people are passing on to the public does not seem/sound/look consistent with the current facts on ground.

This is another fresh fact several redeemed parishes were billed in d millions 4 this jet.So whats this talk of 5 people

This is another fresh fact several redeemed parishes were billed in d millions 4 this jet.So whats this talk of 5 people

This is another fresh fact several redeemed parishes were billed in d millions 4 this jet.So whats this talk of 5 people. So who authorized d collections. d bankers i guess

This is another fresh fact several redeemed parishes were billed in d millions 4 this jet.So whats this talk of 5 people. So who authorized d collections. d bankers i guess

This is another fresh fact several redeemed parishes were billed in d millions 4 this jet.So whats this talk of 5 people. So who authorized d collections. d bankers i guess

In one of the thread on NL,i learnt Christ Embassy have a
private jet as well.Dis love need for plane in the churches  is indeed interesting.

ttalks:

Hmmm,

Who knows what to believe about all these.
I smell a cover up.
When u look at the first information on this redeemed jet, and then look at these so called 'fresh facts', one might say there is a crossroad on what to believe.

But again, if u look at this article published sometime last year,
what then do u feel?

thank you for digging up this article, which I have reproduced below for doubters to confirm that Adeboye is just spinning them and going from one deception to another.
------
Adeboye Shops For $20m Jet
July 15, 2008 15:56

By Adetutu Audu

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, is shopping for $20 million to buy a private jet.

The private jet, P.M.News gathered, is to facilitate his trips to many parts of the world where the parishes of the church are located.

Already, members of the RCCG worldwide have been planning to ‘sow seeds’ towards the project.

The humble mathematician turned pastor, we learnt, has the vision to spread the gospel to the outermost part of the earth and he is not resting on his oars to achieve this feat.

RCCG is one of the fastest growing churches in the country. There are branches in London, United States and Middle East.

Daddy G.O, as he is fondly called, was barely 31 years old when he bagged his doctorate degree in Hydrodynamics. He had an encounter with the Lord in 1973. He answered the altar call, and with a strong zeal for the Lord, he has since, never looked back.

The mantle of leadership fell on Adeboye, then a University of Lagos lecturer , in 1980 after the death of the founder of RCCG, Rev. Josiah Akindayomi.

Ever since he attained the leadership of the church, he has brought several innovations and programmes into the church through which the church has continued to grow.

From the 39 parishes of the church which he inherited, the church has grown in leaps and bounds with branches all over the world
---------

I also confirmed from someone that they raised pledges/vows for it last year.
Na only Adeboye plan to move go NEXT LEVEL make gullible members dey continue dem waka waka dey wait dem turn .

What makes the 'PM News' article 'authentic' and the second Thisday article non-authentic.

It sounds like you have chosen what to believe and will brand anything contrary to that as 'lies' or a 'cover up', but anything that supports your assertions will be regarded as factual.

People come out and make ridiculous claims all the time, so without any concrete proof, this is mere speculation.

ttalks:

Not complete.
God and the top redeemed management know the truth.
The problem is that what the redeemed people are passing on to the public does not seem/sound/look consistent with the current facts on ground.

What exactly have the 'redeemed people' passed on to the public in this case? The three articles mentioned show no reference to a redeemed official, so how do you know that ANY information has emanated from them?

debosky:

What makes the 'PM News' article 'authentic' and the second Thisday article non-authentic.

It sounds like you have chosen what to believe and will brand anything contrary to that as 'lies' or a 'cover up', but anything that supports your assertions will be regarded as factual.

People come out and make ridiculous claims all the time, so without any concrete proof, this is mere speculation.

What exactly have the 'redeemed people' passed on to the public in this case? The three articles mentioned show no reference to a redeemed official, so how do you know that ANY information has emanated from them?

It seems u do not get the gist or the heart of all this scenario brought about by the redeemed jet.

Whether true or not so true;the articles pinpoint the existence of some certain things which unless they are successfully and properly debunked by what the redeemed people have to say,they will always be the current and most available facts about the redeemed jet.

If they remain silent about it,it pinpoints a lot of possibilities; a major one being: Silence is an admision of guilt.
If they do come out to make a public statement about the situation, investigations can also be carried out to verify the authenticity of their statements or claims.

We all know that there's never smoke without fire.

ttalks:

It seems u do not get the gist or the heart of all this scenario brought about by the redeemed jet.

Whether true or not so true;[/b]the articles pinpoint the existence of some certain things which unless they are successfully and properly debunked by what the redeemed people have to say[b],they will always be the current and most available facts about the redeemed jet.

If it is not true, what are you discussing?

What are these 'certain things'? Please be clear in your posting; this vagueness is not helping.

While the articles may be 'current', they are by no means factual - what 'fact' do you have about the ALLEGED 'redeemed jet'? What makes a jet a 'redeemed jet'? Is it branded with the redeemed logo? Is it registered to RCCG? Can you trace the funds used in procuring the jet registered body called RCCG?

If I am an Arsenal supporter or shareholder and I own an IBM thinkpad, does that make my laptop an 'arsenal laptop'?

If they remain silent about it,it pinpoints a lot of possibilities; a major one being: Silence is an admision of guilt.

I agree with you on the possibilities - it could mean ANYTHING or NOTHING. The RCCG has not made it a habit to make public statements to debunk or confirm allegations, and I do not expect this situation to be any different.

If someone comes and makes a claim that I impregnated Angelina Jolie, and I don't deny it, does that render it factual? Honestly, I worry for the critical thinking ability of Nigerians if this is how we arrive at conclusions.

If they do come out to make a public statement about the situation, investigations can also be carried out to verify the authenticity of their statements or claims.

We all know that there's never smoke without fire.

Why must they make a public statement? Why not carry out your 'investigation' and expose them for all the world to see?

They owe you no right to make statement about each and every newspaper article. They are not funded by you (unless you are a member) and even if you are a member, you should have ways of contacting the authorities within the organisation to ascertain the true state of things.

debosky:

They are not funded by you (unless you are a member) and even if you are a member, you should have ways of contacting the authorities within the organisation to ascertain the true state of things.

They are tax exempt i.e money that should have been received from Adeboye et al for developing roads, electricity, hospitals etc, which will benefit all 140m of us Nigerians. Thus any Naija citizen who is implicitly giving these guys tax free ride can scrutinise each and every of their words and actions. Get the drift?
Otherwise they should pay taxes on the money they are fleecing from their gullible members and we may consider leaving them ride their jets quietly.

debosky:

What makes the 'PM News' article 'authentic' and the second Thisday article non-authentic. 

It sounds like you have chosen what to believe and will brand anything contrary to that as 'lies' or a 'cover up', but anything that supports your assertions will be regarded as factual.

People come out and make ridiculous claims all the time, so without any concrete proof, this is mere speculation.

A number of things make the Thisday article appear inauthentic. 

1) Instead of reporting the facts as facts they seem to be hedging by saying: The purchase of a private jet, a Gulfstream 4XP with registration number 707EA, might have been attributed to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, in error.

Might?  Is that how you report a news story?  They either made an error or they did not make an error. 

If they made an error I am very interested to know how the error was arrived at. It is not an easy error to make. What was the initial source of the story? Some church members buy a jet for commercial purposes and this gets misconstrued and reported as Redeemed bought a Jet!

2) They claim to have seen documents but failed to narrate to us any of the contents of the documents that prove that it was purchased by 5 entrepreneurs. 

Now ever seen I've been aware of business dealings, I've never heard of business men that want to keep their names confidential.  I don't know about you o, but most business I know try to advertise. Thisday says: The five members of the church, whose names are being withheld for confidential reasons,

So, say, I'm a potential client and I want to charter their plane . . . I don't know who to go to to discuss terms or availability.  Remember, the plane doesn't belong to Redeemed so I can't go to Redeemed to negotiate terms for the charter.  How ridiculous is that?  A confidential business entrepreneur.  Not even 1, but 5. 

3)Who is this other source that ThisDay then quote.  He tells us that the business plan is well laid out.  Is he one of the entrepreneurs that he knows the business plan so well?  Does the document first alluded to also give details of the business plan?

Sorry but the whole things just smells very fishy.  It smells of a PR exercise in damage limitation.

I said immediately they came out with the fresh facts by thisday,,,that multiple facts would continue to emerge on this jet issue.The very best that can be done is for the church and Pastor Adeboye to come out and make a categorical statement as regards this issue.We cannot all be fools,,,I do have respect for Adeboye but then I believe he is human and prone to making mistake.
If PM News have reported on this issue about a year ago and it materialises just one year after the report,,you simply can't doubt the PM news report.My thinking is that if the church does not come out to make a clear statement about this,,,then the RCCG has got something to hide,,,if you make mistakes,,the best thing to do is to apologise appropriately,,that would make you to earn back your respect from the people,,,,but if you keep covering by different schemings,,,then something is not right and your respect would be far gone and thrown away,,,,

anonimi:

They are tax exempt i.e money that should have been received from Adeboye et al for developing roads, electricity, hospitals etc, which will benefit all 140m of us Nigerians. Thus any Naija citizen who is implicitly giving these guys tax free ride can scrutinise each and every of their words and actions. Get the drift?
Otherwise they should pay taxes on the money they are fleecing from their gullible members and we may consider leaving them ride their jets quietly.

Why should a church pay tax since they are non-profit , supported by people and it was 5 of this people that donated the money to buy the jet. I have found out the some people conveniently ignore that part and go on with the bashing of the reverend.

By the way churches are non-profit organisation, it is up to the so called gullible members to demand any financial information they want no one else and if they are happy with whatsoever that is happening in the church then I really don’t see what business it is off yours

They (churches) might be tax exempt but they do more for the society than the so-called government, don’t blame the tax-exempt churches for the woes of uncivilization that reigns in the country. That country can easily do all those things you mentioned if not for the thieving politicians that would rather have all for themselves and non for the masses

@kunle0shob,
i solely 2nd ya 1st post.

vanitty,

since you pay income tax on your salary or business profit why don't you refuse to pay VAT. that is just one example. I can give you more if/when you respond to this.
meanwhile, is your N/L name indicative of your priorities in life?

anonimi:

vanitty,

since you pay income tax on your salary or business profit why don't you refuse to pay VAT. that is just one example. I can give you more if/when you respond to this.
meanwhile, is your N/L name indicative of your priorities in life?

I don't need to pay tax because the people that pay for my services have already paid their taxes.

And I guess my accountant and my lawyer don't need to pay their tax either cos I've already paid mine through the people that employed my services in the first place.