A former Church worker said Mr. Okotie made him work for 14 years without pay.
On February 5, 2013, the flamboyant head of the Household of God Church International, Chris Okotie, is expected to appear before an Ikeja Magistrate Court.
In his trademark smooth, and colourful language, Mr. Okotie will tell Magistrate T.A. Akanni how and why his church did not pay a former church worker and keyboardist for 14 years salaries totalling N39 million.
Dafiaghor Okiotor, a former keyboardist at the church before he fell out with Mr. Okotie in 2009, said that the money covers the
14 years he worked for the church without emolument.
The church, however, insisted that he was “working for God.

Coming to Lagos
A 21-year-old Mr. Okiotor arrived in Lagos in 1993 to pursue a music career with his friends – a dream he said made him abandon his study at the Delta State University.
“We wanted to become superstars overnight,” said Mr. Okiotor, 40, leaning forward from his seat in his lawyer’s office.
“I came to Lagos to do music,” he added.
On arrival, he joined Winners Christian Centre, Surulere, where he doubled as a keyboardist as well as choir master.
For his efforts, he said that the church gave him a one room apartment as well as a N4,000 monthly salary.
However, his sights were still set on a musical career and, on his way to Tabansi Records at Alausa, he bumped into a charismatic Mr. Okotie at Oregun.
And a 14 year affair ensued; a relationship that would later become tempestuous, landing Mr. Okiotor a short stint in prison, and eventually ending up in a court room.
The Okotie connection
In mid 1995, Mr. Okiotor said that he met the head of Household of God Church after he learnt that there was an opening for a keyboardist.
The perks that accompanied that opening included a N10,000 monthly salary and, after an undisclosed probation period, a three-bedroom apartment, according to Mr. Okiotor.
“He (Okotie) said that he wants to see my faithfulness before giving me the three-bedroom apartment,” Mr. Okiotor said.
“But first, a room apartment, and when that expires and they think that I’m good enough…
“I was so excited; from a N4,000 to a N10,000 monthly salary,” Mr. Okiotor added.
The keyboardist said that barely two months into his new job, the salaries stopped coming.
“About 5 to 6 months after I’ve not been getting anything, I met him (Okotie) and he told me that ‘Didn’t I tell you that we have to see your faithfulness? It was because we thought you were good that was why we rented you an apartment.’
“That sounded like a subtle threat, so I left the matter,” said Mr. Okiotor.
“Then again, it is easy to believe if a pastor says ‘I’ll give you N50 million’ because he can wake up anyday and give you.
“And again, other members of the church will tell me, if I want to grumble, that ‘Do I know how much he is worth? How much is my salary?’”
At the expiration of the one room apartment rented by the church, Mr. Okiotor said that he was unable to renew it and was subsequently evicted by the house owner.
“I told pastor about it, he was not even in the mood to listen to me. He said he was travelling and when he gets back, he was going to sort it out. He never did.
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