₦airaland Forum

Heirs Holdings’ portfolio companies ranked among Africa’s top 50 high-growth businesses



Heirs Holdings’ three portfolio companies, Heirs Life Assurance, Redtech, and Heirs General Insurance, have been recognised in the Financial Times Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2026 ranking.

Published annually by the Financial Times in partnership with Statista, the ranking recognises companies driving exceptional revenue growth, innovation, market expansion, and economic impact across the continent.

The Heirs Holdings’ portfolio companies attained top positions among Africa’s fastest-growing businesses, with Heirs Life Assurance ranked Number 7 with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 147.85 per cent, Redtech ranked Number 32 with a CAGR of 69.66 per cent, and Heirs General Insurance ranked Number 41 with a CAGR of 60.02 per cent.

The recognition highlights the growing strength of the Heirs Holdings ecosystem and validates the group’s long-term investment strategy focused on innovation, financial inclusion, infrastructure development, and sustainable value creation across Africa.

According to the group, the milestone further reinforces the impact of Africapitalism, its philosophy as envisioned by the Chairman and Founder, Tony Elumelu, which positions the African private sector as a critical driver of economic transformation, business growth, and social development across the continent.

Across its portfolio, Heirs Holdings continues to build and scale businesses delivering innovation and measurable impact across key sectors, including insurance, technology, payments, and financial services.

Heirs Life Assurance and Heirs General Insurance, both members of Heirs Insurance Group, recently launched Nigeria’s first multi-language GenAI insurance assistant, positioning the Group at the forefront of insurance innovation in Africa.

Insurance festival
The group also hosted the inaugural Heirs Insurance Travel Festival, the first travel insurance festival in Nigeria, which served as a strategic platform advocating fairer visa policies, stronger bilateral agreements, and a more inclusive travel ecosystem for Africans.

In the fintech and payments sector, Redtech has processed over $27 billion (N37.2 trillion) in transactions to date, more than triple the over $8.9 billion (N12 trillion) processed by the end of 2024.

The company recently partnered with MoMo PSB and United Bank for Africa to expand merchant payment access across Nigeria and has deployed over 55,000 RedPay POS terminals within 16 months across merchant locations nationwide.

RedPay infrastructure currently supports payments across five UEMOA countries, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal, strengthening cross-border payment accessibility and digital financial infrastructure across West Africa.

The Financial Times recognition underscores the ability of African businesses to build globally relevant solutions while driving innovation, inclusion, and economic transformation at scale.

Heirs Holdings is a leading pan-African investment company with interests across financial services, power, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, and technology, committed to improving lives and transforming Africa through strategic long-term investments.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/business/business-news/879557-heirs-holdings-portfolio-companies-ranked-among-africas-top-50-high-growth-businesses.html

Tony Elumelu Foundation and African entrepreneurial revolution

https://punchng.com/tony-elumelu-foundation-and-african-entrepreneurial-revolution/



At the dawn of a century increasingly defined by Africa’s demographic dividend and its historically underutilized industrial potential, a singular institutional force is systematically recalibrating the continent’s economic trajectory. The Tony Elumelu Foundation( TEF, stands at the vanguard of a structural transformation, one that deliberately replaces the old models of systemic dependency with the robust mechanisms of enterprise, traditional charity with the democratization of opportunity.

Rooted in the transformative philosophy of Africapitalism, the belief that the African private sector must play the lead role in the continent’s development, the Foundation is not merely a conduit for financial grants; it is the architect of a pan-African movement. By placing the levers of economic destiny squarely in the hands of indigenous innovators, TEF is nurturing a resilient generation of entrepreneurs poised to drive inclusive, long-term prosperity across Africa.

At the heart of this vision is Tony Elumelu, a figure whose career as a visionary banker and industrialist has been defined by a commitment to scalable, institutional impact. Elumelu’s leadership in the financial sector provided the blueprint for his philanthropic approach, a transition from giving to investing in human capital.

Unlike traditional aid systems that often perpetuate cycles of stagnation, Elumelu’s strategy is anchored on the radical empowerment of the individual as a primary creator of communal wealth. His guiding principle is as profound as it is pragmatic: Africa’s development cannot be an outsourced endeavor; it must be constructed by Africans themselves, fueled by domestic ingenuity and sustained by local markets.

Reinforcing this strategic direction is the Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Somachi Chris-Asoluka, whose leadership has emphasized that TEF’s mandate transcends fiscal support to achieve the unlocking of human potential at a historic scale. In the administrative halls of the Foundation, an application is never viewed as a mere request for capital; it is scrutinized as a bold, nascent vision for Africa’s future. Under Chris-Asoluka’s stewardship, the Foundation has positioned entrepreneurship as a unifying socio-political force, a mechanism capable of dismantling the barriers of unemployment, gender inequality, and economic exclusion.

The true metric of success, in this view, is the multiplier effect, the phenomenon where one empowered entrepreneur becomes a localized anchor for dozens of livelihoods, creating a ripple effect of stability for entire regions.



This philosophy finds its most potent practical expression in the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme. Since its inception in 2015, the program has disbursed over $100 million to more than 24,000 entrepreneurs. The macro-economic implications are staggering: the initiative has facilitated the creation of over 1.5 million jobs and generated $4.2 billion in revenue. These figures are far more than clinical statistics; they represent a fundamental reimagining of the African future. They speak to revitalised communities where the youths no longer consider the Jakpa option as their only path to success, but instead see their own communities as fertile ground for innovation.

The foundation’s 2026 milestone further underscores the accelerating momentum. In a landmark announcement that captured global attention, TEF unveiled 3,200 young entrepreneurs selected for its latest cohort, chosen from a staggering pool of over 265,000 applicants. Elumelu has described this initiative as a mission to “democratize luck and prosperity,” a phrase that acknowledges the vast talent pool currently stifled by a lack of institutional support. His conviction remains steadfast, entrepreneurship is Africa’s most viable pathway to sustainable development. This perspective reframes the act of spreading wealth not as an act of altruism, but as “enlightened self-interest.” In an interconnected continent where poverty in one region poses a collective security and economic risk to all, the empowerment of these young Africans becomes the only logical safeguard for the prosperity of the few.

The tangible impact of this model is best viewed through the experiences of the beneficiaries, whose successes validate the Africapitalist theory. In Nigeria, Samira Abdullahi has leveraged the TEF framework to scale her fashion enterprise by 200 percent, generating $40,000 in annual revenue while simultaneously providing vocational training to young women in her community. In the southern tip of the continent, South Africa’s Kemiso Motholo has scaled a venture that now impacts over 20,000 lives, while in East Africa, Kenya’s Aisha Langat has pioneered an agro-allied business generating over $500,000 in revenue and providing critical market access to 12,000 farmers.

These testimonies illustrate a universal truth: when African entrepreneurs are granted the tools of modern business, they do not merely seek personal profit; they become engines of community development, solving local problems with global standards of efficiency.

When viewed through a global lens, Elumelu’s model invites compelling comparisons with the world’s most influential philanthropic icons. While the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has revolutionised global health, Warren Buffett redefined large-scale charitable giving, Jack Ma championed digital inclusion in Asia, the TEF model is uniquely tailored to African structural reality. Beyond these global comparisons, Elumelu’s work resonates with a profound moral urgency within the African political context. At a time when many on the continent are preoccupied with the accumulation of political and personal capital, Elumelu is deliberately channeling his resources to expand the horizons of others. This contrast highlights a burgeoning shift in the African leadership ethos, a move towards prioritizing legacy over accumulation and measurable impact over fleeting influence.



The Foundation’s success also shines a spotlight on the vital importance of global collaboration. At the recent 2026 unveiling, TEF Co-Founder Dr. Awele Elumelu issued a clarion call for expanded partnerships, noting that while thousands are supported annually, hundreds of thousands of viable ideas remain unfunded due to scale constraints. International partners, including the European Union, and UNICEF, have increasingly recognized the TEF program as a transformative force capable of reshaping Africa’s economic trajectory. These partnerships signify a growing global consensus that the most effective way to engage with Africa is through the support of its entrepreneurs.

Ultimately, the significance of the Tony Elumelu Foundation extends far beyond the provision of seed capital. By fostering innovation in critical sectors such as green energy, agrotech, and the creative industries, TEF is building the infrastructure of the future. As the continent navigates the complexities of the 21st-century global economy and prepares to host the world’s largest workforce by 2050, the TEF model offers the only scalable solution to the challenge of productive engagement. It represents a blueprint for a new economic order where prosperity is shared, opportunity is created through merit, and the African narrative finally shifts from potential to performance. Through the Foundation, the vision of an Africa developed by Africans is no longer a distant aspiration; it is a living, breathing reality that is already in motion, rewriting the history of a continent, one entrepreneur at a time.

Aibangbe is a Media and Public Relations Consultant

*How Seraphic Psychiatric Hospital is restoring hope to lives on the streets.*

Across many streets in southeastern Nigeria, numerous individuals living with mental health challenges remain without access to care, shelter, or medical support, often left to struggle to survive on the streets.

In response to this growing concern, Evangelist Ebuka Obi, the Spiritual Director of Zion Prayer Movement Outreach, established the Seraphic Psychiatric Hospital in Aguleri, Anambra State, to take mentally challenged individuals off the streets and provide them free comprehensive psychiatric care and rehabilitation.

What began as efforts to clear the streets of Anambra State of vulnerable individuals in need of psychiatric care has gradually expanded beyond the state, reaching other parts of the Southeast and neighbouring communities.

Recent rescue missions have extended to locations including Aba in Abia State, with outreach teams moving through different areas identifying individuals living on the streets without care and bringing them to safety.

So far, this has led to the rescue of more than twenty mentally challenged individuals from various parts of Anambra and Imo states, with the initiative gradually expanding its reach into other southeastern states including Enugu and Ebonyi, and even parts of the South-South region.

Mentally challenged individuals found wandering the streets are assisted by members of the rescue team and transported to the Seraphic Psychiatric Hospital, where their journey to treatment and recovery begins.

At the hospital, which was commissioned by Governor Chukwuma Soludo last year, rescued individuals receive medical attention, hygiene care, meals, psychiatric evaluation, medication, and other essential health services, all provided free of charge as part of the rehabilitation process.


Through continued outreach and medical intervention, the initiative seeks to address untreated mental health conditions while restoring dignity and hope to some of the most vulnerable members of society.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVvmSlGjAqc/?igsh=MXR1MTVvbXE5cWJrbA==

Court revokes bail of former MFM chorister Ayotunde Richards, orders Funke Ashekun's arrest over contempt.


https://tribuneonlineng.com/alleged-contempt-court-revokes-bail-of-ex-mfm-chorister-orders-bloggers-arrest/


Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos has revoked the bail previously granted to gospel singer and former member of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM), Ayotunde Richards, for alleged contempt.

The judge also ordered the arrest of blogger Funke Ashekun and her production before the court over her alleged libellous writings.

Justice Lewis-Allagoa made these orders during the hearing of the criminal charge brought against Richards by the Nigeria Police for criminal defamation of the General Overseer of MFM, Pastor Daniel Olukoya.

Ayotunde was arraigned before the court on a 12-count charge of conspiracy, cyber-bullying, libel, and defamation.

The prosecutor, Barrister Nosa Waltson Uhumwangho, informed the court that the defendant committed the offences between December 2023 and February 2024.

The prosecutor also alleged that the defendant posted on another social media platform, “Moment of Truth,” captioned: “Daniel Olukoya, the Police Pastor,” “Mountain of Police and Alagbon Ministries,” “A powerless clergy who depends on Ayoleyi Tawose to deal with his perceived enemies.”

Further, the defendant was accused of writing on “Moment of Truth” that the MFM General Overseer lied to his former RCCG Pastor to flush him from the church and that “he doesn’t behave like a Pastor at all,” among other claims.

The prosecutor stated that these offences contravened Sections 27 and 24(1)(b)(2)(a)(i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, and are punishable under the same Act.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail by the court.

But at the resumed hearing of the trial, the Police Prosecutor, Nosa Uhumwangho, drew the court’s attention to the scandalising social media post and libellous content against the nominal complainant and the judge through Funke Ashekun.

To support his application, the prosecutor tendered publications by Funke Ashekun on her social media platform in which the defendant was tagged.

In the post title, "The judge delivered a strong message to Olukoya in court today," Ashekun had alleged that the judge expressed disappointment over the lawsuit and wondered why the MFM Pastor could not use his spiritual power to resolve the issue.

Despite efforts by Ayotunde's lawyer, Barrister Ademola Adewale, to exonerate his client from these alleged publications, the court found the arguments unsatisfactory.
In a bench ruling, the judge held that, in his own affidavit, the defendant acknowledged that Ashekun's social media post did not reflect what actually happened in court and that Ashekun had tagged him in it.

The court therefore revokes the defendant's bail until Ashekun is arrested and brought before it, or until she removes the offensive post and apologises.

The case was adjourned to 29 April 2026 for further proceedings.
[05/03, 16:32] Olugbenga Soyele: Contempt: Court Revokes Bail Of Former MFM Chorister, Orders Blogger's Arrest


Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos has revoked the bail previously granted to gospel singer and former member of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM), Ayotunde Richards, for alleged contempt.

The judge also ordered the arrest of blogger Funke Ashekun and her production before the court over her alleged libellous writings.

Justice Lewis-Allagoa made these orders during the hearing of the criminal charge brought against Richards by the Nigeria Police for criminal defamation of the General Overseer of MFM, Pastor Daniel Olukoya.

Ayotunde was arraigned before the court on a 12-count charge of conspiracy, cyber-bullying, libel, and defamation.

The prosecutor, Barrister Nosa Waltson Uhumwangho, informed the court that the defendant committed the offences between December 2023 and February 2024.

The prosecutor also alleged that the defendant posted on another social media platform, “Moment of Truth,” captioned: “Daniel Olukoya, the Police Pastor,” “Mountain of Police and Alagbon Ministries,” “A powerless clergy who depends on Ayoleyi Tawose to deal with his perceived enemies.”

Further, the defendant was accused of writing on “Moment of Truth” that the MFM General Overseer lied to his former RCCG Pastor to flush him from the church and that “he doesn’t behave like a Pastor at all,” among other claims.

The prosecutor stated that these offences contravened Sections 27 and 24(1)(b)(2)(a)(i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, and are punishable under the same Act.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail by the court.

But at the resumed hearing of the trial, the Police Prosecutor, Nosa Uhumwangho, drew the court’s attention to the scandalising social media post and libellous content against the nominal complainant and the judge through Funke Ashekun.

To support his application, the prosecutor tendered publications by Funke Ashekun on her social media platform in which the defendant was tagged.

In the post title, "The judge delivered a strong message to Olukoya in court today," Ashekun had alleged that the judge expressed disappointment over the lawsuit and wondered why the MFM Pastor could not use his spiritual power to resolve the issue.

Despite efforts by Ayotunde's lawyer, Barrister Ademola Adewale, to exonerate his client from these alleged publications, the court found the arguments unsatisfactory.
In a bench ruling, the judge held that, in his own affidavit, the defendant acknowledged that Ashekun's social media post did not reflect what actually happened in court and that Ashekun had tagged him in it.

The court therefore revokes the defendant's bail until Ashekun is arrested and brought before it, or until she removes the offensive post and apologises.

The case was adjourned to 29 April 2026 for further proceedings.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/alleged-contempt-court-revokes-bail-of-ex-mfm-chorister-orders-bloggers-arrest/

https://punchng.com/heirs-energies-ascent-redefining-nigerias-power-and-purpose/?amp



A seismic shift is vibrating through the sprawling onshore fields of the Niger Delta. In January 2021, a $1.2bn landmark deal sent a clear signal to the global markets: Heirs Energies had arrived. By acquiring a 45 per cent stake in OML 17 from Shell, Total, and ENI, the company did more than purchase an asset; it planted the flag of Africapitalism in the heart of Nigeria’s energy landscape. The message was unyielding—Africans must not only have a seat at the table but must own the future of their natural resources.

At the centre of this revolution is Tony Elumelu, CFR—a consummate investor-banker, philanthropist, and a fierce believer in African capacity. Elumelu has consistently championed the creed that for foreign investors to take Africa seriously, Africans must first demonstrate world-class operational excellence in high-stakes ventures. Heirs Energies was founded to shatter the fallacy that Africa cannot manage its own wealth. Today, that myth is being systematically dismantled and consigned to the dustbin of history.

The path Elumelu chose initially appeared high-risk. To the uninitiated, acquiring “brownfield” assets—mature fields often viewed by oil majors as declining—seemed a precarious move for a new indigenous player. But it proved to be a masterstroke of strategic brilliance. Within just 100 days of taking operational control in July 2021, the “miracle” began. Under the leadership of a seasoned indigenous CEO, Osa Igiehon, production surged from 27,000 barrels per day (bpd) to over 50,000 bpd.

Heirs Energies achieved this growth by focusing on disciplined brownfield optimisation, rehabilitating and restoring existing wells and facilities, as well as maintaining an unwavering commitment to safety and operational excellence.
This feat is even more remarkable considering the operating environment. Battling the twin shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic oil theft, Heirs Energies achieved the impossible.

Through strategic intervention, Heirs Energies stabilised its operations and significantly reduced theft-related losses from a staggering peak of 97 per cent to less than 10 per cent.

While reviving crude output, Heirs Energies simultaneously ignited Nigeria’s gas ambitions. In November 2021, only six months post-takeover, the company delivered first gas from the Agbada Non-Associated Gas Plant—a project that had languished for over a decade under previous operators. This success provided the critical pulse for the national “Decade of Gas” initiative, immediately necessitating the commencement of Agbada Train-2 to meet domestic demand.

By its third anniversary, the results were undeniable. Heirs Energies had moved to a gold standard. Today, the company produces over 50,000 bpd and approximately 120 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMscf/d), supplying up to 100 MMscf/d of gas into the domestic market and enabling more than 300 megawatts of power generation.

The momentum reached a fever pitch in December 2025. Heirs Energies signed landmark Gas Flare Commercialisation Agreements with five flare gas offtakers, marking a decisive victory for environmental responsibility.

By partnering with these gas offtakers, the company is accelerating flare reduction and gas monetisation, effectively turning waste into economic value, directly supporting Nigeria’s green energy transition.

Simultaneously, Elumelu leveraged his profound financial influence to secure a $750m financing package —one of the largest funding arrangements ever secured by a locally owned African producer, the same way he facilitated a strategic $500m acquisition of a 20 per cent stake in Seplat Energy. This move represents a powerful horizontal and vertical integration, reminiscent of the historic merger that created today’s UBA. Elumelu does not merely acquire; he creates synergy, infusing every venture with world-class governance and a “winning” culture that turns challenges into blueprints for success.

The Heirs Energies story is a narrative of renewed hope for the continent. The industry is winning, the Niger Delta is winning, and the environment is winning. Through the “Decade of Gas” policy, Nigeria is witnessing an energy revolution that creates thousands of jobs, reduces carbon footprints, and maximises ROI through the revitalisation of existing fields rather than the risky over-drilling of new ones.

These results are a magnet for global capital.

Where Tony Elumelu leads, confidence follows. Nigeria is no longer just a participant in the energy sector; it is a leader. The Giant of Africa has not just awakened—it is fueling the future.

Fr Nwebe Joy’s Blatant Attacks on Evang Ebuka Obi: The Pull-Him-Down Syndrome


By Azu Okafor.

In life (both present and historical), we often hear, see or read about the curious concept of sibling rivalry, brother killing brother, prophet killing prophet, on and on and on. These are dated concepts stemming from jealousy, envy and all other forms of destructive competition. The Biblical story of Joseph the Dreamer and his siblings is an instructive case study. We have read the bestseller by Jeffery Archer titled Kane and Abel. The theme also extends to the Judas syndrome, but how does one explain a persistent, vicious, and misleading attacks against a personality you have never met nor directly related to? Any genuine man of God will not descend from his exalted office of preaching the gospel, spreading love, hope and charity to be criticizing and condemning his fellow labourer in the vineyard of God just as Fr Nwebe Joy is doing to Evangelist Ebuka Obi.

For proper context, Fr Nwebe Joy, is a clergyman ordained some ten years ago, whose congregation scattered immediately thereafter.
Among the grouses and contentions of Fr Nwebe against the Evangelist is that Evangelist Ebuka Obi’s virgin purity posturing has harvested most traditional Igbo Catholics into the Zion Movement fold. He also Faults the open raw deliverance practice of the Evangelist, which he claims strips the candidates of dignity. This fault-finding goes against the Biblical statement that Christ prevailed over demons and made open show of them in triumph! Evangelist Ebuka Obi operates by inspiration and his method certainly propagates the deliverance gospel better than the secret method! This barrage of pontification is coming from a man well known for his philandering antecedents (for those who know) In plain words, Fr Nwebe is rumoured to be enjoying the joys of the opposite gender in a manner specifically against the chastity vows of the office of a priest.

In an apparent attempt to discourage some believers in the diaspora (whom Fr Nwebe must have perceived to be key financial members) he claims the Evangelist is using the virtues of the Americans! How ridiculous can a supposed Man of God get to be? In another episode, Fr Nwebe claimed he visited a member of Ebuka Obi’s Zion ministry and discovered SHE was not wearing a BRA! How come? Meanwhile he stayed with her for the night! What’s going on?

In one video available in the public domain Fr Nwebe, in an attempt to debunk the chastity tenets of the Evangelist, issued a curse by pulling his footwear to connect to the bare soil, a practice which I found disturbing as an exclusive practice of traditionalist and highly unbecoming of a genuine man of God.

Close watchers are finding it difficult to comprehend why Evangelist Ebuka has not taken a drastic action against the antagonism of Fr Nwebe by prosecuting him for a clear case of cyber-bullying and blackmail or report him to the parent Catholic authorities at the Vatican. Is Fr Nwebe now a full-time blogger or an influencer paid to mudsling his colleague? Is there a puppet master behind this whole charade? Only time will tell!

One thing is clear - Fr Nwebe is gravitating to the status of Prophet Killer just as the brothers of Joseph in the Bible case study, who out of envy declared: here comes the dreamer; Let us kill him now, and see what becomes of his lofty dreams! Shall he also rule over us, his elder brothers?

Let me, on this note, implore the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria and all the Generals in the body of Christ to caution Fr Nwebe Joy against his pull-him-down practices. His actions are disgraceful, ignoble and undoubtedly highlights of envy, jealousy and resentment. Such attacks are detrimental to the image of the church and its missions. A kingdom divided against itself, will not stand the test of time. *Shalom!*

Azu Okafor, a concerned Catholic faithful, wrote from Awka, Anambra State.

https://openlife.ng/azu-okafor-concerned-catholic-faithful-reflects-on-fr-nwebe-joys-blatant-attacks-pull-him-down-syndrome-on-evangelist-ebuka-obi/

Unravelling that Zion testimony debacle

By Dan Aibangbe

It was just a few days ago that the news broke about a young Lady named Loveth, who shared her fairy tale testimony of her grass-to-grace leap and divine turnaround that landed her into becoming a proud owner of a mansion in a notable estate in faraway Enugu State.

The testimony has a root in a prophecy given during the Open Heaven ministration of Evangelist Ebuka Obi, Spiritual Director of the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach, in February 2024. The young lady later returned to share her testimony of success that appeared to align with the earlier prophecy, but sadly, her testimony was discovered to be untrue.

To the unsuspecting public, so many questions beg for answers: is the testimony sponsored or voluntarily self-orchestrated? For those thinking that the ministry could be peddling false testimonies, I ask, is it reasonable that they would spend one whole year orchestrating it, considering they air about twenty or more per service, two times a week? What would the church stand to benefit from such a scheme – attract more members, considering the membership is already overflowing? Is this an isolated case, or are there many of such cases? To the best of my knowledge, this is an isolated case among the multiple of outstanding testimonies featured on the church’s platforms.

The Zion Prayer movement outreach has become a great brand renowned nationwide and in the international community. The active members are in the millions, and branches in so many nations of the world. To my mind, such a ministry has grown beyond the need for orchestrated testimonies. The law of large numbers alone ensures there are too many quality testimonies to feature, without the need for any shenanigans. The real challenge is screening out the best.

Under the leadership of the highly anointed Evangelist Ebuka Obi, the Zion Ministry has zero-tolerance for obscenity, fraud, demonic consultations and all form of vices. Evangelist Ebuka’s crusade style of puritanism has earned him open confrontation with native doctors, especially of eastern confraternities. Sadly, his puritanism has also earned him envy and hatred from the established fellow clerics of the Christian faith. Some have openly confronted him while others are still acting covertly. Attempts have been made on his life without success and it is not surprising this new tactic of blackmail may be part of their arsenal.

Evangelist Ebuka Obi’s uncompromising practices, coupled with the huge success of the ministry in just over a decade has made him and the ministry the subject of acrimonious envy. It is the destiny of success that it always attracts detractors. Attacks on successful people and movements is not a new phenomenon. In fact, as far back as the times of Christ on earth, His ministry was subject to so many attacks and the establishment sought to kill Him! The comfort comes from the realisation that when you are on God’s mission, nobody can terminate it until God Himself is done!

In today’s Christianity, especially the Pentecostals and Charismatics, the working of miracles are very essential in planting and promoting new brands. But the solidification of brands rely more on structures, protocols and sound doctrine. This fact answers the question of whether the ’fake’ mansion testimony of Miss Loveth was orchestrated by the ministry or Evangelist Ebuka Obi. It would be shocking that an already well established brand with up to 10 million members worldwide, would be desperate to that extent. This same ministry handles testimonies in multiples every service day (Wednesdays and Sundays). What would be the need for faking testimonies when the ministry already has more than enough to handle during the limited broadcast times?

Evangelist Ebuka Obi is a self-disciplined man who has openly challenged his colleagues to the test of chastity. He requests any one of them who can confirm to have never indulged in sexual sins to come out in the open! He has also been a scourge and thorn in the flesh of fraudsters, popularly called yahoo-yahoo! Is that the kind of person who would now be orchestrating testimonies?

To those who would question why the ministry did not carry out due diligence before accepting and sharing the Loveth story, the blunt answer is that they actually did enough by requesting the evidence of her claim, which she presented in video format. It was this video evidence that exposed her lies eventually. So, rather than condemn, we should praise the ministry, more so as crime detection is not their core competence or responsibility! That is for the police. Those who also question why an ‘all-seeing’ prophet did not know a plot was being hatched against him should consider that it is the prerogative of God to reveal things to his servants at His own time and for His own glory alone! Sometimes, God allows both the tares and the wheat together for the purpose of a good harvest.

The question to ask ourselves is, how many of us can run a business with 10,000 customers without an issue? These men of God we keep disparaging carelessly run congregations with countless members from all walks of life. We must appreciate their industry and efforts to keep our society the same and pious.

As to the case of Loveth, we should be satisfied that the police has already been involved. They are the right authorities by law to investigate all forms of crime. Conjectures, speculations, rumours and other negative emotions do not help but rather detract the course of genuine investigations. Let the general public allow the professionals do their job this time around.

* Aibangbe is a media and public relations consultant

https://punchng.com/unravelling-that-zion-testimony-debacle/

I don’t think this Ijele guy is normal. He must be smoking something. How do you go about defaming people and even threatening their lives? Is this just for likes and trend and social media money?

The same MTN that resisted use of telephone by the masses, telling us arrogantly that per second was not possible! They even lied on how much the interconnect fee Glo was owing them was, making it look like Glo didn’t want to pay. Kudos to NCC for insisting on the reconciliation.

Does this even make sense to threaten to shut down the company’s masts connecting over 50m customers? So once they pay, the masts will no longer contravene the height spec? How can you levy only one organization such humongous amount? Pls how has NCAA improved the air space and made it safer? The officials are more interested in money that they will still embezzle! Awon ole!

Well, it’s like different strokes. .. I have been using GLO for over a decade and I have never regretted it. I enjoy both voice and data though I am in Lagos. I don’t know about other areas. Their 4G experience is still the best compared to MTN which I also use.

It’s not just the beauty and entertainment value of the commercial that I like. It’s more about the inspiration, the depth and import of the message therein.