By Promise Uzoma Okoro,Enugu
A Former General Superintendent of Assemblies Of God Nigeria Rev Paul Emeka wants the Management of Radio Nigeria to allow him carry Propaganda against the Leadership of Assemblies Of God Nigeria,in a bid to misled the General Public.
Paul Emeka in a Letter Dated 31st May 2017 and addressed to the Zonal Director of of the Federal Radio Corporation Of Nigeria in Enugu,claimed that the Supreme Court Judgement did not go in favour of Assemblies Of God Nigeria.
The Letter which was signed by Rev Richard Akwah,his Personal Assistant and copied to the Deputy Director Of News and the Deputy Director Marketing of FRCN also claimed that the Attorney Generals of Kaduna and Enugu States purportedly had Interpreted the Supreme Court Judgement to mean that the Judgement did not Favour Assemblies Of God Nigeria .
Contrary to the Claims of Rev Paul Emeka,the Supreme Court in a lead Judgment by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun on the 24th of February 2017, affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal in Enugu which had upheld the suspension and dismissal of the appellant by the church.
The apex court held that there was no proper proof that the suit at the Enugu High court was properly served on the respondents as required by law.
The Supreme Court held that it was wrong for the Rev Paul Emeka to have served his originating summons filed before the the Enugu State High Court, on No. 5, Mbalano Street Enugu, in Enugu State,when the order of the court was specific and categorical that the process should be served on Evangel House of the church in Enugu.
It held that the case of wrongful service was clear from the affidavit deposed to by a court bailiff in Enugu, stating that he served the originating summons on one Shadrack Lawrence through one Richard Ake when the Enugu High Court ordered that the summons must be taken to the Evangel House National Headquaters of Assemblies Of God Nigeria in Enugu
According to Justice Kekere-Ekun, in the eyes of the law, the originating summons was not served on the proper party as required by law.
She therefore held that the Leaders of Assemblies Of God Nigeria led by Rev Dr Chidi Okoroafor could not be held liable because the issue of service was a fundamental one in law.
She held that the purported service wrongly effected was null and void and no suit could be validly built on it.
On Paul Emeka’s alleged violation of his fair hearing by the church, the apex court held that the fundamental human right as enshrined in the Chapter Four of the 1999 constitution did not cover a head of church sacked and expelled by the church.
The apex court added that the right to be a member of a church was not a right recognised under the Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution.
Justice Kekere-Ekun ruled, “Being a pastor, General Superintendent and member of a church is not a fundamental right as envisaged in the 1999 Constitution.
“The remedy for the removal of the appellant as a pastor, General Superintendent and a member of the respondent, does not fall within section 36 because the right to be a pastor is not a constitutional one.” a Judgement agreed by all the members of the Panel that sat on the Day of Judgement in the Case.
The Judiciary Correspondent of Radio Nigeria in Abuja Mrs Adaora Onyechere was in Court with other Judiciary Correspondents of other Media Houses and reported as it happened in the Court Room.
Rev Paul Emeka is only attempting the Impossible .
