REFUTAL NOTICE BY THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD NIGERIA
The attention of the Board of the Incorporated Trustees, the Executive Committee and the Board of Administration of the Assemblies of God Nigeria has been drawn to a false and ignoble publication credited to one Rev Andrew Mnyim at page 39 of the Daily Sun Newspaper of Monday 12th June 2017 which was purportedly made on behalf of The Assemblies of God Nigeria.
The above named true authorities of Assemblies of God Nigeria would not have dignified such ungodly falsehood with a reply except for the time honoured adage that falsehood often repeated tends to masquerade as the truth.
THEREFORE, THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD NIGERIA HEREBY REFUTES THE SAID PUBLICATION AND NOTIFIES THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS FOLLOWS:
1. The said Rev Paul Emeka, Rev Raphael Itotoh, Rev Andrew Mnyim and Rev Best Aikhaituamen and their fellow stragglers whose names or pictures appeared in the aforesaid newspaper publication are not members, pastors, officers or representatives of the Assemblies of God Nigeria in any capacity whatsoever since October 2014 when they were excommunicated from the Church.
2. For record purposes the Assemblies of God Nigeria (hereinafter called the Church) was founded in Nigeria by lay men in 1934 and five years later, in 1939, the Church became affiliated to the Assemblies of God USA.
3. The Church under the guardianship of the American Missionaries became one of the foremost instruments of grassroots evangelism in Nigeria, firstly moving along the old rail lines and expanding into the remotest parts of all the zones of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
4. The Church was first formally incorporated in Nigeria in 1954 with a Board of Incorporated Trustees of its own. And the said Board of Trustees has since then managed the affairs and assets of the Church. And the Church has regularly replaced the membership of the Board as the need arises. In exercise of it powers to remove any member or members of the Board of Trustees, on 30th April 2015, the Church removed Rev Dr Paul Emeka as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Church. A copy of the current certificate of incorporation of the Church is herewith attached.
5. Historically and within its 83 years of illustrious evangelistic service in Nigeria the Church has been blessed with a number of indigenous faithful, diligent and true servants of God as General Superintendents of the Church following the departure of the American Missionaries at the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War.
6. This special class in the church includes Rev Dr Matthew .O. Ezeigbo, Rev Dr Gabriel Oyakhilome and Rev Dr. Charles .O. Osueke.
7. The current and duly recognised General Superintendent of the Church is Rev Dr. Chidi Okoroafor who was elected into office in October 2014 after the dismissal and subsequent excommunication from the Church of his predecessor in office, Rev Dr. Paul Emeka.
8. Sequel to the retirement of Rev Dr. Charles Osueke in 2010, Rev Dr. Paul Emeka was elected into office as General Superintendent of the Church for a four year term with 4098 votes and not 7000 votes as was falsely published by, Rev Andrew Mnyim in his false publication under reference.
9. However, within three and half years into his four year term, on 6th of March 2014 Rev Dr. Paul Emeka was removed from office by the membership of the Church in a special session of the General Committee Meeting convened under Section 3 of Article VIII of the 2002 Church Constitution & Bye-Law (then in force), for various unconscionable acts and behaviour unbecoming of a man of God at the leadership of an Evangelical and Pentecostal movement like the Assemblies of God Nigeria.
10. Following his removal from office Rev Emeka began a devilish and wicked war against the Church through constant publication of anti Church falsehood in the news and social media, mobilization of many unbelievers against the Church and the use of known thugs/cultists to attack worshippers in some of the branch churches during church service. In many instances, innocent pastors and members were physically assaulted or even maimed and Church assets were destroyed.
Pentecostal movement like the Assemblies of God Nigeria.
10. Following his removal from office Rev Emeka began a devilish and wicked war against the Church through constant publication of anti Church falsehood in the news and social media, mobilization of many unbelievers against the Church and the use of known thugs/cultists to attack worshippers in some of the branch churches during church service. In many instances, innocent pastors and members were physically assaulted or even maimed and Church assets were destroyed.
11. On one occasion in Ikom, Cross River State a Church building was burnt down while the pastor in charge and his family barely escaped with their lives. Similarly, some pastors and their families were attacked in Saminaka Kaduna State and their properties destroyed by Rev Paul Emeka’s thugs. The culprits have been convicted by the court in Kaduna State. Rev Dr Paul Emeka and his thugs extended their violent and lawless acts against the Church to places like Benin, Owan in Edo State, Warri, Sapele in Delta State, Enugu, Jos, Umuahia and Kano.
12. All these unconscionable acts by Rev Emeka and his group were carried out for the singular purpose of forcefully returning him to the office of General Superintendent of the Church; otherwise, the Church must be destroyed at all cost.
13. Rev Emeka did not only use the instrumentality of terror in his inordinate desire to be returned to office, and contrary to biblical injunctions and the constitution of the Church he also sought help from the courts to assert his purported right which is, of course akin to building a castle in the air.
14. Rev Emeka went to court in Suit No E/202M/2014 to lay claim to the office of the General Superintendent of the Church as his personal right. The High Court of Enugu
of General Superintendent of the Church; otherwise, the Church must be destroyed at all cost.
13. Rev Emeka did not only use the instrumentality of terror in his inordinate desire to be returned to office, and contrary to biblical injunctions and the constitution of the Church he also sought help from the courts to assert his purported right which is, of course akin to building a castle in the air.
14. Rev Emeka went to court in Suit No E/202M/2014 to lay claim to the office of the General Superintendent of the Church as his personal right. The High Court of Enugu granted all his prayers including N30m as damages. However, upon appeal to the Court of Appeal in Suit No CA/E/10/2015, the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, set aside the judgement of the High Court.
15. Rev Emeka appealed to the Supreme Court in Suit No SC/396/2015 and on 24TH February 2017 the apex court duly dismissed his appeal and upheld the judgement of the Court of Appeal as follows:
a. That the meeting of 6th March wherein Rev Dr Paul Emeka was removed was valid and legitimate.
b. That the dismissal and excommunication of Rev Dr Paul Emeka by the church was valid.
c. That the position of General Superintendent of the Church was not an exclusive right of Rev Dr Paul Emeka or anyone else. The right belongs to the church and the church has power to give it to any one chosen by the majority of its members. The judgment of the Court of Appeal is duly reported at page 80, Court of Appeal Reports, April 2015.
16. Inspite of the subsisting judgments of two appellate courts against Rev Paul Emeka, he began immediately to disparage and cast aspersions on the judgments of the said appellate courts.
17. Subsequently and in a dumb attempt to re-litigate the issues already resolved against him by the apex courts, Rev Paul Emeka and his fellow junketers returned to the high court and filed four fresh suits against the Church and the Nigeria Police Force, including Suits Nos: E/97/2017, E/101/2017 and FHC/E/CS/52/2017.
18. As is expected of men whose stock in trade is to peddle falsehood, Rev Emeka and his cohorts deliberately failed to inform the general public in their publication in reference that they lost woefully in the Court of Appeal and in the Supreme Court. They also hid from the public the fact that they have since the judgement of the Supreme Court filed four new suits in the
high court. It is apparent that these ill advised high court suits filed by Rev Emeka and his gang are expected to, somehow and someday be able to set aside the judgements of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Such reasoning is evidently puerile but then Rev Emeka would do anything to gain any advantage, no matter how futile or pyrrhic it may be.
19. In their well rehearsed efforts at disinformation and the dumb practice of sophistry, Rev Emeka and his gang stated that the Supreme Court, in a letter dated 20th April 2017, explained its judgement of 24th February 2017 in Suit No. SC/396/2015. One does not need to go to law school to know that the Supreme Court does not explain its judgements through a letter written, perhaps by a registrar of the court.
20. Apart from the above blatant lie, there are other pieces of deliberate falsehood published by these men within the 7 brief paragraphs of their newspaper publication in question. And for them to publish their pictures side by side with such wicked falsehood shows an unrepentant and brazen rejection and desecration of the holy truth that is held sacred among all true believers in the word of God.
21. For instance, Rev Dr. Andrew Mnyim alleged that over 7000 delegates elected Rev Dr Paul Emeka into office in 2010. The true and
accurate number of votes he secured in 2010 is 4078 and not 7000 votes.
22. It is false that there was an attempted palace coup. Rev Dr. Paul Emeka was validly removed and the Court of Appeal held that he was validly removed from office and the Supreme Court up held the findings of the Court of Appeal.
23. Rev Paul Emeka’s election into office for a term of four years in 2010 terminated in 2014 and till date no court of law or recognized authority of the Church or the government has extended that term. It is a white lie for any man to claim that Rev Paul Emeka is still the head of the Church or has any control over the Church in any manner whatsoever.
24. It is false too that Rev Dr. Paul Emeka or any one of his cohorts and henchmen are members of the Board of Incorporated Trustees of the Assemblies of God Nigeria as at the date of this publication.
25. For the avoidance of any doubt, Rev Paul Emeka is not a member of the Board of trustees of the Church. He is not the president or founder of the Assemblies of God Nigeria. The Church existed 24 years before he was purportedly born in 1958. The Church has never had any president/founder and will never have anyone. Rev Emeka does not have any exclusive right to any office in the Church or to any assets of the Church. His claim to such
office is disgraceful and has been duly deprecated by all men of goodwill who are aware of his show of shame in this matter. Many of such persons have advised Rev Emeka to stop his mean onslaught against the Church.
26. It is this Church that has fed, clothed and groomed Rev Emeka for much of his adult life and put him at headship of the Church, must the Church now perish because he was removed from that office? The energy, strength and financial resources Rev Emeka has put into fighting the Church in the past three years are more than sufficient to erect a massive cathedral and start him a new ministry. Even the devil in his most extravagant wickedness has not fought the Church as this man has done.
27. TAKE NOTE that Paul Emeka chief agents namely Rev Raphael Itotoh, Rev Andrew Mnyim and Rev Best .R. Aikhaituamen whose picture appear above alongside with that of Paul Emeka have never at any time in the history of the Assemblies of God Nigeria held any of the offices now allocated to them by their master, Rev Dr Paul Emeka. These men cannot point out any organ of the Church that elevated them to the offices they now pretend to hold, apart from their misplaced loyalty to one man. The members of the general public should also TAKE NOTE that Rev. Dr. Paul Emeka, Rev Raphael Itotoh, Rev Andrew Mnyim and
Rev Best .R. Aikhaituamen whose pictures appear above are neither the Executive Officers of Assemblies of God Nigeria nor Trustees of the Church and they should not be treated as such.
28. In the light of the above, it is hereby reiterated that the true and authentic leadership of the Church represented by the Incorporated Trustees and the Executive Committee led by Rev Dr Chidi Okoroafor has been confirmed and validated by the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, The Assemblies of God African Alliance and all other relevant official authenticating organs or agencies of the Church and Government of Nigeria. The Church has the relevant authenticating documentation from all these national and international bodies.
29. And as today Rev Paul Emeka and his fellow travellers do not have any form of validation or locus from any relevant authority whatsoever. Inspite of their numerous court cases, Rev Emeka and his group cannot boast of any standing court judgement in their favour or any validation by any authority anywhere in Nigeria or in the world.
30. However, it is indicative of the shady character and disposition of Rev Dr. Paul Emeka and his henchmen to arrogantly, shamelessly and falsely label the true leaders of the Church as ‘illegal’, while they who lack any form of validation whatsoever masquerade as the authentic. No wonder the Bible said the devil easily disguises himself as the angel of light. 2 Cor 11:14. It is shameful that Rev Emeka, with all his schooling, somehow believes that he would acquire the legitimacy which he so desperately lacks, by his continuous publication of ignoble falsehood in the media.
31. Let it be put on record that more than 14,800 pastors and branches of the Assemblies of God Nigeria of the 15,000 now in existence are solidly loyal to the Church. Three years ago the Church rejected the ungodly leadership of Rev Emeka. And all of the eleven Bible Schools with one university founded by the Church and the National Headquarters of the Church at No. 8 Ozubulu Street, Independent Layout, Enugu are under the firm control of the true and authentic authorities of the Church.
32. The work of the Church is advancing as appropriate under the leadership of Rev Dr Chidi Okoroafor while Rev Dr. Paul Emeka and his fellow stragglers have chosen to undertake the devil’s original assignment as stated in the Bible JOHN 10:10 KJV.
33. Therefore, the leadership of the Assemblies of God Nigeria hereby informs the general public and news media organizations to ignore the mischievously confused and misleading falsehood regularly disseminated by Rev Paul Emeka, his co-travellers and all who have joined him to abandon the holy calling and to serve their belly.
The Church is marching on and the gates of hell shall not prevail against HER.
the devil’s original assignment as stated in the Bible JOHN 10:10 KJV.
Rev. Dr. Godwin Amaowoh
General Secretary
