The deposed General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria, Rev. Paul Emeka is seeking the intervention of Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and other relevant authorities to in the crisis rocking the church in order to avert looming violent crisis in the
state.
He told reporters Tuesday in Enugu that the governor’s intervention, which he promised several times but has not done so, was necessary due to the fact that the national headquarters of the church is located at Enugu and has now become theatre of war.
The Church has been in crisis since 2014 with two General Superintendents holding sway. They are Rev. Prof. Paul Emeka and Rev. Dr. Chidi Okoroafor who now controls the headquarters after the Supreme Court ruled in his favour.
Emeka urged the governor to advise Rev Okoroafor’s group and the police to obey the latest federal High court order restraining them from further taking laws into their hands to avoid breakdown of law and order.
He described as laughable, the latest notice of “purported” excommunication and dis-fellowship for life, handed down on him and 129 other pastors loyal to him, by the Rev. Chidi Okoroafor-led faction of the church.
While dismissing the excommunication, which he said was the 6th since the crisis started, as null and void, and of no effect; he stated that the Church’s constitution has no provision for such and that shows the desperation of some people who were motivated by monetary gain to hijack the church illegally.
He urged the general public to discountenance the purported notice of excommunication as published in a national newspaper, insisting that he remains the authentic General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church.
Rev Emeka explained that the Supreme Court recently delivered a judgment dismissing an application in which he challenged his suspension as General Superintendent on March 6, 2014.
According to him, the apex court ruled that the respondents were not properly served even as the matter was instituted through fundamental human rights enforcement as against originating summons, meaning that he should go back to the lower court and do the needful.
“The Supreme Court however made no order to warrant enforcement, a development that made the office of the Attorney General of the Federation in a legal opinion to declare that ‘parties are advised to maintain status quo ante prior to the judgment and approach the appropriate court for interpretation of the judgment”.
Emeka narrated that violent crisis ensued in the church following the forceful takeover of the national secretariat of the church at Enugu by the Okoroafor-led faction, illegally assisted by the police; and further attempt to take over other branches of the church nationwide including Kaduna state.
He said that this made the Attorneys-General of Enugu and Kaduna states respectively to issue notices and advised the parties to maintain status quo ante as the Supreme Court judgment was a
“non-executory judgment” and that the Supreme Court did not decide on the substantive right of the parties and it is therefore erroneous for any of the parties to claim any right arising from the judgment of the Supreme Court”.
Rev Emeka further stated that even when Enugu state Commissioner of police sought legal opinion from the office of Enugu State’s Attorney General, he was told in writing that “the judgment which you annexed is not executory and it did not confer any propriety right on any of
the parties… and did not contain any order capable of being enforced”.
The embattled General Superintendent noted that besides, his faction had obtained an ex-parte order from the Federal High Court, Enugu Division, restraining security agencies from inhibiting them from entering the national headquarters to hold their prayers and other activities.
