Oritsejafor Ayo’s Resignation Over $9.3M Scandal

The recent seizure of $9.3m by South African authorities has been trailed with a lot of controversies, especially after reports surfaced that the private jet used to convey the money belonged to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

Oritsejafor has received a lot of criticisms over his involvement and the latest to lend his voice to the matter is the founder of Household of God Church, Chris Okotie.

Okotie, in an article titled: ‘$9.3m scandal: Oritsejafor should do the right thing’, said the seizure has further dented the country’s image at a time when a lot of negative comments are said about the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Daily Sun reports.

According to the man of God, it is not a sin to be friends with the President, it however becomes unacceptable when it is patronizing or self-serving, adding that Oritsejafor’s friendship with the president has been at the centre of the controversies.

He said: “The pastor does not show restraint in the way he goes about, publicly hobnobbing with the President as if he is the Chaplain of Aso Rock. This certainly has compromised the integrity of his office as CAN President and his latest incident is just the climax of embarrassing incidents we can’t tolerate any longer.“Considering the collateral damage Pastor Ayo’s close relationship with the President has done to the Christian community, it is fit and proper for the pastor to resign immediately as CAN President to salvage what remains of the battered image of the association.

“If one may ask: why should Pastor Ayo’s jet be the one that was chartered for this ill- fated transaction when there are numerous competitors in that business in which he is obviously a new player?

“A sitting President of CAN should never be involved in any way in the procurement of arms to fight insurgents like Boko Haram, Haram, which claims Islamic principles in its war against the state. To do so is to expose Christians to more deadly attacks.”

Okotie explained that before now, former leaders of CAN stayed away from politics, maintaining a neutral stand. He cited leaders like the late Archbishop Benson Idohosa and ex-CAN President, Olubunmi Cardinal Okogie who kept governments on their toes during their time.

According to him , Oritsejafor should resign, not because he is guilty as charged but because it is the honourable thing to do I order to restore the image of the exalted office he has degraded with his friendship with President Jonathan’s administration which is perceived to be one of the most corrupt in the world.

“The Pastor should quit the CAN post and return to his church where he could then re- calibrate himself, away from this season of anomie,” he said.

The leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) had earlier lambasted Oritsejafor, saying it was wrong for CAN’s president’s private plane to be associated with the controversial arms deal in South Africa.