Crisis Rocks "CCC Ire-Akari Parish" in Lagos Nigeria

P.M. News (Lagos), May 28, 2004 

A crisis of confidence is currently rocking the Ire-Akari, Isolo district of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) with members calling for the expulsion of the elders of the church.

The clamor for the expulsion of the elders, PMNews gathered, followed attempts by the elders to align the district with the Ketu district of the church.

This decision, it was learnt, did not go down well with majority of members of the church and Honorary Evangelists who felt that aligning with a faction of the church would destroy the peace of the district and lead to division of members among the two CCC factions contending for the post of the Pastor of the CCC World-Wide.

PMNews gathered that since the commencement of the crisis last year during which the Ketu-based Rev. Emmanuel Oshoffa-led CCC invaded the church and imposed its elders as administrators of the church, the Ire-Akari Parish has known no peace.

It was gathered that every Sunday service of the church was usually disrupted by the imposed elders who now move around with OPC members dressed in Cele gowns (Sutana).

Members of the church and many of the Honorary Evangelists of the church were said to have been barred from the church by the thugs and OPC members stationed at the entrance of the church.

Chairman, Council of Honorary Evangelists, HSE Adedotun Ojetoye, in a letter addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, urged the police to intervene in the crisis rocking the church and prevent the looming bloodshed between members of the church who are in the majority and a few imposed elders from the Ketu district.

He appealed to the Zone 2 police boss to call the elders to order and advise them not to disturb members from attending the church.

It would be recalled that the church had been in turmoil since the demise of the former Spiritual Head and Pastor of the church, Rev. Abiodun Bada, in London.

Attempts to select a new Pastor and head of the church have been frustrated by members who usually disputed the mode and process for the selection of a new Pastor.

The last Pastor of the church, late Pastor Oluwatosin Jesse, was in the process of bringing the various factions in the church together when he suddenly took ill and died.

Since his death, the church has been fictionalized into two with one faction led by Pastor Emmanuel Oshoffa, son of the late Founder and Spiritual Head of the church, Pastor S.B.J. Oshoffa. The other faction is led by Pastor Maforikan, former Head of the Nigerian Diocese of the church.