The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday declined comment over the insinuations that President Goodluck Jonathan bought a private jet for him as a gift to mark the 40th anniversary of his call to service.

The General Overseer of the Later Rain Bible Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, also called for a bloody revolution to deal with some clerics, who have acquired expensive private jets. Oritsejafor, in a telephone interview with National Mirror, yesterday, however, said that he was not ready to glorify his critics with a reply.

National Mirror recalls that Oritsejafor joined the elite league of Nigerian clerics, who own private jets on Saturday, November 10, 2012 when his church, Word of Life Bible Church, announced a gift of a Bombardier Jet in honour of the flamboyant cleric, who marked 40th anniversary of his call to evangelism.

Jonathan was on hand at the church’s headquarters in Warri, Delta State, when the announcement of the multimillion dollar gift was made by the leaders of the church. The plane, valued at over $40million, according to reports, is a Canadian-made Bombadier Jet with US registration number N431CB.

The reports further indicated that the jet was manufactured in 1994 and hitherto owned by two individuals in the United States. It was gathered that the plane was used in New Jersey by CR BARD IN of Murry Hill, New Jersy, before it was listed for sale in July 2012.

Bakare stirred controversy over the jet when he called for a bloody revolution because some religious leaders have acquired private jets. The controversial cleric said that a bloody revolution that would consume religious leaders, who acquired private jets, would soon break out in the country and called on their congregations to challenge the clerics to explain to them where and how they raised the money to procure such expensive jets.

Already, CAN has cleared Oritsejafor, describing the critics of Oritsejafor as “evil minds.” But the Oritsejafor, who was contacted by National Mirror yesterday to speak on the lingering controversy over his private jet, said he was not ready to take issues with his critics. “I have no comment. I can’t be talking about such matter at this level. Please leave me alone over that matter. I can’t glorify anybody with a comment over such matter,” he said.

http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/news/i-wont-reply-critics-over-private-jet-oritsejafor/

It will cost a minimum of $300,000 to fly a privately owned bombardier jet from Lagos-London (aircraft parking fees, fueling, landing, takeoff etc)

Can't these and the cost of acquiring the jet be used to better the lot of even some of his impoverished church members?

If I owned a church, I would use the money generated to fund entrepreneurial schools and finance the students' businesses afterwards and also give to charity

There are damn too many people in need in the Niger Delta

geez*:
It will cost a minimum of $300,000 to fly a privately owned bombardier jet from Lagos-London (aircraft parking fees, fueling, landing, takeoff etc)

Can't these and the cost of acquiring the jet be used to better the lot of even some of his impoverished church members?

If I owned a church, I would use the money generated to fund entrepreneurial schools and finance the students' [b]businesses [/b]afterwards and also give to charity

There are damn too many people in need in the Niger Delta

They already do all that. Its just that we like talking without researching. The Church in question(Pastor Ayo's) has a Micro-finance bank and it helps lots of entrepreneurs with loans for businesses. I am not a fan of extravagance, and neither do I like the excesses of many churches but common sense would tell you that people wopuld not keep going to these churches in numbers if they are being fleeced without benefit.

When you go through a church you see lots of big cars, chubby looking fellows and well dress folks. You hardly see poverty, I can tell you that for sure.

@geez*,Misplaced priority,mtchew

Way to go Pastor Ayo!. God does not need anybody votes to affirm His greatness. If He decides to bless anybody, He does so without consulting anybody. Let the haters keep on hating , that is their job description.

PapaBrowne:

They already do all that. Its just that we like talking without researching. The Church in question(Pastor Ayo's) has a Micro-finance bank and it helps lots of entrepreneurs with loans for businesses. I am not a fan of extravagance, and neither do I like the excesses of many churches but common sense would tell you that people wopuld not keep going to these churches in numbers if they are being fleeced without benefit.

When you go through a church you see lots of big cars, chubby looking fellows and well dress folks. You hardly see poverty, I can tell you that for sure.

At what scale do they do their charity? How big is their microfinance bank? What percentage of the church's resources goes to charity (or the microfinance bank) versus flamboyant frivolities like this jet. The fact that their so called microfinance bank is not a household name tells me that it still has a lot of room to grow.

All this is just vanity. The blind followers of Oritsejafor and his cronies are free to give them their tithe money so that they can use it to fuel their private jets and their luxurious fleet of cars. All I know is that no religious charlatan will ever receive a penny of my hard earned money. Shikena!!!!

danjohn:

At what scale do they do their charity? How big is their microfinance bank? What percentage of the church's resources goes to charity (or the microfinance bank) versus flamboyant frivolities like this jet. The fact that their so called microfinance bank is not a household name tells me that it still has a lot of room to grow.

All this is just vanity. The blind followers of Oritsejafor and his cronies are free to give them their tithe money so that they can use it to fuel their private jets and their luxurious fleet of cars. All I know is that no religious charlatan will ever receive a penny of my hard earned money. Shikena!!!!

How much do tithes and offerings contribute to a church really. Its very meagre. Pastor Ayo has just one church no branches per say and its based in Warri. It has maybe like maximum of 20,000 members. Half that population would be children. Another half would be jobless stay at home moms with no salary whatsoever. Add that to the numerous graduates without jobs. You might end up with 5000 tithe paying members.

In a country with GDP of $2500 per annum, a 10% tithe would equate to $250. Multiply that by 5,000 tithe paying members and you end up with a maximum of $1.25 Million in a year. Now can this figure you a freaking jet. Na it would take you at least 10 years of doing nothing else to buy a jet.

Truth is these guys get more money from books,gifts and speaking engagements than they will ever get from church offerings and tithes. I have seen small time pastors who recieve brand new car gifts from members. My friends father is a pastor of a 1000 member church. One of his members built him a house. So I dont see why its impossible for church members to buy a jet for their leader.

I believe though that the church is no doing enough in terms of charity. Much of what we have as hospitals and schools are remnants from the missionaries of yesteryear. If today's church does the same, the story would be absolutely different.

Private jet is always about ego. Much greater men with more commitments than our tin gods in Nigeria do not have private jets. There is nothing bad about rewarding your hard work with some luxury if you are in business, but that is not for people who are in the 'non profit' sector.

Non-profit means that you are usually managing money gathered from other people, and using it to work towards a higher goal. Why is this too hard for ignorant Nigerians to understand?

If you are selling toothpick and make %4o million, by all means go and buy a private jet.

But gathering money from a 70% poor population and spending it on the ultimate symbol of excess is gross.

Warren Buffet does not use it. The Queen of England does not have one. The Pope does not have one. They all have crazy schedules, they all can afford it, but apparently they do not have ego issues.

A euphemistic way of saying: "I don't give a damn"
Talk about moral decadence of the nth degree!

ypzilanti: Private jet is always about ego. Much greater men with more commitments than our tin gods in Nigeria do not have private jets. There is nothing bad about rewarding your hard work with some luxury if you are in business, but that is not for people who are in the 'non profit' sector.

Non-profit means that you are usually managing money gathered from other people, and using it to work towards a higher goal. Why is this too hard for ignorant Nigerians to understand?

If you are selling toothpick and make %4o million, by all means go and buy a private jet.

But gathering money from a 70% poor population and spending it on the ultimate symbol of excess is gross.

Warren Buffet does not use it. The Queen of England does not have one. The Pope does not have one. They all have crazy schedules, they all can afford it, but apparently they do not have ego issues.

How about if you read hard,come up with ideas about a subject and write a book then go on to sell millions of copies? Do you have the right to buy a private jet?
Forbes said Rhapsody(the daily devotional from Pastor Chris) sells 2 Million dollars worth month. Should that be classified as Charity? The guy writes a book and it sells well. Don't you think the proceeds from the book belongs to him??
I don't believe church offerings & tithes in a small church like Pastor Ayo's( Less than 20,000 members in all)would ever be able to buy a private jet even if you save it all for 3 decades.

eGuerrilla: A euphemistic way of saying: "I don't give a damn"
Talk about moral decadence of the nth degree!

Like his boss, he doesn't give a damn!!!

Ayo is an embarrassment to CAN!!!

PapaBrowne:

How much do tithes and offerings contribute to a church really. Its very meagre. Pastor Ayo has just one church no branches per say and its based in Warri. It has maybe like maximum of 20,000 members. Half that population would be children. Another half would be jobless stay at home moms with no salary whatsoever. Add that to the numerous graduates without jobs. You might end up with 5000 tithe paying members.

In a country with GDP of $2500 per annum, a 10% tithe would equate to $250. Multiply that by 5,000 tithe paying members and you end up with a maximum of $1.25 Million in a year. Now can this figure you a freaking jet. Na it would take you at least 10 years of doing nothing else to buy a jet.

Truth is these guys get more money from books,gifts and speaking engagements than they will ever get from church offerings and tithes. I have seen small time pastors who recieve brand new car gifts from members. My friends father is a pastor of a 1000 member church. One of his members built him a house. So I dont see why its impossible for church members to buy a jet for their leader.

I believe though that the church is no doing enough in terms of charity. Much of what we have as hospitals and schools are remnants from the missionaries of yesteryear. If today's church does the same, the story would be absolutely different.

Your assertions, or is it ideas are completely untrue; the bulk of the pentecostal church's wealth, like Redeem, Winners, MFM, and so many others comes from tithes of members.

Please stop spewing nonsense.

So Reedeem empire or Winnerd Empire was built from sales of books. Pleae say something else.

PapaBrowne:

How about if you read hard,come up with ideas about a subject and write a book then go on to sell millions of copies? Do you have the right to buy a private jet?
Forbes said Rhapsody(the daily devotional from Pastor Chris) sells 2 Million dollars worth month. Should that be classified as Charity? The guy writes a book and it sells well. Don't you think the proceeds from the book belongs to him??
I don't believe church offerings & tithes in a small church like Pastor Ayo's( Less than 20,000 members in all)would ever be able to buy a private jet even if you save it all for 3 decades.

Why do you people like to exchange the truth for lies and deceit.

Any money this people make, they make in the name of God. In other words, they make that money because they use God's name. If they use their own names, no one will pay attention to them. That is why it is God's money. And seriously I don't believe God is happy with the way money the 10 percent of his portion of his children's money, handed over to the care church leaders is being spent.

Men, we are talking about forty million dollars of God's money so that Oritsajafor and others like him can travel in comfort. Some even have several.

One thing is certain; God will bring everything to judgement. The Bible can be used to justify anything, whether good or bad.

PapaBrowne:

How about if you read hard,come up with ideas about a subject and write a book then go on to sell millions of copies? Do you have the right to buy a private jet?
Forbes said Rhapsody(the daily devotional from Pastor Chris) sells 2 Million dollars worth month. Should that be classified as Charity? The guy writes a book and it sells well. Don't you think the proceeds from the book belongs to him??
I don't believe church offerings & tithes in a small church like Pastor Ayo's( Less than 20,000 members in all)would ever be able to buy a private jet even if you save it all for 3 decades.

@PapaBrowne,
Lanre has already said part of the point I wanted to make. U may look at a book or musical album as simply intellectual property, but I tell U in the Church, it's a different story. A lot of times, cajoling, bullying, intimidation and even subtle trickery is employed just to get folks to buy these products enmasse. We've seen cases of pastors who make it compulsory for members and workers to buy over-priced books and poorly designed calendars, etc t
Just to raise money. Some even make ministering to or counseling their members conditional upon their patronage of such goods!

I recall a few weeks ago, I and a brother-in-law attended one of the largest churches in America, and afterwards stood in line to meet and greet the senior Pastor after the second service. As the snaky line inched forwards towards where the man of God was seated,surrounded by his aides and greeting visitors, suddenly we realised that every other person on the line had bought a copy of one of his devotionals and were holding it as they met him. He was basically autographing for them!

Omo, see as we raced to go "grab our copies", as they say, wondering how awkward we would seem if we (two blacks, mind you) showed up before him empty-handed.
As you may well guess, since then av not so much as opened the book sef, although there were other books I bought at their Church bookstore (not authored by this senior pastor) which av since read, cos I really meant to read them while buying, not as ticket to a meeting!
That's just one example...

malc619:
Ayo is an embarrassment to CAN!!!

if not that its to early, i would have said that u are an embarrasment to Nairaland community. But i wouldnt do that.

Mr. Pastorprenuer, I am sorry you dont have anything to say

Its better he keep quiet and hope the matter dies down fast, all these men of God are just having a field day in Nigeria deceiving and duping many.

Very soon and I repeat very soon there will be hold up there in the airspace when all this pators and politicians go carry there planes them fall out.

ypzilanti:
Non-profit means that you are usually managing money gathered from other people, and using it to work towards a higher goal. Why is this too hard for ignorant Nigerians to understand?

If you are selling toothpick and make %4o million, by all means go and buy a private jet.

But gathering money from a 70% poor population and spending it on the ultimate symbol of excess is gross.

Spot on!!! People don't seem to get this!

@Starlett you're right!

@PapaBrowne: I doubt you really know what's going on. In Christ Embassy, the members are asked to buy the devotionals so that it can be given out for free. This tricky move still counts as a non-profit venture, and the Forbes report still refers to public funds. Same thing applies to the devotionals as it does to tithes and offerings.

PapaBrowne:

How much do tithes and offerings contribute to a church really. Its very meagre. Pastor Ayo has just one church no branches per say and its based in Warri. It has maybe like maximum of 20,000 members. Half that population would be children. Another half would be jobless stay at home moms with no salary whatsoever. Add that to the numerous graduates without jobs. You might end up with 5000 tithe paying members.

In a country with GDP of $2500 per annum, a 10% tithe would equate to $250. Multiply that by 5,000 tithe paying members and you end up with a maximum of $1.25 Million in a year. Now can this figure you a freaking jet. Na it would take you at least 10 years of doing nothing else to buy a jet.

Truth is these guys get more money from books,gifts and speaking engagements than they will ever get from church offerings and tithes. I have seen small time pastors who recieve brand new car gifts from members. My friends father is a pastor of a 1000 member church. One of his members built him a house. So I dont see why its impossible for church members to buy a jet for their leader.


I believe though that the church is no doing enough in terms of charity. Much of what we have as hospitals and schools are remnants from the missionaries of yesteryear. If today's church does the same, the story would be absolutely different.

In one word, you are claiming the church members are mostly poor and in other word, few members are so rich that they can comfortably buy just one person "their pastor" a Private jet worth over $40 million dollars in the midst of thousand of jobless youths and you think that sound right and wise abi….

PapaBrowne:

They already do all that. Its just that we like talking without researching. The Church in question(Pastor Ayo's) has a Micro-finance bank and it helps lots of entrepreneurs with loans for businesses. I am not a fan of extravagance, and neither do I like the excesses of many churches but common sense would tell you that people wopuld not keep going to these churches in numbers if they are being fleeced without benefit.

When you go through a church you see lots of big cars, chubby looking fellows and well dress folks. You hardly see poverty, I can tell you that for sure.

a micro-finance bank is a business establishment and not a charity.doesnt it charge interest for the loans it disburses?

PapaBrowne:

How much do tithes and offerings contribute to a church really. Its very meagre. Pastor Ayo has just one church no branches per say and its based in Warri. It has maybe like maximum of 20,000 members. Half that population would be children. Another half would be jobless stay at home moms with no salary whatsoever. Add that to the numerous graduates without jobs. You might end up with 5000 tithe paying members.

In a country with GDP of $2500 per annum, a 10% tithe would equate to $250. Multiply that by 5,000 tithe paying members and you end up with a maximum of $1.25 Million in a year. Now can this figure you a freaking jet. Na it would take you at least 10 years of doing nothing else to buy a jet.

Truth is these guys get more money from books,gifts and speaking engagements than they will ever get from church offerings and tithes. I have seen small time pastors who recieve brand new car gifts from members. My friends father is a pastor of a 1000 member church. One of his members built him a house. So I dont see why its impossible for church members to buy a jet for their leader.

I believe though that the church is no doing enough in terms of charity. Much of what we have as hospitals and schools are remnants from the missionaries of yesteryear. If today's church does the same, the story would be absolutely different.

Where did you get your stats from? You just come up with numbers from nowhere.

When Jesus was to enter into Jerusalem, a chariot/horse was hired and he never owned one. He prefers trekking to his children of Israel houses to heal them of their sicknesses rather than asking them to come to his palace which he never owns.

Nowadays priest are buying private jets in the face of poverty that bedevils the society yet Jesus said he will come like a thief for the righteous. Coming like a thief literally means he will come unexpected as a commoner.

If all this private Jets buying by our clergy men are justified by the church, then we should expect JEsus Christ to come in a gliding shuttle space craft.

End time.

geez*:
It will cost a minimum of $300,000 to fly a privately owned bombardier jet from Lagos-London (aircraft parking fees, fueling, landing, takeoff etc)

Can't these and the cost of acquiring the jet be used to better the lot of even some of his impoverished church members?

If I owned a church, I would use the money generated to fund entrepreneurial schools and finance the students' businesses afterwards and also give to charity

There are damn too many people in need in the Niger Delta

since you are not the one that was presented the gift,why would't you talk like that as if you live in the church

Of course the gangster pastor has nothing to say. When Nigeria's economy improves, less people will go to church.

Why must they buy private jets are they celebrities like 2face...they should all sell those jets and give the money to the poor....that is what Jesus told the rich man

/

he doesnt need to answer anybody. I love Papa's maturity to some sensitive issues. Wat wer u xpecting? dat he should come to AIT/channels/NTA n do wat? Dat is more dan stupidity. Only God has d right to judge. doz of u dat ur headache is to curse pastors ur day of reckoning is coming. Repent now

PapaBrowne:

How much do tithes and offerings contribute to a church really. Its very meagre. Pastor Ayo has just one church no branches per say and its based in Warri. It has maybe like maximum of 20,000 members. Half that population would be children. Another half would be jobless stay at home moms with no salary whatsoever. Add that to the numerous graduates without jobs. You might end up with 5000 tithe paying members.

In a country with GDP of $2500 per annum, a 10% tithe would equate to $250. Multiply that by 5,000 tithe paying members and you end up with a maximum of $1.25 Million in a year. Now can this figure you a freaking jet. Na it would take you at least 10 years of doing nothing else to buy a jet.

Truth is these guys get more money from books,gifts and speaking engagements than they will ever get from church offerings and tithes. I have seen small time pastors who recieve brand new car gifts from members. My friends father is a pastor of a 1000 member church. One of his members built him a house. So I dont see why its impossible for church members to buy a jet for their leader.

I believe though that the church is no doing enough in terms of charity. Much of what we have as hospitals and schools are remnants from the missionaries of yesteryear. If today's church does the same, the story would be absolutely different.

Thats what those haters dont know. Let them go and open a church and become rich through tithe collection since tithe now makes them rich.

The worst of this is that those people complaining are even more poorer than those you see in church sowing seed and paying their tithe with complaining while they complainers are living heavily in abject poverty.

Geez that $300k figure is wide off the mark though but you make valid points. Do you know that $1m or N160m can empower 3200 petty traders in a large church if distributed at N50k each? The pure water seller, the barber, soft-drinks seller, the lady selling yam in the market, the palm oil seller etc. do you know that if you inject N50k into some of those businesses it will take them to anothet level. 3200 congregants will as a knock on effect empower other people on a smaller scale!!! State of Osun governor employed 20,000 people in one fell swoop in 2010, paying them N10k each, opponents sniggered saying what is 10k blah! blah!!! do you know that recently World Bank in Nigeria rated the economy of that state as one of the fastest growing in Nigeria? all because N200m is circulating at the lower level on a monthly basis. 10k x 20,000 people is N200m. It is not rocket science how to eradicate poverty and it makes me a bit uncomfortable as a pentecostal christian see the recent jet acquistion rush among our pastors. There is much more the millions of dollars can do.

PapaBrowne:

How about if you read hard,come up with ideas about a subject and write a book then go on to sell millions of copies? Do you have the right to buy a private jet?
Forbes said Rhapsody(the daily devotional from Pastor Chris) sells 2 Million dollars worth month. Should that be classified as Charity? The guy writes a book and it sells well. Don't you think the proceeds from the book belongs to him??
I don't believe church offerings & tithes in a small church like Pastor Ayo's( Less than 20,000 members in all)would ever be able to buy a private jet even if you save it all for 3 decades.

Educate them more

U guys neva seize to amaze me.who you u be to tell pastor ayo what gift he should accept or not.is it ur money.did u contribute to buyin d jet for him.do u no the givings he has done bf now.do u no how he has fasted.r u God to determine how a man of God should be rewarded.only a ripe fruit would hav sticks thrown at it...you haters keep back bitting..and watch d man prosper more.even if he gives the money to d poor,there would neva seize to be poor people in d world.if u tink pastor Ayo hasn't done enuf...pls sell ur laptop,fone or ipad and give it to d poor