Akpan Umoh, Uyo
Members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Province 3, Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State have called on the church’s headquarters to redeploy Pastor Fadeyi, whom they accused of financial recklessness.
It was learnt that members of the church staged a walkout from the church soon after fresh fire service around 7.30 am and chanted solidarity songs outside the church building demanding for immediate deployment of Fadeyi, who oversees the province.
The members accused the pastor of using his position to defraud the church of a substantial amount to train his son abroad, adding that the huge amount the pastor has wasted on his son’s training has resulted in incessant financial stress on the church’s members.
They added that the practice was strange in the church. They also decried the pastor’s high handedness which they claimed led to the mass resignation of high-profile pastors from the church a few weeks ago.
The members who spoke in unison, said that members of the church have gone down to the lowest ebbs since the pastor in question took over the leadership of the church some two years ago.
One of the respondents who spoke on conditions of anonymity said the man, on the assumption of duties, brought in his Yoruba brothers from Lagos to paint the church headquarters in Ikot Ekpene and defrauded the church with the questionable bill.
The youths accused the pastor of taking over the management of Redeemers Academy by imposing his wife as the de facto head of school to monitor financial proceeds of the school with questionable monthly salaries while neglecting her counselling role in the chicken headquarters.
It could be recalled that a similar protest was staged last year in the same church which led to the pastor’s transfer, but he managed to bribe his way back to the church to stay for another year.
A couple who refused their name in print said they were barred from praying in the church by this same pastor and warned the security mem on the duty of the risk of losing their jobs if they open the door for anybody to come in pray during ordinary days.
As at the time of filing this report, the pastor in charge of Region was called in to intervene in the situation but members appeared determined to ensure that pastor Fadeyi leaves this time around.