Private Jet: Christian Leaders Back Ayo Oritsejafor, Blast Tunde Bakare, Say Poverty Mentality is the Problem of Most Nigerians

Christian leaders have started reacting to Pastor Tunde Bakare’s comments that a revolution would consume religious leaders in the country, and the way he condemned the acquisition of jets by renowned Christian leaders in Nigeria.

One of those who reacted to Bakare’s comments is the chairman of the Northern Christian Elders Forum, Evangelist Matthew Owojaiye, who said Bakare’s comments should be ignored. Also, Apostle Isa El-Buba, the General Overseer of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries International, Jos, Plateau State, defended preachers who own jets, concluding that Bakare’s condemnation of these men of God was blasphemous.

According to El-Buba, “There is nothing wrong for a preacher to own a jet. If people in the secular world can acquire jets for chief executive officers of big private enterprises, there is nothing wrong in giving gifts to a man of God of Pastor Oritsejafor’s standing. This is a man of God that travels across the whole world. He deserves what he has been given.”

Similarly, the General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Musa Asake, flayed Bakare, saying: “What is wrong with giving a gift to Pastor Oritsejafor? Did Pastor Oritsejafor embezzle church money? Did he collect somebody’s money? Some people came together and bought it for him so as to ease his work. This is to help him to continue with the work of the gospel. Oritsejafor is a man of God. He is doing everything for the work of God… It is a welcome idea. I support people who help ministers of the gospel in their work. He did not go out to lobby for it. It was a surprise for him. I was at that occasion. I saw things myself,” he argued.

Yet another Christian leader, Reverend Gideon Oyibo, President of the Delta State Baptist Conference, exonerated Pastor Oritsejafor, saying there was nothing wrong with such gesture. According to Oyibo, “The environment influences the way people talk. If you come from a family background of poverty and a member of the family is rich, people will conclude that he is a ritualist. They will conclude that he has stolen money, because in that family, the members do not expect anybody to be rich… In Nigeria, we have a traditional environment in which a pastor is expected to operate by our own evaluation. Whenever a pastor is living above our own evaluation, then we can say anything about that person… The question we should ask is that: did Pastor Oritsejafor ask for the jet? Did he beg for it? Or was it that certain people gathered together under the leading of God and decided to buy it and present it to him as a gift?”

Culled from the Tribune

51 COMMENTS

  1. The people supporting pastor ayo are either dump or making money from churches. What do u need a private jet for? Do u know how much it takes to maintain a private jet? The same pastor was seen wearing gold chains rappers wear in their music video. Does he have to own a strip club before u know he is a fake pastor. Open ur eyes and stop being stupid.

    • @ARINZE, I AM NOT SURE IF YOU OWN A TV? HOW ON EARTH CAN YOU SAY THE POPE DOESN’T OWN A PRIVATE JET? HOW CURRENT ARE YOU? OR YOU JUST READ COMPLETE SPORT AND CHELSEA GAMES? COMMON GROW UP…. IT SEEMS MANY PEOPLE ARE DUMP AND THEY DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MISSIONARY…..
      PASTOR AYO NEVER ASKED FOR A PRIVATE JET, SOME PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH GAVE HIM AS A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY GIFT, YOU WANT TO ARGUE WHY HE NEEDS IT? A MISSIONARY JOB IS NOT JUST A DUMP OFFICE JOB…. I’LL SAY IS THE MOST DIFFICULT JOB IN THE WORLD…PASTORS BLESS PEOPLE, SO THEY HAVE TO BE BLESSED AS WELL, AND IF YOU PEOPLE ARE NOT OK WITH THIS? THEN TURN ON TO GOD AND ASK HIM WHY?
      IF 90% of Nigerian pastors own Private JET……. LOOK AT THERE CHURCH NET WORTH, AND THE POPULATION OF PEOPLE WHO WORSHIP IN THERE CHURCH, THEN YOU CAN SAY OH IT’S TRUE, THIS PEOPLE NEEDS THE PRIVATE JET…
      STOP INVOLVING PASTORS WITH POVERTY IN THE COUNTRY………. PASTORS CANNOT FEED EVERYONE IN THE CHURCH…. IT’S A GOVERNMENT JOB AND NOT PASTOR…
      I CAN TELL THAT RICH PEOPLE DON’T SAY THIS ONLY THE POOR.. GET RICH OR DIE TRYING…

  2. look at bakare critizin…… somebody should tel him that he is the most fake and materialist pastor i hav seen……….. him and okotie are pastors that paint christianity black. initialy he came out with save nigeria group, when he had a hiden agenda which was runin political office. i know he is wishing to be CAN president. tel him he cant be. let him go and sleep wit his jealousy…….. FAILURE

  3. That jet costs 4.9million USD, which translates to 774,201,699.37NGN at the rate of 158NGN to 1USD.

    Averagely you can build a block of four classrooms with 5million NGN. With an average of 30 pupils per class, you can do good furniture for about 800,000NGN.

    What it means is that that jet will build not less than 276 blocks four classrooms and furnish them. which translates to a minimum of 8,280 children having good classrooms to study in.

    Imagine how many lives would have been touched if the “man of God” had told the church build classrooms in poor communities. If eight blocks are allocated to a community, not less than 34 communities will benefit. That is what one man indulges himself in buying a toy with.

    • U are talking sense Tunde, i love this ur analysis, see the no of lives the amount used in purchasing the so called jet can affect positively. I pity these so called men of God cos they will surely account for all the lives they were able to affect positively wit their preachings and actions.

  4. D issue is wht pastor Tunde Bakare said is d issue, d issue is d@ God himself knows who is 4 him & whom is not 4 him,is not by sayin am pastor or say halaluya or amen!!!. D late Fela has make us 2 understand evthing abt nigeria system of govt both d political & religion system of govt in nigeria, bcos d pastor in nigeria wil dnt know who dey are copy may b God, Jesus or Mose an others in Holy Bible.

  5. Those persons supporting Jet users’ ministers association are religious murderers. I for one was in nigeria last month. I saw the poverty that is attached to most nigerians. If any nigerians undermind such pains among fellow nigerias to begin to leave extravagan life in the name of being blessed by God, they must cross checked themselves if God called them to fly on private jets while the righteous in nigeria are begging for bread. If all the members of this private jet ministers’ association would sell the jets to build a refinery in nigeria to solve the problem of petroleum products in nigeria and help the federal govt also who is already in prison of nigerians that are owing refineries outside nigeria. They can also invest such monies on electricity and watch it improves. If I may ask, why is it that Bishop Ayo refuses to see the number of christians that have been killed in his regime by Boko Haram other than accepting a gift of private jet? Even late Arch bishop Benson Idahosa of blessed memories did not complain of travelling on board with other passengers. Where is the new CAN team taking nigerian christianity to? This is the first time an evangelical pastor was allowed to head CAN and see what has come of it. Which work are those that contributed such monies for his private jet doing? BLOOD MONEY!

  6. Where are we going. In this country,rich people don’t cares about the poor even all there prayer is that they noy go beyond the level theu are.pastors are using exorbitant cares,great house and sending there children to expensive schools while their member cant afford 3 meal in a day we nid God’s hand in this country oooo

  7. What is your own, is you money in d jet? Did you and your fathers serve God? Wetin concern fish and tree? Bad belle people, you don’t have a bicycle and you are saying rubbish… May God gave mercy on Pas Tunde, and you gossipers, go and pray that God should bless you and use your money to bless d poor, lazy bones. D same did people say when mary pour oil on Jesus feet and they said its a waste of money, Jesus replied them that d poor will always be there , (because poverty is a choice). If God blesses me with my own jet which I know I will soon get, I will use it to serve him, Jesus said I shall reap a hundred fold in this life. So gossipers, keep gossiping when you should be working for God, congrats MOG

  8. More of them will get private jets because the manufacturers’ marketers are doing their job and making the mumus believe its the new status symbol. Even if they don’t dole out the money, what’s wrong with say channelling it into an investment like a mighty farm, to employ thousands, sell cheap food and help the nation’s GDP? Btw, Mary poured oil on d feet of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who went on to shed his blood for her and therefore a pastor deserves a plane? Na wa o. Anybody that preaches can be equated to the Son of God? No wonder its their pictures that adorn churches. This is so wrong on many levels!

  9. Pastor Bakare would say “woe betide any man of God who enriches himself at the expense of his congregation. The day I begin to steal from you to enrich myself, let God take me away.” I am not here to condemn or justify the jet gift, but when men of God allow themselves to be surrounded by great affluence when a greater number of their people are suffering in penury, then something has gone wrong in the faith. The church no longer shines the light to the world. The world no longer reverences our God, because we have lowered the standard. *Nigerians wake up, $45.5m (N728m) jet can help those flood victims greatly.(just pondering)*

  10. No one is against the Great man of God owning a private jet, but even if it is a gift he would have used the money meant for the jet to better the lives of those who suffered from the unpredicted flood in most part of the country. But then, Tunde Bakare, who is also known to be a man of God should mind his business. Men of God don’t talk too much, but he (Bakare) does. Let not worldly acquisition tear the men of God apart.

  11. Dear Readers,
    Let get two tinz straigth. Did he buy it with his own money? Or the Jet was given has a gift? From the story I heard, d jets was given has a gift. Please pple let reason together, can u tell sum1 who gives U sumtin as a gift dat u don’t want?. As an individual, if u were given d same tin, wat will u do?

  12. U ppl wil not be amazed wen next u all see pastor Bakare going for aeroplane, he is a digrace to christainity and political hypocrite, this will not be the first and worst of his blasphemes….a low thinker!!!!

  13. Congratulations Pastor Ayo Orisa Ji ofo,
    Commendable, Pastor Tunde Bakare,

    Who are we to judge?
    Judgement is God’s.
    Ours is to complain.
    Surely there is a divided house.
    T he other time I watched Ayo telling people
    to send about $600 to his ministry as offering.
    Nigerians that voted Jonathan instead of
    Bakare now know better. Bakare’s backround has nothing to do with Ayo’s jet but ‘ gbogbo nkan lo maa n jo ara oko loju.

    The set people that sees nothing good In Pastor Joshua, who was given an aircraft in Ghana and told the givers to sell the aircraft and give the procceds to charity.

    The money can be used to help flood victims Delta state.
    Cant we have a CAN refinery or buses to ease transportation?
    Etc etc
    We will know them better by their fruits. Even God can prosper one to bring a bumper destructiom the books of’ MAtthew, mark luke and john.

  14. There is no place in the Bible christ Praises wealth you know why Money easily corrupt the mind.see Solomon with all the wealth ,see what happened in the bible to him……The Act of the Apostle in the Bible say the Christian sells all they have a gave the money to the poor and needy and the spirit of the Lord was with them they live in a community.Church was more of community living rather than a family business like we see these days. What The pastor should do,is to be focus it is really sad to hear that pastor are more the billionaire we have in a country that the masses are living below $1(155 Naira). Bill is funding the course of eradicating malaria in Africa…All churches in involves in these

  15. It would be a surprise to me if pastor Ayo Oritsejafor did not collect the gift of a private jet, then he would have called God a liar and made null and void the witness of the Holy Spirit that the leaders of the people had led them astray. But now is indeed the sure word of the LORD that the enemy now sits in the temple as God, and all that can be known of God has been exchanged for filthy lucre. Wow, Jesus says you think you are rich ………………………, what else would God do in such a degenerate age. well, lets ponder and think about Noah, and other righteous men of the biblical age

  16. I don’t see anything wrong if a Pastor owns a jet. He serves a living God who is able to provide anything he want(JEHOVAH JIREH). he did not beg for it. Why do we question pastors for owning a jet and we neglect all this crazy politicians stealing our money to buy future for their children and also to buy jet for themselves. The church at large or even the pastors can not take up the responsibility of the government. Its the duty of the government to take care of its citizen not the church. There will always be poor in the land that is what the Bible said it your choice to choose where you belong either to be a giver or a receiver. If I appreciate my pastor I can buy him anything if I have the money. Anyone pissed can hug a transformer. Most people hang around the church waiting for the church to give them money, they don’t want to work so i don’t expect the church to keep giving those kind of people money. The church can not cater for all Nigerians. Pastor Ayo more jets are coming. God bless you sir.

  17. I think our leaders needs to go back to their bibles; the book of acts. What example are we to the politicians. They are all birds of same feather. Church leaders are catching a virus known as “building of empires”. Monstrous church building springing up. Expensive schools etc. Its really sad.
    Acts 4 : 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

    33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

    34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

    35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

    So were is this new practice coming from.

  18. Please o u people shld nt attack men of God, don’t judge please, poverty nd riches are choices people make, if u chose to be rich or poor u will, am nt supporting anybody just don’t judge like dat, it doesn’t mean pastors shld bcom poor bcoz of its members.

  19. Nothing wrong with collecting gift. If God promised him, he can collect it as a gift. but what he does with the gift matters. Paul was told a vision that he will be imprisoned and killed if he goes to Rome. It was Gold that warned him. BUT HE WAS SO COMMITTED TO THE GOSPEL THAT HE STILL WENT AND CHOSE TO DIE THERE. You see, the bible says everything is lawful to me but not every thing is beneficial. You can own a jet, even buy one for yourself but does the jet make unbelievers to stumble in their comments and life style,
    You can collect the jet and sell it and use the money to preach in local far away places. take the difficulty in travelling for preaching engagements abroad as your cross. Jesus says anyone who wants to follow him must take up his cross. spending an extra 12 hours waiting to travel to preach in the phillipines should not be too much of a cross or sacrifice for a man who claims to love God and his kingdom.

  20. Missionaries came here, use there money to build churches, build schools, orphanage homes, clinic & marternities, adult evening classes, offer employment to people through trading & craft. They dug wells & supported road construction, they accomodated the homeless & fed them all these with their own resources despite most of them are foreigner they care for our people & show true moral that are expected of men of God. Most of them treked, some rode on bicycle from villages to harmlets preaching the gosple of God. Pls, buying or gift, what justification is it for a man of God to own an aircraft? Have they succeeded in preaching to those of at there doorsteps? Where are they flying to that there is no preachers there? Can there personality change the world? How many jets is own by the Pope? Hmmnmmmmnm….