The
richest Pastor in the world David Oyedepo has been barred from entering the UK
by the British Home Office following the commencement of investigations into
his affairs by the UK Charities Commission. Bishop Oyedepo, popularly known as
Papa by his followers, has been under investigation by the Charities Commission
since 2012. Investigators are looking into the activities of his Living Faith
Church, also known as Winners Chapel and the way it gets money from
parishioners. Preliminary enquiries have accused the UK branch of Winners
Chapel, run by Bishop Oyedepo's son, of cynically exploiting supporters. As a
result of the investigation, the Home Office has instructed the British High
Commission in Abuja to issue what is known as an Airline Alert, which bars any
carrier from bringing him into the UK. One source at the Murtala Mohammed
International Airport in Lagos, said that the barring of Bishop Oyedepo, was
communicated to the airlines on Saturday, 9 August, 2014. According to the
contents of the alert, any airline that flouts the ban and transports Bishop
Oyedepo to the UK, is liable to a fine of £2,000. Bishop Oyedepo holds a UK C
visa that allows himentry into the country for 10 years, so ordinarily would not have any problem travelling at will. He also owns four private jets, so it is not yet clear what will happen if he decide to travel in using his own transport. Authorities in the UK are concerned about the manner in which Bishop Oyedepo's church raises money from unsuspecting, naive and gullible members of the public.
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| The Airline Alert |
According to
preliminary findings, Bishop Oyedepo’s church ‘received £16.7m in donations from
followers who were told that God would give them riches in return. Charity
Commission officials also found out that his followers are ferried in
double-decker shuttle buses to the church, handed slips inviting them to make
debit card payments. They are even told obeying the ministry’s teachings will
make them immune from illness and many of them oblige
How long will people know that they are being fooled by these so-called pastors who are making wealth out of their followers? How can you justify it that a pastor owns private jets while his followers struggle to make both ends meet and even have to walk to the church to donate all they have to someone who will is laughing at them in a private jet?
ReplyDeleteThese pastors are worst than the greedy politicians.