WHY I LEFT LATE ARCH-BISHOP BEN IDAHOSA's MINISTRY..."...he would go out there...saying things about me..." - PASTOR AYO ORITSEJAFOR

ArchBishop Benson Idahosa

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and Wife

Fourteen years after ArchBishop Benson Idahosa's death Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has opened up on why he left Archbishop Idahosa's ministry - CGM.

While granting an interview to Vanguard Newspapers he said:

It depends on the way you look at it (My leaving Church of God mision). It wasn't pleasant because I thought that was where I was going to be for life-especially after the fasting experience and the archbishop walking into my house and the confirmation I got from God-but what I didn't realize, and most of us do, is that life comes in phases.

There are different levels and at every point when you have to move to another level, sometimes there could be frictions. It could be rough, tough. But all that is just a sign that you are about to move to another level. It was in November 1987.

The interesting thing about my life is that a lot of the very fundamental things in my life seem to always happen in November. I was born in November, got converted in November, I married my late wife in November; I met my present wife in November, Word of Life started in November and many more.

We went for the CGM convention which used to be in the first week of November and certain things began to happen on the platform which shouldn't be. I tried to go from behind to sort out whatever it was, but what I discovered later was that there were certain people who were instigating crisis.

I didn't know then, but now I know. I tried to sort out things but no; to the point where it became obvious that I could no longer remain there. There were pronouncements that were made publicly that it would be out of place for you to remain in a place where there were such public pronouncements about you; telling you to move on.

It was that bad that some foreign guest speakers had to stop by in my hotel room to say; 'young man, you have to move on.' I can't even tell you some of the things they said. I tried all my best to contain it but to no avail. The whole country was tensed up be-cause of the incident and I was surprised that the events stirred up so much emotion across the country.

The very next week, my very good friend, Dr. Ezekiel came over to Warri here to see me and we sat together and I drafted a letter of apology to the late Archbishop; while I knew I didn't do anything. Dr. Ezekiel took it and went to Benin and gave it to him. He waited till the late archbishop read the letter.

Dr. Ezekiel told him to pray for me, which he did in his presence. I wasn't there. Later, I went on my own to see him and he prayed for me. Though he would still go out there, saying things about me in the media, but I never replied. It would have been very stupid of me to reply, because your father is always right.