‘I Forgive My Tormentors’,– Assemblies Of God Church General Superintendent, Paul Emeka, Accused Of Embezzling N1bn Hints On Retirement

The General Superintendent (GS) of a faction of Assemblies of God Church (AGC), Nigeria, Professor Paul Emeka has said that he will retire after exhausting his four-year tenure.

Emeka who was re-elected as the GS of Assemblies of God in 2022 gave the hint on Sunday at the AGC International Worship Centre in Abuja.

The GS has been a member of the church for more than a decade and was the assistant to the former GS, Reverend Charles Osueke who retired in November 2010.

“Talk of my retirement committee. This is where I appreciate Dr. Emeka Eze (Host Pastor) again for being generous to me with these members. Asuquo is the financial secretary of the (retirement) committee. At the inaugural meeting of this retirement, on their own, they started throwing out money. Big money towards that retirement,” the GS said while revealing members of the committee.

The GS was in 2014 suspended by the General Council based on allegations of embezzlement of funds, acting like a sole administrator, and forgery of his professorship.

The GS denied all the allegations and any wrongdoing. But the faction led by Reverend Chidi Okoroafor obtained a court judgment restraining him from heading the church.

It led to the splitting of the church into two factions with one led by Rev Emeka and the other, Rev. Okoroafor.

Recounting what he described as ‘torment’ the GS said, “My tormentors, they are all forgiven. I’m free now.”

He recounted how he was accused of embezzling close to N1bn of church funds meant for church expansion projects in Germany among others.

He narrated, “My friend (James) Zakare remains my friend, especially at a crucial time. When I was frequenting force headquarters from one problem upon another. It was alleged that I ate N189m. I said ‘I ate the money and still remained like this?’ They alleged that I am not a real professor, and I said, me? They also said that they gave me N200m for the church building project in Germany and I ate it.

“They rushed and forwarded it to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and they told the EFCC all we want is for them to come and arrest Paul Emeka and put him in handcuffs. They (EFCC) said we don’t do that. By the time investigation was being done by the EFCC, the EFCC said to all of us, including the treasurer (Dr John Ikoni), ‘I do not know how you practice it in Assemblies of God, a man who is the Chairman or the General Superintendent, does he have right without the signature of the treasurer or other officers to go to the bank and take N200m, N189m and another million, and by the church count it became N1bn?’

“And they said no. And the PFN Chairman didn’t know what to do, and the treasurer said, we are sorry Paul Emeka did not take one penny of Assemblies of God.

“The EFCC said, why did you carry his name all over the newspaper? They said, well, he did not embezzle money, but he did another thing. They told them, why didn’t you accuse him of the other thing?”