The man mentioned as the cause of the retirement controversy involving legendary cleric, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, suddenly lost his job on Monday evening, December 9, 2017. The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) was cited by Pastor Adeboye on Saturday morning while announcing his retirement as General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

Reports this morning said that Mr. Jim Obazee, until minutes ago Executive Secretary of the FRC, had disobeyed his supervising minister, the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, who reportedly advised him to suspend the implementation of an FRC regulation which requires the heads of all registered churches, mosques, and other non-profit organisations a maximum of 20 years in office and to thereafter hand over to someone from outside their families. Mr. Obazee reportedly vowed not to obey Mr. Enelamah’s letter on the issue, saying that only an official gazette on the issue would stop him.

A statement just issued in Abuja by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media and Publicity), says the Board of the Council has been dissolved and immediately reconstituted.

Entitled ‘Buhari Approves the Reconstitution of the Financial Reporting Council of N’, the statement says: “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate removal and the replacement of the Executive Secretary and the reconstitution of the board of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRN). He has appointed a Chairman and a new Executive Secretary for the council.

“The new Council as approved by the President has Mr Adedotun Sulaiman, MFR as Chairman.

Mr. Sulaiman was a former Managing Partner/Director of Arthur Anderson and later, Accenture. He is a Chartered Accountant and a product of the University of Lagos and Harvard Business School.

“The President has also approved the appointment of Mr. Daniel Asapokhai as the Executive Secretary of the Council.

“Mr. Asopokhai is a partner and a Financial Reporting Specialist at the PricewaterHouseCoopers (PWC), Nigeria.

“He is a product of the University of Lagos and the University of Pretoria.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has also instructed the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment to invite the nineteen ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government and private sector organizations specified in the FRC Act to nominate members of the board of the council.”

News Express reports that Pastor Adeboye, who has led RCCG since 1981, had on Saturday morning announced his retirement as RCCG General Overseer at the Annual Ministers Thanksgiving of the church held at the Redemption Camp located along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. He went ahead to announce Pastor Joseph Obayemi as the new General Overseer.

However, as news of the shocking announcement spread, the 74-year-old cleric reneged on his word and assumed the newly created position of General Overseer of RCCG Worldwide – a position alien to the constitution of the church – while Pastor Obayemi would be restricted to heading the Nigerian operations of RCCG.

As reported on Sunday by News Express, the FRC regulation, if enforced, would lead to an earthquake in Pentecostal churches in Nigeria, where the founder usually heads the church for life and is succeeded by a family member.

With Obazee’s sack and the dissolution of the FRC Board, President Buhari has saved the jobs of many other prominent Pentecostal church leaders who have since passed the 20-year threshold. Among them are Pastor Kumuyi, who has spent 43 years as the General Overseer of Deeper Life Ministry; Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (35 years); Winners Chapel’s Bishop David Oyedepo (35 years); Daniel Kolawole Olukoya of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (22); Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor of Word of Life Bible Church (29 years); Rev. Chris Okotie of the Household of God (29 years); Kingsway International Christian Centre’s Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo (24 years);.

Others are Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Believers’ LoveWord International (26 years); Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre (21 years); Pastor Tunde Bakare of Latter Rain Assembly (27 years); House on the Rock’s Pastor Paul Adefarasin (22 years), among others.

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