The National Executive Council of the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church has described an Ondo prophet, Kerubu Oluwagbemi, as an ‘impostor’.
The NEC who debunked any leadership crisis in the Ondo State chapter of the church noted that Oluwagbemi was not a member of the dissolved Executive Committee nor was he an occupant of any office that chose him to be a prominent member of the Ondo State chapter.
Oluwagbemi who claimed to be a leader of the Unification in Ondo State had alleged that there was an assassination attempt on his life due to the leadership crisis in the state chapter of the church.
But the Chairman, National Executive Council of the church, His Eminence Emmanuel Owomoyela, while reacting in a statement made available to newsmen in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Saturday, described linking the alleged assassination alarm raised by Oluwagbemi as an attempt to smear the integrity of the church since he has never been a member.
Owomoyela disclosed that the state Executive Committee of the church has been dissolved at the expiration of its 3-year term and a working committee was set up to fashion out modalities for the constitution of a new executive committee.
The statement reads in parts: “The attention of the National Secretariat of the C&S Unification Church of Nigeria has been drawn to the news making the round in the electronic and print media about an alleged assassination attempt on the life of one Prophet Kerubu Oluwagbemi at Idanre in Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State arising from a purported leadership crisis in the Ondo State chapter of the church.
“The C&S Unification Church of Nigeria is a registered organization under the law. It has a constitution that spells out the rules, regulations and ordinances that guide its operations, including the establishment and management of its various organs and wings of which the state chapters are one.
“The official organ that controls and monitors compliance with the constitution of the church is the National Executive Council.
As the Chairman of the National Executive Council, I make bold to say categorically that officially, there’s no leadership crisis in the Ondo State chapter of the church.
“The Executive Committee of the Ondo State chapter, which was inaugurated in 2011, has been dissolved following its refusal to leave the office at the end of its three-year term which was extended by itself and till now has refused to leave office even though the National Secretariat has written to them to let them know that they are no longer recognised as the Executive Committee of the state chapter.
At present, a 21-member committee has been set up to work out the modalities for reconstituting a new Executive Committee for the state chapter. That special committee is led by one Special Apostle Sebolatan of the C&S Movement Church.
“The basis of linking the assassination attempt on his life by Prophet Kerubu Oluwagbemi to the C&S Unification Church, Ondo State chapter, is malicious, derogatory and designed to smear the reputation of the church which he claims to be the leader.
“It is on record that the said Prophet Kerubu was not a member of the dissolved Executive Committee neither was he an occupant of any office that chose him to be a prominent member of the Ondo State chapter.
“The purpose of our reaction is to debunk the assertion that there is a leadership crisis in the Ondo State chapter of the church. It does not exist.
“Secondly, it is to assure our members that the lacuna in the Ondo State chapter, that is the constitution of the new Executive Committee, is currently being addressed and a new state Executive Committee will soon emerge as soon as the working committee finishes its assignment.
Please remain calm and await the dawn of a new era in the state.”
Reacting, prophet Keribu Oluwagbemi, said although he was not the leader of the unification in the state according to the NEC, but he had the endorsement of some leaders of the church in the state
Karibu said, ” I was installed by the immediate past leaders of the unification in Ondo State, but was not recognized by the national body.
“Some people at the National of the unification want to impose on the people in the state, because of money. In truth, I have not been recognized by the National body but I have been acting since the expiration of the tenure of the last executives. Those want to impose on us are not our members in Ondo State.”
