The journalist is Biodun Kupoluyi, the publisher of E24/7 Magazine. He is alleging that the senior pastor of Household of God.
Chris Okotie, has barred him from attending his church after he wrote a story alleging that Rev Okotie is dating an undergraduate named Miss Naomi Hoffman.Biodun is an off/on member of Household of God.
He granted an interview to Encomium magazine this week, telling his side of the story. This is what he said;
I received the news from a man claiming he’s representing the church
that he has been directed by the pastor of the church and members of
Household of God church that I should not come and worship with them.
His reason, he said, was premised on E24-7 magazine’s expose - pastor Chris finds new love, says I will not get married again, but may opt for surrogacy soon. I found it shocking that a day after the publication hit the streets, his media department sent a release out and it confirmed our story.
He actually made those statements and we reported it. I think he did
not think anybody could have known about his romance with the girl,
Naomi. He was caught off guard..but as a journalist, I owe our teeming
readers that responsibility. I feel fulfilled, though I will miss his
theatrics, his stage performances and verbosity.
My perception of the church and my respect for the man has changed. He is not a serious preacher of the gospel. The job of a good shepherd is to seek a lost sheep, not to ban a sheep or send away a sheep from the fold.
It is only in our environment that these kind of things happen.
Because I worship in a church, I can’t write the story of the pastor
even if the pastor is doing what is wrong? But the pastor and the church
will hail me if I praise him or do a PR story for them.
Despite the ban, if journalistic duties calls I will go there. In
fact we were there the following week after I was barred. It was the
week he claimed Christians can do tattoos and plastic surgery. We went
with a whole crew, looking forward to a show down. I’m a free citizen. I
can not be cowed. And I stand by my story on Naomi. That is not
disputable!
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