The Continental Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) for South West Nigeria and the Middle East, Johnson Odesola, has challenged the founder of the Ministers’ Prayer Network, Rev. Mosy Madugba, to provide evidence for his claim that former President Olusegun Obasanjo allocated oil wells to prominent Nigerian pastors, including Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
Odesola made the demand in an opinion article published by Impact Nigeria earlier today, November 10, via the Punch, describing the allegation as serious and insisting that it must be backed by verifiable evidence.
Naija News reports that Madugba had alleged in a sermon circulating on social media that Obasanjo allocated oil wells to Adeboye, founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, and the General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi.
He reportedly linked the alleged oil interests to the establishment of universities, hospitals and schools by the clerics, as well as the acquisition of private aircraft by some of them.
However, Odesola questioned the basis of the allegation, asking Madugba to produce official government documents, petroleum licensing records and company ownership details to support his claim.
He also demanded an explanation of how Madugba obtained the information, whether he witnessed the alleged allocations or relied on documents and credible sources.
“A statement made from a pulpit does not automatically become established truth because the speaker is a respected minister of the gospel or holds the title of professor,” Odesola wrote.
He noted that reports on the circulating sermon had not presented documentary evidence linking Obasanjo to the alleged allocation of an oil well to Adeboye.
“This does not establish that no document could ever exist. It establishes that the allegation remains unsubstantiated in the public domain,” he said.
Explaining his decision to address the controversy, Odesola cited his longstanding relationship with RCCG and Adeboye, saying he had belonged to the church for more than five decades and worked closely with its General Overseer for over four decades.
He argued that the church’s growth and the establishment of its university and other institutions should not be presented as evidence that Adeboye benefited from an alleged political allocation.
Odesola recalled that RCCG was founded by Reverend Josiah Akindayomi, while Adeboye became its General Overseer in 1981, following the founder’s death in 1980.
He also highlighted Adeboye’s academic qualifications in Mathematics, Hydrodynamics and Applied Mathematics, attributing the church’s expansion to decades of evangelism, missionary activities and contributions from members.
On Redeemer’s University, Odesola said RCCG established the institution after receiving Federal Government approval in January 2005. The university began academic activities in October of the same year.
He maintained that the existence of the university and other church-owned facilities did not prove that Adeboye personally received an oil well.
The RCCG overseer also questioned the suggestion that private aircraft used by religious leaders necessarily indicated personal ownership or established that they were acquired through alleged oil interests.
He said any investigation into the allegation should establish the identity or number of the alleged oil block, the company that granted the licence, its shareholders and beneficial owners, the allocation date and the government authority responsible for the approval.
Odesola added that RCCG was not obliged to respond in detail to every allegation circulating on social media, insisting that the responsibility to substantiate a specific claim rested primarily with the person who made it.
He, however, acknowledged that the church and relevant authorities should address legitimate questions if verifiable evidence emerged.
Calling on Madugba to publish any documents supporting his allegation or explain the basis of his claim, Odesola said the cleric should be prepared to correct the record if the information proved inaccurate.
“I do not claim that this personal experience makes the church immune from scrutiny. Neither am I suggesting that Pastor Adeboye or any other religious leader should be above the law,” he wrote.
He maintained that public allegations should not be treated as facts without supporting evidence.
“Until such evidence is produced, Nigerians should distinguish between an allegation and a proven fact,” he added.
