RCCG OVERSEER CHALLENGES MOSY MADUGBA TO PROVE CLAIM THAT OBA­SANJO GAVE OIL WELLS TO ADEBOYE, OYED­EPO AND KUMUYI

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 allegation that former President Olusegun Obasanjo allocated oil wells to prominent Nigerian Christian leaders, including Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

Odesola described the allegation as serious and demanded verifiable evidence, insisting that claims capable of damaging the reputation of respected religious leaders should not be presented as established facts without documentary proof.

He made the demand in an opinion article published by Impact Nigeria and carried by Punch on Tuesday, November 10.

Madugba had reportedly made the allegation in a sermon circulating on social media, claiming that Obasanjo allocated oil wells to Adeboye, founder of the RCCG, Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church Worldwide, and Pastor William Kumuyi, General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry.

The cleric reportedly linked the alleged oil interests to the establishment of universities, hospitals and schools by the religious leaders, as well as the acquisition of private aircraft by some of them.

However, Odesola questioned the credibility of the claims, demanding that Madugba produce official government documents, petroleum licensing records and company ownership details to substantiate his allegations.

He also asked the cleric to explain how he obtained the information, whether he personally witnessed the alleged allocations or relied on documentary evidence 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.

The RCCG overseer noted that reports surrounding the circulating sermon had not provided documentary evidence establishing any connection between Obasanjo and 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 stated.

Explaining his decision to address the controversy, Odesola cited his longstanding relationship with RCCG and its General Overseer, Adeboye.

He disclosed that he had been a member of the church for more than five decades and had worked closely with Adeboye for over four decades.

He argued that the growth of RCCG and the establishment of its university and other institutions should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that its General Overseer benefited from political allocation of oil wells.

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 background in Mathematics, Hydrodynamics and Applied Mathematics, attributing the church’s expansion to decades of evangelism, missionary activities and financial contributions from members.

On Redeemer’s University, Odesola explained that RCCG established the institution after obtaining Federal Government approval in January 2005, with academic activities commencing in October of the same year.

He maintained that the existence of the university and other church-owned facilities did not constitute proof that Adeboye personally received an oil well from the former president.

Odesola also challenged the suggestion that private aircraft used by religious leaders necessarily established personal ownership or demonstrated that they were acquired through alleged oil interests.

He insisted that any serious investigation into Madugba’s allegation must establish the identity or number of the purported oil block, the company granted the licence, its shareholders and beneficial owners, the date of allocation and the government authority responsible for the approval.

According to him, the responsibility to substantiate a specific allegation rests primarily with the individual making it.

He added that RCCG was not obligated to respond extensively to every allegation circulating on social media, although the church and relevant authorities should address legitimate questions if verifiable evidence emerged.

Calling on Madugba to publish documents supporting his claims or explain the basis of his information, Odesola said the cleric should be prepared to correct the record if the allegations 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 religious leaders, like other public figures, should be open to legitimate scrutiny but insisted that allegations must not be confused with established facts.

“Until such evidence is produced, Nigerians should distinguish between an allegation and a proven fact,” Odesola added.

The controversy has renewed public discussion about the relationship between religious institutions, political power and the sources of funding for major faith-based projects in Nigeria.