There is a place called the Inner City Mission for Children. It is a school located somewhere in Oregun Ikeja, Lagos State. This School was benevolently established by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome the founder and head Pastor of Christ Embassy to facilitate access to free education for indigent children.
The Director and most of the Management staff members of this school are Pastors.
Establishing a school for the poor is an act of charity and compassion that is rare among leading heads of Christian Ministries in Nigeria. The founders and overseers of virtually every major Pentecostal church in Nigeria have one or more schools some from primary to tertiary levels.
But one common issue among these schools and which has remained a major subject of public debate is the fact that the teeming toiling poor members of these various denominations hardly have access to these schools owing to the fact that the cost of attending these schools is usually prohibitive and beyond the reach of the majority poor devotees.
Yet, most of the members-both the poor and the rich- pay monthly tithes, regularly sow seeds and make all sorts of financial contributions towards the sustenance of these churches and their schools.
But, Pastor Chris distinguished himself and made the difference by sparing some thoughts for the poor and established the Inner City School for indigent children. And he handed this school to some Pastors in his church to manage.
But what is happening at the Inner City will outrage even the most profane. Oppressive use and abuse of power by those who never knew they could find themselves in position of power and authority.
Immoral conducts of sexual harassment and exploitation; intimidation and victimisation of female staff members who refuse to succumb to the unbecoming passion and demands of lecherous male pastors; female pastors in a position to discipline their erring male counterparts and protect vulnerable female staff abdicating their responsibility and instead shielding their male counterparts for self-serving reasons.
Supervisors maltreat their subordinates treating them in inhumane and ungodly manner. Some staff members at the Inner City are employed and remain on probation for as long as three to four years without confirmation, let alone promotion. Supervisors exploit the fact of their subordinates being on prolonged probation to constantly harass, intimidate and hold them to ransom.
Some senior staff members even compel their subordinates to use their personal money to buy personal gifts for them in exchange for being treated with favouritism.
I’m not as much outraged that a male pastor- Kaycee stands out for his notoriety for sexually preying on female staff at Inner City as I am that he is shielded even when official reports have been lodged against him to the Director who is a female pastor. And Pastor Kaycee is allowed to get away with victimising a female married staff for refusing to sleep with him.
There is a deliberate effort – more like an official policy- to hide from Pastor Chris the many evil things – the debauchery going on in this school. Some time two years ago, a female teacher was found dead in front of the gate of her residence shortly after she left the school’s premises after an all night activity.
Efforts were made to conceal this tragedy and to persuade the deceased woman’s husband from going public on or seeking answers to the circumstances surrounding the death of his wife.
Till date, it’s not clear if there was any autopsy or other measures to unravel the circumstances of this woman’s tragic, painful and untimely death and to ensure that the family was compensated.
I am not in doubt that Pastor Chris is not aware of these unspeakable atrocities going on in a school that God gave him the vision to establish to help the needy. My mission is to keep speaking up until he hears them and takes urgent measures to sanitise the place.
Okechukwu Nwanguma, National Cordinator, Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN)
The Director and most of the Management staff members of this school are Pastors.
Establishing a school for the poor is an act of charity and compassion that is rare among leading heads of Christian Ministries in Nigeria. The founders and overseers of virtually every major Pentecostal church in Nigeria have one or more schools some from primary to tertiary levels.
But one common issue among these schools and which has remained a major subject of public debate is the fact that the teeming toiling poor members of these various denominations hardly have access to these schools owing to the fact that the cost of attending these schools is usually prohibitive and beyond the reach of the majority poor devotees.
Yet, most of the members-both the poor and the rich- pay monthly tithes, regularly sow seeds and make all sorts of financial contributions towards the sustenance of these churches and their schools.
But, Pastor Chris distinguished himself and made the difference by sparing some thoughts for the poor and established the Inner City School for indigent children. And he handed this school to some Pastors in his church to manage.
But what is happening at the Inner City will outrage even the most profane. Oppressive use and abuse of power by those who never knew they could find themselves in position of power and authority.
Immoral conducts of sexual harassment and exploitation; intimidation and victimisation of female staff members who refuse to succumb to the unbecoming passion and demands of lecherous male pastors; female pastors in a position to discipline their erring male counterparts and protect vulnerable female staff abdicating their responsibility and instead shielding their male counterparts for self-serving reasons.
Supervisors maltreat their subordinates treating them in inhumane and ungodly manner. Some staff members at the Inner City are employed and remain on probation for as long as three to four years without confirmation, let alone promotion. Supervisors exploit the fact of their subordinates being on prolonged probation to constantly harass, intimidate and hold them to ransom.
Some senior staff members even compel their subordinates to use their personal money to buy personal gifts for them in exchange for being treated with favouritism.
I’m not as much outraged that a male pastor- Kaycee stands out for his notoriety for sexually preying on female staff at Inner City as I am that he is shielded even when official reports have been lodged against him to the Director who is a female pastor. And Pastor Kaycee is allowed to get away with victimising a female married staff for refusing to sleep with him.
There is a deliberate effort – more like an official policy- to hide from Pastor Chris the many evil things – the debauchery going on in this school. Some time two years ago, a female teacher was found dead in front of the gate of her residence shortly after she left the school’s premises after an all night activity.
Efforts were made to conceal this tragedy and to persuade the deceased woman’s husband from going public on or seeking answers to the circumstances surrounding the death of his wife.
Till date, it’s not clear if there was any autopsy or other measures to unravel the circumstances of this woman’s tragic, painful and untimely death and to ensure that the family was compensated.
I am not in doubt that Pastor Chris is not aware of these unspeakable atrocities going on in a school that God gave him the vision to establish to help the needy. My mission is to keep speaking up until he hears them and takes urgent measures to sanitise the place.
Okechukwu Nwanguma, National Cordinator, Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN)
