WE ARE STILL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD CHURCH. NEWLY INAUGURATED ASSEMBLY OF GOD CLARIFIES THE PUBLIC OFFICIALLY

Assembly of God Northern Nigeria (AGNN) is not a new Church identical to Assemblies of God Nigeria, but a part of it, Officials have said. The Church leader, Rev. Dr. Yakubu Pam said on Sunday, emerged to sustain the spiritual growth of members, previously halted by prolonged conflicts in Assemblies of God.

“We struggled for years in Assemblies of God with Police and Lawyers consuming our resources frequently.

“But we decided that enough is enough. If they cannot settle there (at headquarters), we will liberate our people.

“We still remain Assemblies of God. Those who want to continue in slavery should continue.

“And because we don’t want to be illegal people, we first and foremost registered with Corporate Affairs Commission,” said Pam at the declaration of the Jos zone of the Northern Nigerian Assembly.

Lawyers of Assemblies of God Church had last August written to the CAC to withdraw the certificate of registration issued for the new Assembly of God Northern Nigeria.

The CAC purportedly replied with a copy of a letter addressed to the Incorporated Trustees of Assembly of God Northern Nigeria to change the name of the Church which is “identical” to Assemblies of God Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2004 (as amended) in section 30(1) forbids the registration of an organization under a name identical with that by which a company in existence is previously registered, or nearly resembling it to be likely to “deceive”.

The purported CAC letter with reference number COM/GCE/QU/VOL.1/2020/286 dated August 27, 2020, signed by Registrar-General of CAC, Mr. Suleiman Mamman gave six weeks to change the name but Rev. Pam at the launch of the Jos zonal headquarters of the Church said he was not aware of it.

“We have our certificate of incorporation and none of us has seen that letter they are talking about,” he said.

His Secretary, Rev. Morvel James and legal adviser who was simply identified as Barr. Agama also claimed no knowledge of the letter.

Officials of Assemblies of God Church on Friday wrote Police, State Security Services and other security agencies warning against “forceful” use of their property for the new Northern Assembly.

However, Rev. Pam who is the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board said “nobody gave us money from Enugu (headquarters) to buy land. All our properties were bought by us but everybody who is in Northern Nigeria, regardless of their tribe or origin is part of us.”

Federal securities, including recepients of the petition by Assemblies of God Nigeria were at the launch of the Jos AGNN zone held at Assemblies of God Nigeria Hwolshe, Jos.

The petition and others before, though dismissed by Officials as mere rantings might however be tendered in evidence against the new Assembly of God Nigeria in a suit likely to be filed within weeks.