It’s mum at Obazee’s former RCCG parish

FORMER American president, Mr. John F. Kennedy was quoted as saying that “victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan”. That aptly describe the plight of former Executive Secretary of Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) Mr. Jim Obazee who was described by his former parishioners at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, as an honest and faithful steward when it comes to discharging his duty as a minister of God. ADVERTISING inRead invented by Teads Before his present ordeal, many people will heartily follow his progress and identify with his success story, seek ow that he had a great fall, very few will accept responsibility for his failure or even want to talk about his past accomplishments. A dawn visit to The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Olivet Parish, (Jesus House), Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, where Obazee once served as a zonal pastor for some years, revealed that there is standing order that nobody should say a word about this an who was once an excellent teacher of the Word until the travail that made him leave the church. It’s mum all the way. Even his successor was not under obligation to utter one word either in favour or otherwise, of the man. The only church members who volunteered any information, simply described Mr. Obazee as one minister of God who truly divided the Word of God without mincing words and that the parish missed the him a lot. Jim Obazee The current Pastor-in-charge of Olivet Parish who is also overseeing Area 2, Pastor Steve Jayeoba said: “You can not live in a glass house and throw stone. I cannot say anything on the matter. It is true that I took over from him but you cannot hear anything concerning the matter from me or the church workers. I am in this church as representative of Daddy G.O. and there is nothing I can say that is different from what the church has explained so far. “I don’t have any record that he embezzled the church money or ran after another man’s wife. If anybody has issue with the church, it is between such person and the church authority and not me. I am here to discharge my responsibility as a minister of God, representing our father in the Lord very well and not to malign anyone. “I have advised our workers to intensify their prayers for Daddy G.O. and the RCCG at large because Daddy G.O. needs our prayers more than before,” he said, when asked to describe his predecessor in office. One of the church members who volunteered information on the condition of anonimity, said: “Pastor Obazee is an embodiment of the Word of God. He is a teacher when it comes to teaching the scripture. He divides the word without mincing words. I personally miss him and I am sure majority of the members miss him. I think he left our parish about three years ago but I am sure the church will not forget him in a jiffy. “I am ardent member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, I believe in God and also in the person of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, we have been told to pray more for the church and Pastor Adeboye therefore I cannot say more than that,” the parishioner ended the discussion abruptly apparently not wanting to offend the current pastor. The Corporate Governance Code issued by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria has been suspended pending a detailed review, extensive consultation with stakeholders and reconstitution of the board of the FRC. Obazee has a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University of Benin; a master of science degree in accounting from the University of Lagos, and a certification in strategic financial analysis for business evaluation from Harvard University, USA. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and a member of the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) and the American Accounting Association (AAA). Obazee also won the African Leader of Integrity Merit Award for exemplary leadership and Economic Development in Africa which was organised by Proven Integrity Communications Network Limited.