Private jet: “I can’t be talking about such matter at this level” – Pastor Oritsejafor

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday declined comment over the insinuations that President Goodluck Jonathan bought a private jet for him as a gift to mark the 40th anniversary of his call to service.

The General Overseer of the Later Rain Bible Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, also called for a bloody revolution to deal with some clerics, who have acquired expensive private jets. Oritsejafor, in a telephone interview with National Mirror, yesterday, however, said that he was not ready to glorify his critics with a reply.

National Mirror recalls that Oritsejafor joined the elite league of Nigerian clerics, who own private jets on Saturday, November 10, 2012 when his church, Word of Life Bible Church, announced a gift of a Bombardier Jet in honour of the flamboyant cleric, who marked 40th anniversary of his call to evangelism.

Jonathan was on hand at the church’s headquarters in Warri, Delta State, when the announcement of the multimillion dollar gift was made by the leaders of the church. The plane, valued at over $40million, according to reports, is a Canadian-made Bombadier Jet with US registration number N431CB.

The reports further indicated that the jet was manufactured in 1994 and hitherto owned by two individuals in the United States. It was gathered that the plane was used in New Jersey by CR BARD IN of Murry Hill, New Jersy, before it was listed for sale in July 2012.

Bakare stirred controversy over the jet when he called for a bloody revolution because some religious leaders have acquired private jets. The controversial cleric said that a bloody revolution that would consume religious leaders, who acquired private jets, would soon break out in the country and called on their congregations to challenge the clerics to explain to them where and how they raised the money to procure such expensive jets.

Already, CAN has cleared Oritsejafor, describing the critics of Oritsejafor as “evil minds.” But the Oritsejafor, who was contacted by National Mirror yesterday to speak on the lingering controversy over his private jet, said he was not ready to take issues with his critics. “I have no comment. I can’t be talking about such matter at this level. Please leave me alone over that matter. I can’t glorify anybody with a comment over such matter,” he said.