Pastor Helen Oritsejafor,
wife of Pastor Ayo
Oritsejafor, President of the
Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN) has disclosed
that the $9.3m arms cash
scandal was a set up.
Mrs Oritsejafor made the
disclosure during an
interview session with THE
SUN, read excerpt below.
Your husband has received
a lot of bashing lately. How
do you react?
For us southerners, we
might not really appreciate
what Papa Ayo Oritsejafor is
doing and the role he is
playing in Christianity in
Nigeria because we are not
directly affected by the
activities of the terrorist
group, Boko Haram.
Christians in the North are
the ones experiencing it,
they are the ones losing
fathers and mothers,
children; being dislocated.
They are the ones who see
people’s throats being cut
off like chickens, their
houses being burnt by petrol
bombs and their young ones
both boys and girls being
abducted on a daily basis.
They value Papa so very
much. They know that
whatever he is going
through today is because of
them. They were actually
the people who came to
persuade him to run for CAN
presidency. The first time
they came, he used wisdom
for them and said he would
think about it. They came
back again and kept coming
because they know who he
is. He is a good man. If
there is anything I know my
husband to be, is that he is
a good man to a fault, and
sometimes, I really feel for
him. Unfortunately, the
society of nowadays does
not value a man like this,
especially those of us in the
South. He is much respected
in the North.
How did you receive the
news of his jet’s
involvement in the $9.3m
money-for-arms saga?
I was really surprised. I
didn’t even know anything
about it. I didn’t even know
our plane was out of the
country because we leased
it out to a company in Abuja
so that we will be able to
utilise whatever comes out
of the deal for the
maintenance of the plane
because it is quite
expensive. So, we didn’t
know. Even though we read
and heard some comments
some people made
concerning it, unknown to
us that our plane was
actually involved. We were
really surprised just like
every people. In all honesty,
by the time we got to know
that it was Papa’s plane, we
knew that the enemies were
trying to play some prank. It
is natural because he is a
symbol of Christianity in
Nigeria. If anyone wants to
move against Christianity in
Nigeria, it would be easier
for the one to go after the
symbol. The only thing is I
wasn’t expecting people to
get really dirty as they did.
So you were really
shocked?
The whole episode appeared
as if somebody was out for
some sinister joke. It’s quite
obvious. Take for instance,
why was it that it was
Papa’s plane that would be
hired? How would it be that
it would be his plane of all
planes in Nigeria that they
needed for that mission? It’s
still very baffling. Number
two, it became obvious that
it was orchestrated and the
whole essence of it is to see
how they can give him a
name God has not given to
him, and all because he has
been a very outspoken man.
I know him too well, he is a
very down-to-earth person,
and he doesn’t know how to
hide his feelings. He is a
very quiet and reserved
person. But then when there
is a need for him to speak
about anything, he would
rather confront things the
way they are rather than
hide behind his fingers.
That is not him. I know
quite a number of people
have been very
uncomfortable with that
especially with the Boko
Haram situation.
Let’s be frank, who would
not be affected? You are
leading a body and
gradually, there seems to be
an elimination of this same
group of people. You would
be a wicked leader not to
react. So, he made every
effort. He noticed that our
government wasn’t really
forthcoming with a lot of
things; we seem to try to
politicise a lot of things in
Nigeria which is quite
troubling. He went out of
his way to address the US
Congress. It was quite
obvious that terrorism was
being financed not just from
within but from outside as
well, whether to destabilise
or in a way, indirectly force
on Nigeria a particular
religion which is quite
shameful. And he was not
comfortable with that. If you
would know, this was
injustice. So, he is now
paying the price for being
an outspoken man,
defending his people,
defending Christianity in
Nigeria, and do not want
Nigerians having to hide
their heads later on in life
because whichever way we
look at it, history will tell.
Source the sun.
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