The senior pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), Dr Paul Enenche, has apologised to a church member, Anyim Vera, accused of giving fake testimony at the church headquarters in Abuja on Sunday.
Enenche, reacting to the backlash that trailed the viral video, said it was not his intention to embarrass the lady who claimed she graduated from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Vera had climbed the altar at the popular church in Abuja to share her testimony on Sunday.
She claimed to be the first graduate in her family, stating that she obtained a BSc in law.
“I’m the first graduate in my family. My siblings did not get into tertiary institutions due to some reasons. I was supposed to study Law for five years at the National Open University of Nigeria. However, I encountered some challenges that made me have an extra year,” she said.
In his reaction, Pastor Enenche openly pointed out that there’s no such degree as a BSc in law, casting doubt on her testimony.
The pastor had asked her to return to her seat and warned people against stepping on the altar to lie.
“So the testimony is a lie. Is that how lawyers speak English? When she started that testimony, I knew there was something wrong,” he said.
However, receipts in the form of Vera’s graduation pictures and official documentation have emerged.
The development sparked widespread public outrage, with many Nigerians demanding a public apology from Pastor Enenche and the church.
In a statement on Monday, Sylvester Edoh, Personal Assistant/Secretary to Pastor Enenche, said the church, “regret every inconvenience, hurt and embarrassment this unfortunate scenario has caused Ms Anyim Veronica Nnenna.”
The statement added that Pastor Enenche was deeply concerned and had reached out to her.
“…Relief came when it was later confirmed that she actually graduated from a university. It must be pointed out clearly here that embarrassing the testifier publicly with the attendant media frenzy was never intended; whatever happened was under the spur of the moment.
“The action of the Senior Pastor was rather based on his and the church’s aversion to seeming mediocrity and any appearance of untruth.
“While we remain resolute in our passion for excellence, intolerance of mediocrity and falsehood, we wish to reiterate the fact that no harm or hurt was ever intended by the Senior Pastor against Ms. Anyim Veronica,” the statement read in part.
