Sacked Winners Pastor takes Bishop Oyedepo to court

Bishop Oyedepo

Dominic Essang, a pastor of the Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, has taken the President of the Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, to court over his dismissal as a pastor of the church.

He also claimed that he has been persecuted, maltreated, and frustrated by cabals in the church, who gang up to tell false tales about him which led to his sack as the resident pastor of Palm Street Extension parish, Calabar.

He added that he has been in the church for two decades and has six branches under him. Hence, he is suing Oyedepo for not abiding by the operational manual/mandate used by the church for firing staff who go against the rules of the church.

Also, he noted that he is not taking the church to court for being sacked, but because his sack was unlawful.

For his “unlawful” sack from the church, Essang, who is a Mathematics graduate from the University of Calabar, dragged the church before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Calabar Judicial Division.

The cleric also revealed that attempts to allow Oyedepo intervene in the issue were suppressed by the cabals in the church.

Essang said, “I was a member of that church for over a decade before training to become a pastor. At least, I have spent more than two decades in the ministry. That alone makes me a son to our General Overseer, Bishop David Oyedepo.”

According to him, the church cabal consists of one Pastor Tamunotoye Chukunda and the state pastor, Cross River State, Pastor Adeolu Adewumi.

Essang said, “According to the Living Faith’s operational mandate, before a pastor is sacked, such would first be queried in writing and made to appear before a disciplinary committee. Thereafter, three more warnings before he can be issued a termination of appointment letter. In my case, nothing of such happened.

“I was not given the opportunity to appear before any disciplinary panel to defend myself. As I speak to you, I can’t even pay my children’s school fees nor pay my rent, or afford food, clothing and medicine for my kids.”

On his part, the State Administrative Officer of the Church, Den Taiwo, said that due process was followed before Essang was sacked.

The hearing of the case will come up on October 25, 2022, at the National Industrial Court.