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Pastor Adeboye’s Apology Reignites Tithing Debate

Published

2 years ago

October 5, 2024

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has apologised for saying tithing is a prerequisite for making heaven.

The apology came after a video clip of his sermon surfaced online. In the clip, the cleric declared that paying tithe was critical for going to heaven.

The sermon sparked outrage, with many criticising him for prioritising financial gain over spiritual guidance.

The Founder of Power City International Ministry, Pastor Abel Damina, is among pastors who have been preaching against the payment of tithe.

Damina argued that Jesus never paid or accepted tithes in the Bible.

“Why are you (pastors) asking for tithe; if you look at the book of Acts, nobody paid tithe to anybody. Jesus didn’t pay tithe, Jesus didn’t receive tithe,” he said.

But Adeboye, in a new video, issued an apology for his statement linking the payment of tithes to salvation.

The revered cleric admitted that his statement that Christians who refused to pay tithes might not enter heaven lacked Biblical backing.

Adeboye, who spoke during RCCG’s National Youth Convention, clarified that salvation depends on following peace and holiness, as stated in the Scriptures rather than on financial contributions to the church.

He, however, said payment of 10 per cent as tithe was for beginners.

“I apologise for saying ‘If you don’t pay tithe, you might not make it to heaven.’ I’m sorry, that’s wrong, and it’s not in the Bible. What the Bible says is ‘Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God’,” he said.

Reacting, a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr Samson Ayokunle, commended Adeboye for apologising, saying the action showed “extreme humility.”

“Pastor Adeboye is an unusual human being and a special breed that God gave to our generation. He is humility personified and I thank God for his life,” he added.

Also, the International Secretary, Ecumenical Synods of Bishops, Archbishops, Apostles and Senior Clergy, London, Archbishop Osazee Williams said, “There is nobody who does not make mistakes. The scripture revealed to us at a point that it repented God that he made man. That means God regretted it. Jesus also said at a point ‘I choose 12 but one is the devil’ It shows that no man is above mistake.

“Now that papa said that it was an error, I was humbled and was clapping my hands for such an act of humility. Very few people will put pride aside, and apologise on such a matter.”

But the President and Head of the Baptist Church in Ogun State, Rev. Oyewale Oyeniyi, insisted that violation of tithe payment was disobedience, adding that anyone who disobeyed God would go to hell.

He said, “My conclusion on whether a person who refuses to pay tithe will make heaven or not is that if God says we should pay tithe and someone refuses to do so, that is disobedience and I think that every disobedient person will not make heaven.

“There might not be a phrase in the Bible that anybody that doesn’t give tithe will go to hell, but the truth of the matter is that if God is demanding for our tithe and it has been established in the scripture that God is demanding for it, violating that simply means that you are disobeying God’s instruction and I do not see anybody capable of disobeying God going to heaven.”

The cleric’s apology also reignited debates on social media about the role of tithing in the Christian faith. While some argued that it’s a biblical principle that promotes generosity, others described it as outdated and exploitative.

A controversial online personality, Vincent Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, urged other pastors to emulate Adeboye.

“I’m glad that Papa Adeboye came out now to say this, so imagine the ones that will not come out to apologise. Imagine the ones that have manipulated the minds of the people, that have twisted the right words and the right message of the Bible to suit their own narratives?

“Which other things have they (pastors) told us, that is not in the Bible? That is what I’m concerned about. How many things have they manipulated that is not in the Bible?”

Other Nigerians on X (formerly known as Twitter) also shared their views on the debate.

A tweep, Nurudeen Oloyede, said, “This is not an apology. Baba simply manipulated people to pay more than just 10 per cent.”

Another user, Prince Charming, said, “This is why it is good to study your Bible. All these men of God, most of them, are just business oriented using ‘in the name of Jesus’ to keep increasing their bank accounts.”

Ajebo Danny said, “If not that Nigerians are cowards, they should be clamouring for a refund for all the years they have been stolen from. You can’t manipulate and gaslight people for years to pay tithe with the threat of missing heaven and come now to say you were wrong just like that. REFUND!”

Stanley Amanfu said, “Another error, he (Adeboye) said again is ‘it is wrong to limit you to 10 per cent’, once it comes to tithe, the scripture has not said it is more than one-tenth. Why do they like preaching otherwise?”

News

UNIBEN Initiates N100bn Trust Fund To Complement Govt Funding

Published

9 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Editor

The University of Benin has unveiled a N100 billion Trust Development Fund (TDF) aimed at serving as an alternative source of funding for the institution.

Speaking at the unveiling of the Fund’s web portal, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Edoba Omoregie, said the UNIBEN TDF was conceived to bridge infrastructure gaps in the institution.

According to Omoregie, he was inspired by a similar initiative undertaken by University of Oxford about 30 years ago.

He explained that upon his return to the university after seven years away, he was confronted with dilapidated infrastructure across the institution’s two campuses, a situation which, according to him, made it obvious that the university needed additional funding beyond government allocations and its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

The Vice-Chancellor said: “When I took office as Vice-Chancellor, I told myself that the first task was to visit the hostels. I went to all the hostels here in Ugbowo and also on the Ekehuan campus. I also visited some of the academic facilities and, for someone who had been away from the university for about seven years, I did not know the facilities had decayed so rapidly.

“I was deeply concerned. I also looked at the books of the university and saw that its finances were in a shambolic state. We could barely pay the electricity bill; the university was disconnected from the public power supply for three months. There was student unrest, and I was in Abuja at the time, watching from afar and weeping inwardly over what was happening to our university.”

He said he immediately began researching ways the university could access alternative sources of funding, while also taking steps to eliminate waste.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, disclosed that the formal launch of the N100 billion fund would take place on July 4, 2026.

He said the Fund would pursue strategic partnerships and sustainable development models through grants, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), Build-Own-Operate-and-Transfer (BOOT) frameworks, endowment structures, and global institutional collaborations.

“Through these initiatives, we envision the renewal and expansion of critical infrastructure, including ultra-modern sports facilities, students’ hostels, hotels, innovation hubs, and agro-industrial development projects,” he said.

News

Gun Battle In Oyo Forest As Police Disrupt ₦10m Ransom Collection Plot

Published

9 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Editor

There was a gun battle in a forest in Oyo State on Wednesday after operatives of the Nigeria Police Force disrupted an alleged ₦10 million ransom collection operation by a suspected kidnapping gang in Otefon Village Forest, Atiba Local Government Area.

The operation, carried out by the Oyo State Police Command in collaboration with the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), led to the arrest of one suspect while other members of the gang escaped with suspected gunshot injuries.

According to a statement issued by the Command, on Thursday, credible intelligence was received in the early hours of 13 May 2026 that suspected kidnappers had gathered in the forest to receive ransom for a victim they had abducted earlier.

Acting on the intelligence, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbemiga, directed operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) in the Oyo/Iseyin axis, alongside local security operatives, to storm the area and intercept the suspects.

Preliminary investigation showed that the gang of about six armed men had, on 9 May 2026, invaded the residence of one Alhaji Bagudu in Ilowa Village, Atiba Local Government Area, and abducted him, demanding ₦10 million as ransom.

The police said operatives first ensured the safe release of the victim before advancing towards the suspected ransom collection point to apprehend the criminals.

However, upon sighting the advancing security team, the suspects opened fire, triggering a gun duel in the forest. The exchange forced the gang to flee into surrounding bushes with suspected gunshot wounds.

One of the suspects, identified as Mohammed Sanni, was arrested at the scene.

Items recovered include a motorcycle, a mobile phone, a pair of slippers and a cap, all of which are currently undergoing forensic examination.

The Command said the arrested suspect had already made useful confessional statements, while efforts were ongoing to track down other fleeing members of the gang.

Residents were urged to remain vigilant and report individuals with suspicious injuries or movements to the nearest police formation.

The Commissioner of Police commended the operatives and their collaborators for the successful operation and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustained action against kidnapping and violent crimes across the state.

(GUARDIAN)

News

PAP Sends Additional 15 Scholarship Beneficiaries For Post-Graduate Studies In UK

Published

13 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Editor

The Presidential Amnesty Programme, on Thursday, sent an additional batch of 15 foreign scholarship beneficiaries for post-graduate studies in the United Kingdom.

In a statement, Mr Igoniko Oduma,
Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator said the scholars will undertake master’s degree programmes in biomedical science, oil & gas engineering, data science, cyber security, software engineering, automotive engineering, communication culture and media, among others.

Speaking at the pre-departure briefing for the beneficiaries held at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, the first leg of May 2026 deployments, the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, said that many of them merited the scholarship because they made a first-class grade in their first degree programmes.

At the event, each of the scholars was given a laptop to enhance their academic studies.

Dr Otuaro attributed the huge number of onshore and offshore scholarship deployments, and the successes recorded by the PAP, to the strong backing of President Bola Tinubu as well as the efficient supervision by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

He said that he was unapologetic over the large-scale deployments, stressing that the decision was hinged on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, who is truly interested in the peace and development of the Niger Delta.

According to him, the programme is building a better future for the Niger Delta as the scholarship beneficiaries will play critical roles in the advancement of the region’s development, sustainable peace and stability.

He urged them to always remember that they were sent for studies, and should be good ambassadors of Nigeria and the Niger Delta while in the UK.

The PAP boss, while addressing the scholars, said, “All the scholarship deployments and the monumental successes we have achieved are as a result of the strong support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the efficient supervision by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

“Be good ambassadors of Nigeria while in the United Kingdom, and don’t disappoint Nigeria and the Niger Delta. Do your best and return home after your studies to join hands in advancing peace and development in our communities.

“That is why we are making this effort; we are preparing you for tomorrow, so that you will be part of the process of our development and sustainable peace and stability in the Niger Delta. We are building a civilized, polite, educated and patriotic generation. Use this opportunity very well.

“I am unapologetic about the large number of scholarships that we are giving to young Niger Deltans for studies within and outside the country. I believe that we are doing the best for tomorrow and there is no regret about it.”

Earlier in a presentation, the Head of Education, PAP, Dr Charles Ariye, had shared essential tips with the beneficiaries to guide them in their academic journey in the UK.

Speaking on behalf of the batch, Ikiere Victor, who is deployed for a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Coventry University, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, President Tinubu and the PAP Administrator for the opportunity given to them, pledging that they would be good ambassadors of the nation.