The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has denied the report that Late Michael Arowosaye, who committed suicide on Tuesday in Abuja because of inability to pay his house rent, was a minister in the church.
RCCG has been a subject of criticism on the social media after it was reported that Mr Arowosaye was a minister in the church and was not assisted with his financial challenges leading to him taking his own life.Reacting to the report, the church, however, in a statement issued on Thursday by its Head, Media and Publicity, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi, said the deceased was a singer and keyboardist in one of its Youth Parishes in Abuja but left the church in 2017.
He stressed that it is misleading and incorrect to refer to the deceased as a minister in the church, adding that RCCG is “in the forefront among organizations with robust welfare package in Nigeria.”
The statement read; “The attention of the leadership of the RCCG has been drawn to reports of the death of one Mr. Michael Arowosaiye said to have committed suicide in Abuja on Tuesday May 14, 2019.
“The report which has been trending on the social media and has also featured in the newspapers, said the man decided to take his own life after going into depression.
“While the RCCG leadership sympathises with the family of the deceased, it has become necessary to clarify the mis-information and absolute falsehood in the report.
“The said Mr. Michael Arowosaiye was not a minister in the RCCG. He was a singer and a keyboardist in one of our Youth Parishes in Abuja until 2017 when he left for another ministry.
“His movement to another ministry notwithstanding, Michael, through his elder brother who is presently one of the coordinators of the RCCG Youth Choir, continued to get invitation to minister in RCCG programmes.
“He had accommodation problem in 2018 and though he was no longer in the RCCG, a family in the Mission gave him the Boy’s Quarters of their house in Sunnyvale Estate in Lokogoma FCT, which was where he lived till the unfortunate suicide incident.
“It is therefore untrue to refer to him as a Minister in the RCCG. It is also misleading and absolutely incorrect to create the impression that RCCG does not care for its Members and Ministers. The RCCG is in the forefront among organizations with robust welfare package in Nigeria.”
