The Living Faith Church, also known as Winners’ Chapel, on Sunday doled out foodstuffs and money to some workers employed by the Osun State Government because of the non-payment of their salaries for the past seven months.
The pastor of the church in Osogbo, Olumuyiwa Emmanuel, announced during the service that anybody who needed foodstuffs and money should wait after the service when they would be distributed.
After the service, one of the pastors, Victor Iyogu, asked those who needed church’s assistance to remain on their seats after others had left. He said ushers would attend to them to know what they needed.
The foodstuffs and money were later distributed to a large number of people who waited for the succour offered by the church.
The church disallowed journalists from covering the distribution, which they said was against the injunction of the Bible which admonished Christians not to publicise giving alms.
Church’s security men and ushers turned back journalists with cameras, saying the gesture was not meant to be publicised.
The state pastor had on June 7 directed church members to bring food and money for distribution to some state government workers who were finding it difficult to feed because of the non-payment of their salaries.
Also, the District Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Osogbo District, Rev. P. A. Ajidahun, also implored Christians to remember those who were going through hardship.
Ajidahun said this in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.
He said giving foodstuffs and other materials to assist the needy was a culture in the church.
He said, “We have been giving before OSCAN chairman said so, even when salaries were regular. We have distributed food items four times this year and it has been a usual practice since I came to this church in 2013.”
Ajidahun urged christians to continue to pray for the government for God to grant the leaders the wisdom to govern well.
It will be recalled that the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, on Tuesday advised churches in the state to begin to donate foodstuffs to workers to assist them cope with the hardship.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Osun State, Mr. Jacob Adekomi, also said labour unions would soon approach wealthy Nigerians like Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr. Femi Otedola to donate foodstuffs to workers in the state.
