Abuja megachurch apologises to woman accused of false testimony

The Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja has apologised to a female worshiper, Veronica Anyim, who was disgraced on Sunday for allegedly giving false testimony in the church.

A video that went viral on Sunday showed the church’s Senior Pastor, Paul Enenche, questioning the credibility of the woman’s testimony at his church in Abuja.

The woman, who claimed to have graduated with a “BSc in Law” from the National Open University of Nigeria, was interrupted by Enenche, who accused her of lying.

He told her she didn’t sound like a Law graduate, going by how she spoke. He also told her that there is nothing like a “Bsc in Law” and demanded that she leave the pulpit.

Some Nigerians, therefore, called on the pastor to apologise to the woman after it was discovered that her testimony was genuine.

In a statement on Monday signed by the Personal Assistant to the Senior Pastor, Sylvester Edoh, the church explained that the intent of the encounter was not to embarrass Anyim.

The statement read, “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 Senior Pastor feels deeply concerned and has already reached out to her.

“As a commission, we regret every inconvenience, hurt, and embarrassment this unfortunate scenario has caused to Ms Anyim Veronica Nnenna. We remain committed to her physical welfare as well as her spiritual growth. God bless us all.”

Clarifying what transpired on Sunday, the statement explained that during Anyim’s testimony at the Glory Dome on April 14, 2024, concerns arose regarding her language proficiency and the clarity of her academic credentials.

Edoh said her speech suggested a level of English proficiency below what might be expected of a university graduate, particularly one with a Law degree.

He added that discrepancies also emerged regarding the nature and duration of her academic pursuit, raising doubts about the legitimacy of her qualifications.

The statement emphasized that the Senior Pastor’s actions stemmed from a commitment to upholding standards of excellence and integrity within the church community.

The statement read, “A scenario was created on Sunday the 14th April, 2024 at the Glory Dome, the Global Headquarters of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, when Ms Anyim Veronica Nnenna came out to testify of how God helped her graduate from the university, thus making her the first person to attain that feat in her family.

“These were the immediate triggers for the said scenario: First, listening to the testifier’s expressions as it borders on basic spoken English, conveys the impression that the minimum standard expectation of a graduate, especially a graduate of Law was not met.

“Second, stating that she studied Law for 10 years begged the question of what her degree actually was.

“Third, she was unable to state exactly what the correct degree was for Law which is LLB, rather she said it was a BSc in Law which is largely unknown as a Law degree in Nigeria and possibly globally.

“These prompted the Senior Pastor. Dr. Paul Enenche, to stop the testimony immediately as a product of a ‘lie.’ However, 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.”

According to the statement, the action of the Senior Pastor was rather based on his and the church’s aversion to seeming mediocrity and any appearance of untruth.