Archbishop-elect Emmah Gospel Isong is the National Publicity Secretary, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Founder, Christian Central Chapel International (CCCI) a.k.a Faith Mansion World Center, with headquarters in Ikot Ene-obong, 8miles Calabar. In this interview, Isong gave insight of happenings around the PFN under the leadership of its National President, Bishop Dr. Wale Oke, the giant strides recorded upon mounting the saddle as president of the Christian organization and other sundry issues. NSAN NDOMA-NEJI brings you excerpts of that interaction.
You have been working under the Bishop Dr. Wale Oke -led national exco of the PFN for three to four years, precisely February will make it four years. What is your take on the personality, integrity of the man Bishop Wale Oke ?
It has been a privilege working under him for more than three years now as you have said as the elected National Publicity Secretary of the PFN. Don’t forget, I had worked under other Presidents. I was chairman of Cross River State under Papa Ayo Oritsejafor. I was the National Publicity Secretary first term under Dr. Felix Omobude, and now I’m still the National Publicity Secretary second term, with Dr. Francis Wale Oke. My take is that, he is a father figure in Pentecostalism. Dr. Wale Oke is a distinguished gentleman, apart from being an erudite preacher; he is prolific, highly educated man of God. He is highly educated, getting to about fifty years in ministry, even before he became the national president of PFN.
Dr. Francis Wale Oke who is the Chancellor of his own University called The Corner Stone University, has been in the rank and file of the PFN. He has served at different levels in the state; he has also served as a Vice President, South West, a national deputy president and now serving as the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. He is a man of efficacy in prayer, a man of truth, integrity, and a man who calls a spade a spade. His Eminence is a round peg in a round hole and God has sent him to the Pentecostals, a more than fifty million Pentecostals, in a time like this. I say this with a clear conscience that never would we have had a better
leader than Dr. Francis Wale Oke. I find it as a pleasure to serve under this great leader.
How strong and supportive are the State Chapters of the PFN, are there issues on the Elections or Selections in any State Excos ?
Yes and no. No because the National President Dr. Wale Oke, has made sure that all state elections under his watch are conducted in such a constitutional and conducive atmosphere that will throw up at state levels leaders with capacity. For instance when in Lagos state, there was a breach of procedure, of course the National President by the advice of fathers of faith, cancelled that election. Infact incidentally, I was mandated as the national returning officer to re-conduct that election and it will interest you to know that all the stakeholders and members of the Lagos State Advisory Council (SAC) including the National Vice President were present in that election that was conducted by me, and it was not only very free and fair, but was under cameras, with strict constitutional compliance and the three candidates who contested for instance, congratulated themselves and embraced the winner Pastor Yemi Davis. That elections stands today as one of the best things that has happened to Lagos state. You know Lagos state is so central and important to our organisation, it carries the timbers and calibers of the PFN. So the right thing had to be done to the appreciation of all.
So you can see there are no “unsettled dust” in the Lagos State chapter. The Rivers state chapter recently not only conducted their elections, but we also got inaugurated and of course constitutional procedures were followed. Rivers state for instance with a 17 member attendance out of 25 member State Advisory Council produced a chairman (for a second term) in the person of Pastor Dagogo Jack who recently invited the National President with all the stakeholders in Port Harcourt to dedicate their state-of-the-art Secretariat.
We hereby congratulate him, also the Vice President of PFN (South South) the good people of Rivers State and the National President himself. In Cross River Sate and several other states in Nigeria we had also conducted free and fair elections where State Chairmen peacefully emerged. So under the watch of His Eminence Dr. Wale Oke, the states have been stronger, and elections better and fairer.
How would you assess the PFN unity and vision under the current leadership of Bishop Dr. Wale Oke ?
Let me assure you one more time that Bishop Dr Francis Wale Oke is not just a National President of PFN in a time like this, he is a father even to the staff working at the national headquarters office. He knows when they are sick, he cares and knows when some of them should take a leave and visits them when need be. He sometimes send the National Secretary Bishop Dr. Cosmas Ilechukwu to visit them and so even the members of our staff are in good
working conditions.
The mood of PFN Exco members are also that of unity, friendship, felicitations and congratulations. That notwithstanding, there may be a case of a national officer taking a bow out of personal reasons. Such cases also occurred in previous administrations and that does not by any way reflect rancor in the rank and file of our fellowship. Interestingly, we have no cracks in our walls. I repeat, the PFN under the watch of Dr. Francis Wale Oke has been stronger, richer, bigger, better. This administration is commencing the building of another National Headquarters in Abuja. The fellowship has acquired a strategic N25Om worth of Land (though this could by now exceed 300 Million Naira due to other expenditures like consultations, registrations etc).
Our teaming members are quite ready and ever willing to donate generously in support of this noble project primarily because of the high level of trust, integrity, transparency, honesty and financial prudency of the present Exco led by Dr. Wale Oke.
As a spokesperson and also as a major witness and stakeholder, I do solemnly confirm that we are in a good shape and that by the Grace of God, come February 2025 when we shall be having our Biennial Conference/Elections, all our esteemed members, fathers of faith and the National Advisory Council (NAC) shall be filled with thanksgiving to God Almighty on this great improvements and achievements. May I also use this opportunity to invite members of the public to my Elevation Service and 60th birthday 5-Star celebration scheduled for Saturday October 26th 2024, of course the celebration will start from the 20th. The National President president of PFN will be one of the officiating ministers. As they say, seeing is believing.