The decision made on the 13th December 2023 to appoint V/S/E Balogun as the Head of South Africa against the substantive Head of South Africa in the person of V/S/E Ogunsola in Mandela County has resulted in legal action. Both parties have instructed their lawyers to provide legal action to interpret Pastor Rev EMF Oshoffa’s decision regarding his authority to act in accordance with South African laws.
Similar to the situation where the Pastor was advised to dissolve a registered Board of Trustees under Nigerian law, the same action was taken in South Africa as the Pastor was also advised to remove an individual (V/S/E Ogunsola) who registered the Church in South Africa, including the registration of the Church trademark. The South African Government required that the Church should be registered before operating in the country. V/S/E Ogunsola brought Celestial Church of Christ to South Africa in 1994 during the apartheid era with the endorsement of Late Pastor A.A Bada. Pastor Bada instructed V/S/E Ogunsola to comply with South African laws, as Nigerian laws do not extend to other countries.
Late Rev Bada and the registered Board of Trustees allowed V/S/E Ogunsola to register the Church under his name and address, after the South African Government insisted on the presence of Pastor Founder Rev SBJ Oshoffa, whom God used for the creating of the Church. The Government refused to issue license to a deceased individual. After careful consideration of the Government’s requirements, Pastor Rev AA Bada agreed to have V/S/E Ogunsola register the Church with his name, while maintaining close collaboration with the church authorities in Nigeria.
This incident regarding the South Africa issue is not the first time an error has occurred within the church. In 2010, Pastor Rev EMF Oshoffa made a decision to remove V/S/E Ogunsola and replace him with V/S/E Samson Sangojimi. However, M/S/E Banjo, M/S/E Nunayon and others brought to the Pastor’s attention the instructions laid down by the Church’s Founder, Rev Prophet SBJ Oshoffa which emphasized the importance of abiding by the laws and guidelines of each respective country in order for the Church to operate freely. These Elders advised that V/S/E Ogunsola should be consulted in all decisions regarding the Church in South Africa, as he was the one who registered the Church.
Upon receiving this counsel, Pastor Rev EMF Oshoffa reversed his decision and peace was restored. Unfortunately, V/S/E Balogun was aware of the situation during the V/S/E Samson Sangojimi saga, as he had established his Parish in Pretoria amidst the unrest. Instead of maintaining the status quo for the sake of unity and love, some certain individuals within the authority pushed their agenda onto the Pastor, leading to actions that went against the laws of the South African Government by removing an individual who had registered the Church without proper notification. V/S/E Ogunsola only learned of his removal through social media.
In order to avoid potential legal repercussions from the South African Government and V/S/E Ogunsola for his unauthorized occupation of office, V/S/E Balogun changed his title from Head of South Africa Diocese to South Africa Region. He also instructed his lawyer to pursue legal action for defamation of character and requested the substantive HOD under South African laws to vacate his position.
In response, V/S/E Ogunsola’s legal team refuted V/S/E Balogun’s claims, arguing that the majority of the allegations against him which were brought to the Pastor knowledge were fact with evidence proof. They also asserted that V/S/E Balogun had no right to parade himself as the Head of the Church in South Africa.
