As with a similar response from the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference, Insight publishes the following response from the bishop's assistant in the Northern Nigeria Conference. We are unable to publish photographs accompanying text because of a lack of clarity. The original letter to the Council of Bishops and responses from the bishop's assistants in the Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria conferences can be found in this Google Drive folder.
Regarding Open Letter to the United Methodist Bishops from Clergy and Laity In Nigeria Written By Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel and His Group
Dear Bishops,
May the grace and peace of God be with you.
It is unfortunate and disheartening to always see Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel discussing church issues on the social media which to us as a church we prefer to be mute but the deed has been done and need to be clarified hence the reason for this rejoinder.
Rev. Ande and his group wrote an open letter where he listed some names claiming to be delegates in Nigeria Episcopal Area.
We want to emphatically state that majority of these names mentioned in the purported open letter are fake, repeated and are not delegates to the annual conferences in Nigeria rather they are members of his group who broke away. E.g numbers repeated are 11/107, 7/106, 12/110, and 16 not a clergy. 342-359 are not delegates. This is to tell you that this is a fake document.
We are amazed with Rev. Ande’s unwanted behaviour as a propel Bishop who want to be in power by all means where presently he has photocopied the statement of the African Bishops, that Bishop Yohanna is removed and the Council will bring an interim Bishop. He is circulating the statement that see the name of Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna not in the list of African Bishop. Rev. Ande is working with some leaders to remove Bishop Yohanna. See attached statement of African Bishop and wax magazine where Rev. Ande is running for the position of Bishop (Exhibit 1A).
The clergies he is talking about that were due for ordination disconnected themselves from the United Methodist Church and the Board of Ordained Ministry. It is the Board of Ordained Ministry of each of the Conferences that are responsible for presenting their names for ordination to Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna.
The issue of date of Annual Conference has been communicated to all the District Superintendents and the District Superintendents also communicated same to other Pastors and delegates. How will they know the date since they have disconnected themselves from the United Methodist Church?
He also said Bishop Johnwesley continued to cause damage to United Methodist Church in Nigeria, how? Rev. Ande and his group were the ones causing damage and distracting the peace we used to enjoy in the church.
In one of the church services on 4th July, 2022 the same group stabbed two members during church service.
They told members not to pay CONEFA (Budget), Special Sundays and apportionment. Suffice it to say that in the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel, Rev. Eli S. Yaku and others withheld nearly N6, 957,600 being apportionment of 2021. They are still in possession of these money till date.
Equally, in 2021 they withheld N2,533,200 (Two Million, Five hundred and thirty three thousand, two hundred Naira) being budget (CONEFA) collected from various charges but did not remit to the conference.
The group withheld special Sundays to the tune of N1,449,000 (One Million, Four hundred and forty-nine thousand) also. This is only for the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference.
He said they formed the majority which is a blatant lie. How can 2% members in Nigeria forms the majority, it’s a lie.
Majority of the members are in support of Bishop Yohanna’s leadership. Rev. Ande has been doing all these because he has been relieved as bishop’s secretary. Bishop He is a man of integrity that always stand by the truth and nothing but the truth.
On the issue of selling of landed property at Shagari quarters the Bishop is not aware of this, the Board of trustees are responsible. The same Rev. Ande Emmanuel defended the aircraft issue in one of the Nigerian magazines.
Rev. Ande and his group are into character assassination. How can they said Global Methodist Church worship service has started in Nigeria. Can he show us one sign post for Global Methodist Church in Nigeria? Can he show us programs of events that is showing Global Methodist Church? He said they are using the United Methodist facilities for Global Methodist Church service without following the procedures of disaffiliation and again said they are worshipping at Government Secondary School Bambur and Kwanchi Community Secondary School? Which facilities is he talking about in this matter? What did you expect from an obedient and a peaceful member who don’t want to fight? We have discovered Rev. Ande Emmanuel want a blood bath in Nigeria, when we noticed this from his actions how he has been instigating members to his group to take arms against their brothers we asked our members to stay away, be peaceful and avoid fighting. They said they cannot be obedient to the leadership of the United Methodist Church because he was relieved as Secretary to the Bishop.
Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna still remains committed to the United Methodist Church until incompatible language is removed otherwise he remain united Methodist. The link they pasted indicated 8 Bishops join in planning new denomination what does that mean? Can they frankly and truly say that Bishop Yohanna has exited the United Methodist Church? They should fear God in their dealings and stop lying
We want to draw the attention of the Council of Bishop and the general public to disregard all the misleading information from Rev. Ande his group.
We have also noticed with great dismay some members and leaders in the United Methodist Church are against Bishop Yohanna because of his ideology of being a traditionalist where he supports the African Initiative and Wesleyan Covenant Association that defended the Biblical principles. In the United Methodist Church, we have different groups to include progressives, centrist, traditionalist, Africa Initiative, Africa voice of Unity and Wesleyan Covenant Association. How many leaders that are progressives? How many leaders that are Centrist? How Many leaders that are Traditionalist? What is the position of the Book of Discipline on the leaders that aligned themselves with these groups.
On their demand for an Interim Bishop, there is no need of any Interim Bishop in Nigeria Episcopal Area. Bishop Johnwesley is doing very well and just last week Bishop Yohanna commissioned Accident and Emergency/VIP unit of the United Methodist Church Hospital in Jalingo despite all these distractions.
Finally, we will continue to pursue peace and pray for peace in the United Methodist Church in Nigeria and the entire globe.
Thank you and remain blessed.
Rev. Yunusa Z. Usman
Conference Administrative Assistant to the Bishop North-East Nigeria Annual Conference