FOUNDER of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry, Chris Okafor, a pastor, has publicly apologised on Sunday, December 27, after weeks of controversy involving actress Doris Ogala.
He knelt before his congregation and admitted to past mistakes while disputing key allegations against him.
A video of the apology, later shared on Ogala’s Instagram page, showed the cleric asking for forgiveness and saying he was willing to make restitution to anyone he had offended.
However, Okafor maintained that several claims made against him were untrue.
“To the lady called Doris Ogala. Listen, we’re not joining issues. Mistakes have been made in the past, and I tender an apology to everybody, but not everything that was said is true. Take note, everything that was said isn’t true. There are so many lies in most of the things that were said. For now, I apologise to everyone who was offended. To Doris Ogala, I’m sorry. I apologise to everyone.
“Once again, I’m ready to make restitution to anyone. To any lady, anywhere, that I have offended, I’m sorry. I’m not perfect, I’ve never been perfect, but I can tell you, I’ve had a new beginning since the arrival of this father of faith in my life. I’m kneeling before everybody and before the church, asking you to forgive me. You can judge me. Pray for me,” he said.
The apology came amid public debate following Okafor’s recent marriage to his wife, Pearl, and the arrest of Ogala in connection with allegations of blackmail, which further fuelled the dispute. She was arrested after accusing the pastor of destroying her life following the sudden end of their nine-year relationship, alleging that he failed to honour a promise to marry her.
Following her release the actress alleged that after her arrest in Abuja, she was held in isolation and, upon being transferred to Lagos, was denied access to her relatives, legal counsel, and mobile phones for several days.
Reacting to the apology, Ogala said she accepted it but rejected Okafor’s assertion that her allegations were false.
“Pastor Chris, please don’t kneel. This was all I wanted. Apology accepted. Chris Okafor, I forgive you, but there’s a problem.
“Where you said everything is a lie. I have a problem with that because I don’t lie”, she wrote.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M