From Yakubu Busari,Jos
Members of the the Regional Church Council, RCC, a branch of the Church Of Christ In Nations, COCIN, in Karu, Abuja, have passed a vote of no confidence on the President of Church of Christ in Nations ,COCIN ,Rev Dr Dachollom Datiri for allegedly taking sides with a party to a conflict in the branch of the church in Karu in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He was accused of not consulting with the leadership of the Church and their pastor, Rev Elisha Murren,who was recently reinstatement in office.
The Regional Church Council ,RCC, Karu in Abuja ,Federal Capital Territory has been rocked by crises following allegation of corruption against Rev Murren. Tempers roes and boiled over on Sunday when members who accused him of corruption in the administration of the branch pressed home their point by exchanging blows with his supporters. This action made the Church elders to close church services and suspend activities of the branch indefinitely.
The crisis has deepened the bad blood between the RCC branch Chairman, Rev Elisha Murren, former Secretary of the church, Rev Nankat Miri Jangyil , and Rev Dakom, who has now been transferred outside the branch.
Trouble started when the Church headquarters had earlier suspended Rev Murren from office over alleged financial embezzlement levelled against him by some members.
Its was gathered that the Murren was accused by the RCC members of siphoning their money meant for the development of the church structure.
To perfect the alleged embezzlement, Murren had suspended former secretary, Rev Nankat Miri Jangyil, for refusing to support the plan to demolish an existing pastoral building and rebuild another one in its place with money sourced from contribution by members.
This medium gathered that Rev Elisha Murren allegedly conspired with some of the elders to suspend Rev Nankat Miri, the church secretary who had queried the impropriety of goings on within the church, and then organized for the demolition of the church building with the intention to rebuild it and in the course of rebuilding pocket some of the money generated from the members .
The conspiracy led the members to petition COCIN headquarters in Jos, alleging financial embezzlement running into millions of naira on the part of RCC chairman, Murren. Dakom, the Rev in charged of the branch disagreed with the Rev Elisha’s Murren over his plan to oust Rev Miri because the plot did not go down well with some of the elders of the church .
Our correspondent gathered that officials at COCIN headquarters after seating over the complaint decided to suspend Murren and recall Miri from suspension,
According to an official at the Jos headquarters of the Church, the leaders expressed regret that Murren did not consult with the headquarters and had no concrete arrangement with the members before taking such a decision involving misappropriation of church fund.
But news of Murren’s reinstatement sparked off serious crises leading to the Sunday exchange of blows and the subsequent sealing of the church service as tension continue to rise among members .
A member of the RCC Karu ,Hon ,Dr Ponfa Audu, expressed sadness that “the conflict involving members of one family which should have being settled amicably within the church leadership has been allowed to escalate and promote differences”,
He said he got the details from members on what really transpires and blamed both sides for “acting childish when the whole exercise involved one family” .
Dr Ponfa Audu blamed all the church members for been too quick in taking decision when they should have resolved the lingering conflict. He urged the church members and elders to learn to imbibe the culture of tolerance and forgiveness in their daily conduct.
