Living Faith Church Worldwide President Bishop David Oyedepo has dismissed comments against his opposition to the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
He spoke on Tuesday at a prayer meeting held at the Faith Terbanacle, headquarters of his church at Ota, Ogun State.
He said: “Anybody insulting me is wasting his mouth. One I did not hear, two, even if l hear, it will not pain me. Anyone praising me is just expressing his opinion, and even if l hear, it will not blow my head. If you praise anything in me it is Jesus, it is not me, the greater one in me is the one you are praising. You think I am the one, no I am not.
“If I preach a message and you don’t laugh, please do listen because since the 70s when I started preaching, l laugh even when they insult me, l laugh.
“When they say, I am short, l laugh, when they say see his legs, nose, or see his mouth, l laugh.”
He urged ministers of the gospel to serve God cheerfully.
On Monday, a personal Assistant to the President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, cautioned the cleric on his criticism of the CAMA.
The Federal Government seeks to regulate financial activities of local churches through CAMA.
Ms. Onochie, in two tweets on her verified Twitter handle, faulted Oyedepo’s criticism since the same Winners’ Chapel International had been complying with a similar law in the United Kingdom (UK).
Ms. Onochie said the laws of Nigeria are binding on all who choose to live in the country.
Onochie said: “I hope this is not true. If it is, Oyedepo will have to manufacture his own country and live by his own laws.
As long as he lives and operates within the entity called Nigeria, he will live by Nigerian rules and laws. He will do as he’s told by the law. Enough of…lawlessness.”
She said Winners’ Chapel in the UK had been abiding with a similar law in the country.
Ms. Onochie said: “Oyedepo’s church is regulated in the UK by the govt’s charity commission. But he promotes lawlessness by bullying the Nigerian government.
“Oyedepo’s church is regulated in the UK by the govt’s (government’s) Charity Commission. But he promotes lawlessness by bullying the Nigerian government.
“World mission agency – Winners Chapel International, income – £10.2m, spending – £7.7m, Charity No.- 1134421, Company No. – 06994834.”