Nigerian pastor Chris Ojigbani Sunday blamed the press for the low turnout of Kenyans at his crusade accusing them of misreporting his previous find-a-husband day of prayer which took place at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre last year.
The pastor who promised to find husbands for all was a dejected man when Nairobi’s single women showed up in hundreds, and not the thousands he expected for his crusade.
His aides and security guards barred Kenyan journalists from attending the sessions at KICC’s main auditorium, reportedly on the pastor’s order.
“We are in charge of this conference and we will do what we have been instructed to do. We will not allow the press to capture this event,” anaide told journalists.
He also attributed the low turn out at the conference to the fact that it was not as heavily advertised as the previous ones.
Pastor Ojigbani himself emphasised that journalists were unwelcome at the event by declaring they were causing a distraction at the function.
Unlike in the past when the event was solely organised for single women desperately searching for husbands, this time round, the conference whose theme was ‘the hidden truth of marriage’ was open to married couples.
All those arriving for the event were asked to write down their names, mobile numbers and their marital statuses.
“Why would the media be interested in anything to do with religion? In Nigeria, no one cares about what a pastor has done or not done. We have not paid you to give us coverage. But if it is for your own good, you have to pay ten thousand shillings” the pastor’s aide said.
After the pastor preached he asked those who received miracles of getting spouses and children and those whose marriages have improved since the last time he was in Kenya.
He also played clips of women in other countries who testified that they had received miracles after prayers from the pastor.
Pastor Chris Ojigbani came to Kenya in September 2010, when he was commonly known as the ‘Apostle of marriage’. Thousands of women flocked the KICC to get a glimpse of the pastor. Some of course wanted a taste of the promised blessings; ‘marriage proposal after proposal’
One year later, he was back, with a message to the singles. He had the ‘right knowledge for singles’. This was the year as he says, that the Kenyan media attacked him with the ‘wrong publicity’
In a flyer that was handed to the attendees of the conference, Pastor Ojigbani says; ‘God commissioned me to liberate marriages through the preaching of the word’
His ministry, he says, is not a church, but a non denominational ministry that has transformed millions of lives.
A few people we interviewed said they attended the seminar because they needed to have tips o how to improve their marriages.
“I have never attended his seminars but I want to know the secrets of happy marriages” Grace Wangoi, an attendee said on Saturday,
Another woman, who testified before the congregation said, “I came for the marriage seminar in 2011when I had had three miscarriages and the man I was dating had left me. After the seminar, I got a man who gave me this child who is about a year now. The man has left again me and I am here for another miracle. I hope I will get another man” She said, sending the congregation to laughter.
