BSC in Law: The apology Paul Enenche did not make to Anyim Vera

Within Nigeria Apr 19, 2024

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For Nigerians, social media has become an open prison. Inmates of the aforementioned open prison are the strong and powerful, including celebrities, who can easily slip through the cracks in the Nigerian legal system. If you are a celebrity or member of the elite and you do something that defies reason, morality, the law, or logic, and you manage to get away from the system (judges), you will not be able to avoid Nigerians on social media. You will be condemned and sentenced to open prison by constant attacks, which could result in psychological agony.

Many Nigerians no longer have faith in the Nigerian legal system. Instead of going to court, any Nigerian who feels oppressed or deceived would rather record the incident on social media, where other users would be able to drag the offending party or cheater to heel. Social media provides justice for oppressed and defenseless people. The number of strong, influential Nigerians who have moral failings and have been brought low by social media is too great for me to tally. I completely agree that social media may be toxic, nasty, and too demanding, but we also can’t ignore the reality that it has turned into an open prison that celebrities and the wealthy fear more than the legal system.

I got a video on Monday morning from one of my pals. The fact that he omitted captions made me even more excited to download and view the said video. When I clicked on it, I saw that it was a video of a woman testifying at Dunamis Church about her attempt to get a B.Sc. in law (degree) from the National Open University (NOUN), which is now trending. I thanked my friend without letting him know that I had seen the aforementioned video. The woman was severely reprimanded and criticized by Dunamis Church owner Paul Enenche like a secondary student who did not pass WAEC. He accused her of lying on his altar and further affirmed that there’s no BSC in law but LLB or BL. He further undermined the law graduate’s self-worth by using her as a case study of those who come to his altar to tell lies in order to pressure others into accepting their testimony.

The aforementioned video did not meet Nigerians well. They chastised Pastor Enenche for making the accusation against the woman, who subsequently proved to be a law graduate at the Abuja Study Center of the National Open University. Furthermore, other Nigerians contended that because the woman’s English was not perfect or fluent, the pastor was obviously incorrect to condemn, reject, and shame her so fast.

Enenche was correct to point out that her English was not perfect, but this just serves to highlight the pastor’s preoccupation with fluency and perfection rather than credentials. It just implies that it would be simpler for someone with perfect English to pretend to be a law graduate and be welcomed by Pastor Paul Enenche. The “gods of men” that rule Pentecostal churches are like that. They are discerning and consider their own level of value and worth to be the highest of all time. Paul Enenche says you’re a law graduate if you can speak English perfectly, even if you’re a graduate of French.

At the moment of the woman’s mockery, harassment, and scorn at Paul Enenche’s altar, God was not resting. Luckily, she still has the photo she snapped at convocation, and the school administration even published her name on the list. That protected her from the anger of Nigerians, but it did not protect her spiritual father from public mockery. On social media, they ripped him to pieces. In addition to forgiving the woman for her poor English, they also shared a screenshot indicating that NOUN, or National Open University, is a university that grants legal students a Bachelor of Science degree before it is later changed. They dragged Paul Enenche, the owner of Dunamis Church, until they became so irate that they had to make a statement. Social media is a humbling tool.This woman worked for ten years to fulfill her longtime ambition. She is her family’s first degree holder. For a young adult who finished so late by Nigerian standards, she was ecstatic and proud of her accomplishment. She was aware that there were people who took away her joy, but she had faith in the church and her spiritual guide to keep her joy intact. She lost her joy because of the church. She became the target of mockery as Paul Enenche turned her charming moments into moments of ridicule. Although I don’t know her, I hope she finds somewhere to boost her confidence and self-worth.

It was incorrect of the woman to dash to the church in order to hold onto her happiness and give her law school graduation testimony. Her biggest mistake was thinking that the church was only for the underprivileged and that the church would be much affected by her testimony. I respectfully request that she padlock the chamber where these kinds of notions seep out. Her story about becoming a law graduate after ten years would not be of interest to anyone in a church full of wealthy and well-off people. It’s not like you’re wealthy. You are not a member of the colony of tithe-paying people. You’re not giving a testimonial about how God blessed you with a billion dollars and that you want to give N50 million to God’s ministry.

You’re not announcing scholarship offers for members to be monitored by church administration, or donating speakers worth millions of naira. By telling the guys in the church who are wealthy, powerful, and well-connected that they need to waste their time praising God for having graduated you after ten years, you are upsetting a place where duly recognized members sit in the front rows. You immediately shoot yourself in the foot by saying that the wealthy are not accustomed to BSc in law. It is Pastor Paul Enenche’s right to keep his altar safe. He has the right to maintain the high standards of his altar against the underprivileged and those who have experienced hardship and find small solace. The pastor, Paul Enenche, who speaks for the group of rich and giving, responded to this woman’s boldness with even more intensity.

Pastor Paul Enenche would never have responded this way if the person sharing her tale had been a politician, affluent churchgoer, or a significant church supporter who was unable to speak English fluently. If any modifications were necessary, they would be made simply, completely humble, and with the highest respect. This demonstrates even further how the church respects the contributions of the wealthy, strong, and powerful while promising celestial benefits to the impoverished who perform church-related tasks.

To be really honest, I don’t hold Pastor Paul Enenche responsible. You are unable to give up what you lack. The first time I saw Paul Enenche as a preacher was when he was spotted praying for a traditional monarch who was kneeling down for him with a cultural crown on his head. The second time I learned about him, it was when he stood up for Bishop Oyedepo against the criticism of Pastor Tunde Bakare regarding his private aircraft. He concluded his defensive remarks with so that nobody will feel bad, we had to put our luggage in the other ones (jets). Our cameramen, media people, protocol officers, and even ushers entered the jet. Those who are talking anyhow are yet to see anything; you can’t serve God and still beg.” Can such a spiritual father be moved by the testimony of a struggling woman who finally graduated as a law student after 10 years? It is not possible.

The way we view and handle these pastors is where the bigger mistake is. We gave them preferential treatment and transformed them into “gods dressed like men,” with powerful, affluent men serving as their heavenly partners and advisors. We should be worshiping God, but instead we are focusing more on men in religious garb. This is a sad state of affairs. We even look to them for approval. Why is Vera unable to remain at home and tell his story to friends and family? If they were unhappy with it, at least they wouldn’t be so bold as to make fun of her in public. Seeking validation about God’s blessings from the church that is not interested in your growth is wrong.

It’s crucial to remember that Paul Enenche, the proprietor of Dunamis Church, has responded to the occurrence. I felt horrible when I read the statement since it was so full of ego. The owner and the church are still unaware of the audacity of what they have done. The relationship between the master and the slave did not assist either. Why should a master give his slave an apology? A straightforward letter of apology that would have further helped the church’s reputation would have been preferable to an unneeded explanation that would have further damaged the church’s reputation.

In addition to helping the woman regain her lost sense of self-worth, saying “Dear Vera, we are sorry and we apologize for calling you a liar” would have further enhanced the church’s reputation as a place where all souls are respected. I’ve read the declaration. Do read it if you haven’t already. Pastors in Nigeria are haughty and arrogant. They always want others to think of them as impervious to error. They want people to think of them as someone who is incapable of saying sorry for anything. God and they are both divine. They’ve lost sight of the fact that they are only messengers. They must understand that they are not God. They are not Jesus Christ, for He died to atone for sins of his people.

I also concur with some who say that if the pastor hadn’t suppressed the woman’s testimony, Nigerians would have laughed at the church. It is true, of course. However, Pastor Paul Enenche’s response to the alleged inaccuracy in the testimony and his manner of doing so are not in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ, the supreme authority among Christians. Jesus Christ showed respect for everyone. He showed respect to the woman whose menstruation was flowing. He showed respect to the woman who was being accused of infidelity. He was a sinner, but he did not cast her to the wolves. He didn’t leave her to appease people’s egos or make it possible for wealthy Pharisees to love him. If Paul Enenche and others can’t be Jesus Christ, at least they should become a very low budget of his personality and other good messengers of God.

Overall, Vera’s story illustrates what happens to those who are weak, deserving of tiny favors from the church, and who look to them for happiness and approval. It illustrates the master-slave dynamics that exist between some religious leaders and their followers, particularly with the impoverished who have nothing more to give the church but labor.

We are grateful for social media. Because morally upright and uncorruptible social media judges would not have seen the horrific event, Vera would have totally lost her confidence and Paul Enenche would have kept up his actions. For Vera, everyone wins. A triumph for the underprivileged and defenseless who toil diligently for the church but do not merit their regard. A triumph for individuals who go church to celebrate their small victories but instead experience harassment and molestation.

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