Apostle Johnson Suleman
By Our Reporter
The General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has come under severe attack by social media influencers for boasting about purchasing his third private jet during the COVID-19 pandemic and adding that the pandemic should continue to ravage the world..
According to a trending video seen penultimate Wednesday, Suleman was heard saying he already had two jets but purchased a third one while people were busy complaining about the pandemic.
The cleric further stated in the video that he was praying for the pandemic not to end because he was prospering and resting.
He said, “In COVID, I bought a jet. The third one. I have three. I was praying for COVID not to end because I was resting. While people were complaining, my wife asked, ‘Can life be this sweet?’. Am I talking to somebody here?.
“No stress. I read on the net that there’s a rumour going around that I have a machine that prints money. I like that rumour. They say, ‘He should be investigated. He has a machine that prints money.
“Somebody asked if it’s true and I said it is true. They said, ‘It’s risky o’. I said I didn’t know it’s risky because I already bought the machine. When you speak in tongues, you’re printing money.”
But in a swift reaction to criticisms from Nigerians who expressed their displeasure on social media platforms, Apostle Suleman said his statement that COVID-19 should not end because he was prospering was a mistake that slipped out of his mouth.
Addressing the backlash that trailed the statement, the clergyman said the video was edited by a fellow pastor who posted it against him while delivering a sermon to a congregation.
“There’s a video that is trending about me. A pastor posted it against me. It was a programme I had in Abuja and I was trying to explain something about COVID-19. When they told me that I prayed for COVID-19 not to end, I said, ‘me? I didn’t say that.’
“When they brought the video, I discovered it slipped out of my mouth. There’s no pastor that will pray for Covid not to end. It doesn’t make sense.
“I was talking about what happens around Covid, how families were staying together, how families united, how some people even made money during that process. That was what I was trying to buttress and it slipped out of my mouth. I could not have prayed for Covid not to end; no pastor would do that. But he (the pastor) took that mistake, edited some part and blew it,” he said.
Apostle Suleman went on to react to the displeasure that followed his claim of having three private jets.
“If you are angry, I mentioned three jets; you go just die. That’s the truth,” he said.
He said when he built schools, prison, a federal road, provided transformers and placed some church members on salaries; no one talked about it.
“Then you are angry; I mentioned jets; you never vex. If you cannot commend me, then you cannot condemn me.
“That of Covid, I regretted the way it came out… Not that we were happy that people are dying. That is insensitive.”
Speaking further on his jets, he said, “God will only be angry with me if I take offering and tithe to buy a plane. But if I have avenues of God blessing me, what’s your business? Is your money missing?”
