General News of Sunday, 19 August 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2018-08-19
Mensa Otabil is Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church
Head Pastor of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) has offered a terse, albeit biblical ‘explanation’ for the collapse of Capital Bank.
In what was his first official verbal pronouncement on the matter, after weeks of controversy, Pastor Mensa Otabil told members of his church, Sunday, “God is good.”
Even though he did not go into the details of the controversy and his role in the collapse of the Bank, the founder of the ICGC told his members he owed them an explanation but that can best be summed up in the goodness of God.
Dr Otabil has been the subject of vehement criticism over the last few weeks over the collapse of Capital Bank, the bank he led as Board chair.
The license of the company together with that of UT Bank was withdrawn by the Bank of Ghana and the assets handed over to GCB Bank.
However a financial autopsy report- Boulders Report- leaked to the media last two weeks and which contained alleged roles of the directors of the collapsed Banks triggered another bout of criticism against the directors especially the Board chair of Capital Bank.
Dr Otabil last week released a statement clarifying his position in the collapse of Bank saying;
“1. I have observed with concern, the ongoing media discussions regarding developments in the Banking Sector and my role either directly or indirectly.
“2. I accepted to be Board Chairman of Capital Bank in a bid to help strengthen a promising Ghanaian enterprise that had potential but also challenges. I was excited about the prospects of a young man from a disadvantaged background who was daring to create opportunities and employment.
“3. My position was a non-executive role. I was therefore not involved in the day-to-day management and operations of the Bank.
“4. In the course of time, some decisions made turned out well while some did not turn out as well as had been anticipated. As far as I can tell, everything was done with the best of intentions and the interest of various stakeholders in mind.
“5. My foremost concern, as has been the case over the past year, is for the well-being of those who lost their jobs and those who may have been adversely affected in any way as a result of these developments. My heart goes out to them and to their dependents. I continue to pray for God’s guidance and sustenance as they navigate the course of their lives.”
But the statement did not end the barrage of criticism. If anything, it increased all the more with critics suggesting the man of God was trying to absolve himself of blame and responsibility.
A legal practitioner Yonny Kulendi on Newsfile, Saturday defended the content of statement saying it was a “statement of fact and a statement of law.”
A day after, Pastor Otabil offered an explanation to his church members in the following words.
“I felt that as your pastor I owe you an explanation to come to church and to make a statement on what my views are so that when you go out and people come up with information you will have a response to give to them. So this morning I came to make a response and there are three statements I will make in regard to the response I want to give and which I expect you to carry along to explain.
“My first statement is that God is good. My second statement is that God is good and my third statement is God is good.”
He however charged members to come to church to worship God and not man of God.