…Denies Deportation From Canada
President of the Harvest of Nations Ministry, Pastor Moses Kayode Adaramola, has distanced himself from allegations that he was deported from Canada due to the falsification of a report in his asylum application.
Adaramola, who is the Senior Pastor of Life Bible Church and the President of Harvest of Nations Ministry in Akure, the Ondo State capital, however, advised Nigerians travelling abroad for greener pastures to get proper documents and desist from falsification of records to get a visa or asylum.
The clergy condemned the use of his picture in the report, which does not carry his name as the pastor being deported, and attempted to bribe the Nigerian Police to avoid prosecution in a foreign country.
Adaramola expressed shock and embarrassment at the decision of some media platforms that used his picture to highlight the report, which has no connection with him.
He disclosed that several people had called him in respect of the report because it was his picture that was used in the report that went viral on social media over the weekend.
The cleric, who has the headquarters of his Church and Ministry in Akure, Ondo State capital, said he had never been to Canada and he could not be seeking asylum there.
He said he had been travelling to the United States of America (USA) for the past 15 years and never nursed the ambition of applying for citizenship in the country. He queried why he would want to run away from Nigeria at his old age.
He said the use of his picture in the dishonourable report coincided with his 70th birthday anniversary. Consequently, the cleric demanded the immediate removal of his photograph from all media platforms that used it.
He also demanded an apology from all the media platforms that used his picture in the report, and such an apology should be used on the same media platforms on three editions.
Speaking with journalists in Akure, Pastor Adaramola said: “Somebody called my attention to a report that they saw my picture and that they said that I was trying to bribe a Nigerian police officer so that I can be exempted from prosecution, that they have deported me from Canada.
“And they just told me the story as it is spreading on social media now. And people felt that, since they saw my picture, they put my picture there, but the body of the article does not mention my name.
“I’m not Lucky because they put one Lucky Bidemi in that article. I have not been to Canada before. I don’t even have a visa for Canada. Let alone being deported. And as a man of God, I am not even planning to relocate to any other country. At what age? I am 70. And it happens at the time I am celebrating my 70th birthday in Nigeria here. Not to talk of somebody who is seeking asylum in any country.
“Even in America, which I have been going to almost every day for the past 15 years, I have never sought any, I have never found any reason for me to even be a citizen of that place. If I had wanted to be a citizen of America, I would have applied, not even seeking asylum or telling lies that I needed to seek.
“For the news, reportedly painting me as somebody who has tried to fabricate lies so that they can grant me asylum, I think it is out of place.
So, I am also embarrassed to see my picture being used for such news. So that’s just what I discovered.”
Adaramola advised Nigerians aspiring to travel abroad not to falsify his or her documents to get a visa, saying most Nigerians who travelled abroad are suffering.
His words, “To those who are travelling abroad, I used to tell them that those who are ‘Japa’, it is not even the best. Even today when I was preaching, I still mentioned it in my sermon. I have been in these places, except Canada; I have been in the UK, and I see many of these people who are going there. Only a few people are, maybe have gone there to go and read, and later they begin to do very fine work. Many of them are suffering over there.
“So, my advice is that, as a man of God, I don’t believe in falsifying documents, telling a lot of lies, just because you want to go to another country.
“So my advice is that, if eventually you find a means of going, make sure that you don’t cut corners. Do it according to the law. Do it in the right way. So that’s my advice.
“I know that because of the present economic situation, which is not limited to Nigeria alone, it is the same all over. Only that we have our own special case. Everybody wants to just leave the country and go to another country. But if you want to go, don’t go in a dubious way. Make sure you don’t cut corners.
“Don’t go in a way that will make you tell lies and falsify documents and do a lot of things. It is not good. So that is my counsel for those who eventually want to make it to leave this country.”
