Shun Oppressive Postures In Leadership

National president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Oke, has warned Christian leaders in the country against oppressive leadership styles.

Oke stated this while inaugurating the Abia State chapter of the PFN in Umuahia, the state capital, stressing that leaders must prioritise the needs of the people.

Represented by the chairman of the National Inauguration Committee of the PFN, Archbishop Joseph Ojo, Bishop Oke urged the new officials to work according to the faith and the objectives of the PFN

He also charged them to deliberately support younger ministers, describing leadership as a ladder that enables people to climb up rather than a position to be guarded.

In an address, the deputy governor of the state, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu, described the occasion as a moment of accountability and responsibility rather than celebration

Represented by his director of protocol, Elder Godwin Onwueyi, Emetu congratulated the officials and assured them of government’s support, urging them to see leadership as service.

In his inaugural address titled, “A Paradigm Shift”, the new chairman of the chapter, Bishop Ugochukwu Newlife, said his administration would operate on the principle of collective responsibility.

He thanked the outgoing executive committee for strengthening and leaving the chapter debt-free, announcing that the administration had paid the PFN national dues for 2026 in advance.

In his valedictory address, the outgoing chairman of the chapter, Archbishop Chikezie Elekwa, said the early stages of his nine-year leadership were marked by challenges which were later overcome.

He expressed confidence in Newlife, describing him as a humble, transparent and committed leader, and pledged his continued support for the progress of the chapter.

‎‎Speaking before dissolving the former executive committee, Bishop Maxwell Korie thanked the officials and lauded the relationship between the chapter and the national leadership of the PFN.