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Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo completes N5.4 billion Prayer City in UK

Stylish pastor, Matthew Ashimolowo is enjoying good success amidst controversies. ENCOMIUM Weekly reliably gathered that the billionaire clergy presently runs one of the biggest auditoriums in the United Kingdom. This is not unconnected to the fact that he has built a multi-billion naira auditorium he began in 2012 inside a 24-acre facility at Buckmore Park, Chatham, Kent. We reliably gathered that the property which he acquired for a whooping N1.25 billion in 2012 is now the new headquarters of the ministry.

According to the ministry, “In 2012, after many months of negotiations, we successfully acquired a 24 acre facility with 12 large buildings and two foundations at Buckmore Park, Chatham, Kent, to house the new headquarters church and offices. All these were acquired for £5m debt-free! Thanks to the generosity of our members and friends of KICC.

“Buckmore Park in Chatham, Kent, is approximately 30 miles from our Walthamstow Church and was formerly owned by the Maidstone Scout Brigade. The 24 acre site, with its12 buildings enables us to enjoy much more than we had at Waterden Road. This is an answer to our prayers and we have called it Prayer City.

“We are now entering a new chapter in our history. We have just moved in to Prayer City, our new permanent home and we trust God to do greater things.”

Information available to us revealed that the whole project cost about £20 million (N5.4 billion).

Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) is based in London, England, and was established in 1992 with 200 adults and 100 children. It currently has up to 12,000 in attendance at the main church every Sunday. The church is pastored by Matthew Ashimolowo.

The church, with majority of its member under 50, is predominantly of West African origin but claims that worshippers come from 46 nations domiciled for nine years on a 9.5-acre (38,000 m2) site in Hackney, London, close to the site of the 2012 Olympics Village.

KICC had to vacate the site by November 2006 in order to make way for proposed development for the 2012 London Olympics, but did so only in late 2007. The last programme held at the old Hackney site was IGOC 2007, with many international guest speakers. The church relocated to Hoe Street, Walthamstow, awaiting planning consent and the development of a large new site in Rainham, near the A13. However, the government was reluctant to give the required development planning consent. Eventually, the church purchased and moved into its present huge site, Prayer City in Chatham, Kent, while retaining use of the Walthamstow site.

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CHARITY COMMISSION ENQUIRIES

Irregularities in the operation of the charity behind Kingsway International Christian Centre (The King’s Ministries Trust) has led to it being investigated by the Charity Commission on two occasions.

The first investigation started in 2002 and reported in October 2005. This report concluded that there had been serious misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity.

At an early stage in the investigation, it was considered that the charity’s assets were at risk, and control was removed from the existing trustees and placed in the hands of an independent external company (the accountancy and management consultancy practice KPMG), which regularised the charity’s affairs. The Charity Commission reported that Senior Pastor, Matthew Ashimolowo acted as both a trustee and a paid employee of the charity, in contravention of charity law. He had been responsible for approving payments and benefits to himself and his wife, Yemisi, totalling more than £384,000 (N103.6 million). Benefits received included free accommodation for himself and family, an £80,000 (N21.6 million) car, purchase of a timeshare in Florida for £13,000 (N3.5 million) using a charity credit card, and over half a million pounds paid out to Ashimolowo’s private companies, which were operated from church property and had unclear business relationships with the charity. £120,000 (N32.4 million) was spent celebrating Ashimolowo’s birthday. He repaid £200,000 (N54 million) to the charity.

A second statutory investigation into misapplication of funds was reported to have started in February 2011. The charity had received £10m (N2.7 billion) from the London Development Agency for the compulsory purchase of its property in Hackney wanted for the 2012 Olympics. Subsequently the Commission enquired into £5m (N1.35 billion) given for investment to a former trustee, the former professional footballer, Richard Rufus in 2009/10 and 2010/11. Although the trust reported returns from the investment of £1,336,720 (N360 million) in its accounts, the Commission’s appointed accountant says that there is doubt about whether the charity would get the original £5m (N135 billion) back. The Trust has been told it must obtain written permission from the Charity Commission before making any more investments.

The cost of the Charity Commission’s running of the first investigation was questioned in the House of Lords by Lord Swinfen during a review of charity law. The three-year long investigation had cost £1.2 million (N324 million), chargeable to the charity.

-FEMI OYEWALE

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