OVER 1,500 residents in the Osun State capital Oshogbo besieged the premises of the local branch of Winners Chapel in a desperate quest for food being distributed by the church's millionaire owner Bishop David Oyedepo.  

Civil servants in Osun State have not been paid for the last seven months and with falling government revenues due to dwindling oil prices, there appears little prospect of the state government clearing the arrears. Numerous bodies and well-meaning Nigerians have decided to come to the aid of the Osun civil servants, offering them food, money and packages of essential items to ameliorate their plight. 

Founded by Bishop Oyedepo, popularly known as Papa by his ardent followers, Winners Chapel is formally known as Living Faith Church International. Bishop Oyedepo is one of Nigeria's richest men and is estimated by Forbes Magazine to be worth $150m. 

Among other things, Bishop Oyedepo owns four private jets, is the owner one of the most expensive private universities in the country and his church headquarters has the biggest religious auditorium in the world with a seating capacity in excess of 50,000. He decided to also join those offering to ease the plight of the Osun State civil servants, giving out food parcels at the church's premises situated along Ring Road in Oshogbo. 

Parking lots at the church were taken over by civil servants, pensioners and other categories of individuals who had heard about the planned food distribution. Some Muslims women in veil and hijab were also sighted among the crowd, queuing for distribution of rice and groundnut oil by church officials of the church. 

Pastor Emmanuel Olumiyiwa, the Osun State leader of Winners' Chapel, maintained that that the church had been blessed to be a blessing the poor and the needy irrespective of their religion. He added: "That is the reason the church has been given to welfarism by distributing food items. 

"We also distributed foodstuff last month. God does not bless people so that they can be a container, He blesses people so that they can bless others. Rather than acquisition of wealth, we should cultivate the habit of giving to those around us, and in return we would receive more blessings from God."