The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensa Otabil has urged his congregation to reply his critics who taunt them with a question on his role in the collapse of the defunct Capital Bank with “God is good”.

The renowned man of God recently came under fire after an investigative report by the Bank of Ghana, indicated that Dr. Otabil, the former Board Chairman of the now-defunct bank, appeared to be aware of the the bank’s misapplication of GHS610 million liquidity support given to it bank by the central bank.

In response to the brouhaha, Dr Mensa Otabil told the congregation of the International Central Gospel Church on Sunday, 19 August 2018 that he felt he owed them an explanation as their pastor.

He said; "I felt that as your pastor, I owe you an explanation, to come to church and to make a statement of what my views are, so that when you go out and people come out with information, you will have a response to give to them”,

"These are the three statements I will make with regard to the response I want to give, which I expect you to carry along to explain what is happening.

"My first statement is that God is good, my second statement is that, God is good and my third statement is that, God is good."

He continued: “You don’t come to church because of your pastor. You come to church to worship God, and, so, I want you to keep your eyes on Him and to worship Him and to focus on Him.”

Pastor Otabil who said he was in Zimbabwe preaching at the church of his friend and an international evangelist, Tudor Bismark, during the week said he had heard of many things been said about him, regarding the bank and felt that he had to offer the congregation some information to answer whenever faced with the issue.

Background 

Instead of using the money to restore Capital Bank to its knees, the management, with the approval of the International Central Gospel Church founder, diverted the money for other uses, leading to the eventual collapse of the local bank in August 2017.

The monies were moved by a member of the Board, Ato Essien into companies believed to be owned by him and others, on the Board. Some of that money was reportedly presented as capital to secure a licence for another now-defunct bank, Sovereign Bank.

Among the flagged transactions were GHS 27.5 million used for business promotion which was handled by a board member; transfers to IFS amounting to GHS 23.9 million; transfers to Nordea Capital amounting to GHS 65 million; and transfers to Alltime Capital amounting to GHS 130 million.