The social media has, in the past few days, been awash with reactions following the misunderstanding between the founder of Omega Power Ministries (OPM) Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, and two young security guards popularly known as Happie Boys, whom he offered scholarship to study in Cyprus.
Their story have left tongues wagging as netizens aired their different views about what transpired between the clergyman and the young men.
Who are the Happie Boys?
Two former security guards, Matthew Precious Kelechi (18) and Amakor Johnson (20) are popularly known as Happie Boys.
They became famous after they were sacked last year for dancing at a restaurant where they worked when they were in Nigeria. Trouble started after a video clip where they were dancing to a Hip Hop song while on duty, surfaced online.
Who is Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere?
The Port-Harcourt based pastor is the General Overseer of the Omega Power Ministries in Rivers State. He came to national prominence after he rehabilitated the family of Deborah Samuel from Sokoto to Port harcourt.
the two young men said they were only in school for six months before they were forced to drop out because of lack of funds
Recall that, on May 12, 2022, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a second-year Christian college student, was killed by a mob of Muslim students in Sokoto, after she was accused of blasphemy.
Concerning the Happie Boys, Apostle Chinyere saw the video of the two boys online asking for help after they were sacked from work and he promised to sponsor their education abroad.
He later flew them to Cyprus to study, an action that got him accolades from members of the public. He has however been in the news in the past few days due to his acts of kindness, which have resulted in unintended outcomes.
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What transpired?
Months after resuming school in Cyprus, Happie Boys cried out online that life hasn’t been easy for them overseas.
In an Instagram post, the two young men said they were only in school for six months before they were forced to drop out because of lack of funds.
The relationship between the clergyman and the young men turned sour after they leaked their chat with Apostle Chibuzor where they requested money from him several times and he said he was broke while, on other occasions, he allegedly ignored their messages.
Embarrassed by the action of the boys, Apostle Chibuzor in an audio expressed displeasure over their attitude; explaining that the money he used to sponsor them to Cyprus was taken from church members’ tithes and offerings; regretting that the boys had decided to repay him with ingratitude.
In annoyance, he allegedly placed curses on them, saying “You will remain poor forever, you will never achieve anything in life irrespective of where you are. You will suffer poverty. If there are clothes I bought for you, you will sell those clothes to feed, you will become so wretched.”
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Audio of the curses generated mixed reactions, as some people criticised the clergy for laying curses on young persons he could father; while they also condemned the Happie Boys for exposing the pastor to ridicule. Many people described them as being ungrateful.
Reacting to the backlash, the boys via their IG page stated, “All that glitters is not gold. Those making negative comments can never understand what we have seen.
Apostle Chinyere allegedly placed curses on the boys, saying, ‘You will remain poor forever, you will never achieve anything in life irrespective of where you are’
“You contınue to send people on scholarshıps, show the world the proof of those that have graduated from the scholarships and are doıng well for themselves.
“Nobody can use our stars to rıde prıvate jet and expect us to remaın quıet. You reason wıth your braın and stop beıng negatıve.
“Where ıs the transformer boy sponsored to Cyprus too? He has returned to Nıgerıa after he almost dıed here and hıs mother went to a prayer house where they told them to return the boy. Things dey happen. Who no know no know.”
Apostle Chibuzor thereafter processed their flight ticket to return to Nigeria to study in a university either in Nigeria or Benin Republic, Mauritius, or Ghana. He said he had forgiven them because they are his children; assuring that OPM will pay their school fees until they graduate.
“They are my children. Sometimes, children offend father, but father will always forgive and show them love. Scholarship still continues as they arrive Nigeria and OPM will pay their school fees until they graduate,” the apostle promised.
In return, the Happie Boys also apologised to Apostle Chibuzor for being magnanimous enough to send them abroad to study. However, they declared that they do not need his scholarship anymore and that they aren’t returning to Nigeria.
They alleged that Apostle Chibuzor processed their visa and flight tickets without their knowledge and as such, they are not willing to leave Cyprus.
As reported by Gistlover, a source who craved anonymity disclosed that the Happie Boys had been performing poorly academically, and were living like celebrities instead of focusing on their studies.
They were also rumored to have been bringing various girls to the house Apostle Chibuzor rented for them, where they hosted parties with a lot of drinking and smoking.
a source who craved anonymity disclosed that the Happie Boys had been performing poorly academically, and were living like celebrities instead of focusing on their studies
Reactions
Reactions have continued to trail the public disagreement between the apostle and the young men. A Human Rights Activist, Author, and member of Peoples’ Rights Organization (PRO), Paul Ikechukwu Njoku, on Facebook called for the arrest of Apostle Chibuzor by the Inspector General of Police.
In his opinion, the clergy man sent the Happie Boys to Cyprus under “a disguised and hypnotized university scholarship scam orchestrated him.” He accused the cleric of abandoning the boys in far-away Cyprus, saying the issue should not be handled lightly by the Nigerian government and relevant diplomatic authorities because lives of the two Nigerians matter.
“From the comparative analysis of the events … I strongly believe he is cashing out on national trending catastrophe with media hype … How best can one define reverse psychology …?
“The Happie Boys have indeed exposed him. Apostle Chibuzor should be held accountable and responsible should anything happen to those guys,” Njoku reacted.
Eucharia Amaechi also on Facebook expressed her pain over the actions of the Happie Boys who she described as ungrateful soul. She said, “After all what Apostle Chibuzor did for them, they still have mouth to drag him out on social media. This is the height of ungratefulness. Kai!”
Meanwhile, a medical doctor has indicated interest to render help to the Happie Boys. In a Facebook post, Dr. Ochu Daniel Ogechukwu criticised the OPM pastor for raining curses on the young men, while he promised to help them complete their education.
The overseas-based health consultant blasted the apostle, saying he had no right to place curses on God’s creatures. He also slammed the clergyman for “acting like a demigod,” while he appealed to netizens to link him up with the young men.
The doctor has also come under criticism from some social media users, who said he wants to take another man’s glory.
