The Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has responded publicly to remarks made about him by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Dr Mary Awusi, choosing a tone of forgiveness rather than confrontation.
He addressed the matter at the Pentecost International Worship Centre, Trasacco branch, during a thanksgiving service held to celebrate the 60th birthday of Chief of Staff Julius Debrah.
Apostle Nyamekye played down the controversy, insisting the comments had not unsettled him and even suggested they had inadvertently increased attention on him and the church.
“As for this lady, she has made me more popular. People like that, I don’t think about them because she’s just made our church and myself more popular.
“If I held anything against her, like standing here to speak for 45 minutes, I would have said something about her. But I think that we all have our opinions on issues, and so let’s just forget about these things. So, I’ve forgiven her,” he said.
His comments follow criticism that emerged after Dr Mary Awusi reacted to concerns he had previously raised about the effects of illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.
The service itself also featured a public apology from Julius Debrah, who used the occasion to address the situation directly before the congregation.
In a video shared by GBC on Sunday, April 26, 2026, the Chief of Staff was seen on stage alongside the Senior Pastor of Alabaster International Ministry, Prophet Kofi Oduro, as he spoke to worshippers.
Debrah emphasised the strong ties between government officials and the Church of Pentecost, noting that several members of his administration are active congregants.
He described Dr Awusi’s comments as an error in judgment rather than a deliberate attack, and appealed for forgiveness on her behalf.
“But the chairman of our church, you know, myself, Hon Elder Ofosu Ampofo, our Local Government minister, and several others are members of your church. A few days ago, one of our colleagues, Dr Mary Awusi, slipped a bit against you, and I want, on this occasion commemorating my birthday, to let the whole church forgive us.
“It was just a slip. It wasn’t intentionally done to malign our church. I believe sincerely that you will forgive her and forgive us and accept us as your children. God really bless all of you,” Julius Debrah stated.
Watch his statement below.
