General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) Pastor Mensa Otabil said he least expected the shutdown of Capital Bank on Monday.

According to him, his preaching last Sunday was to encourage “somebody”, not knowing the message was also meant for him.

Pastor Otabil’s church and his firm, Otabil & Associates, had a total of 6 per cent share in the erstwhile Capital Bank, which together with UT Bank had its license revoked by the Bank of Ghana last Monday.

At church on Sunday, Pastor Otabil said he was disturbed by the development as he couldn’t carry out his Tuesday “ritual” of preparing his sermon.

He said he only had a fresh impetus to prepare for Sunday’s sermon – titled ‘Peace’ – on Thursday.

“Last week, when I preached I didn’t know I was preaching to myself but today I know I am preaching to myself,” he told the congregation. “I have no doubt. It is a word that is for me and for you too.”

He picked his verse from Isaiah 26:3-4 and expounded on the topic.

The shutdown of Capital Bank came as a surprise to many as Pastor Otabil, a successful businessman, is said to be the board chairman.

The running of the bank has been ceded to GCB Bank, which is to inherit assets and liabilities as per a Purchase and Assumption Transaction.

Already, the state-owned GCB Bank has replaced logos of both Capital Bank and UT Bank and opened their branches for business.