By Fred Chukwuelobe
Social media have been witnessing a series of beverages and other comedy skits that are designed and acted using the utterances of an Onitsha-based pastor, Chukwuemeka Cyril Ohanaemere, popularly known as Odumeje
Yes, pastor, because that’s what he says he is, and many believe him. They not only believe him, they dress up, leave their houses, go to his church, and submit to his supposedly super natural powers of healing.
These people who throng his church not only look pitiable, but they represent all that is wrong with the modern day Christianity.
Born on September 9, 1982, Odumeje is the general overseer (GO) of The Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry and a musician.
He has boasted many times to possess powers with which he can cure all manner of illnesses, including making our free falling Naira regain its strength.
He has also recorded a couple of musical tracks that are played on many occasions, particularly in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
Also known as the Liquid Metal, the powers he claims to possess are: ‘Indaboski Bahose, Ribadu Sepree, Ramande, Abidoshaker, Ganduga gandusa, Lefase’ Farell, Palebo-Skendelebo, Dabuskabash.’
All these powers sound like gobbledegook mixed with odious perfumery. They sound funny with the promoter looking naturally funny. So, people use them to catch their fun in the face of bitting economic conditions.
Initially, when this guy emerged from nowhere into the crowded scene of the church business sub- sector of our economy, I thought he was catching his fun. I thought he was a comedian. So, I joined the fun-seekers to catch cruise and laugh it off.
Not anymore.
Daily, we watch as his church grows, and more and more people congregate there to ‘worship’ God and seek solutions to the myriad of problems bedevilling them. People with different ailments seek his healing and believe he has the capacity to heal them of their sicknesses.
These people have churches they attend, and because this generation seeks signs and wonders, they can go to anybody once that person claims and acts like he has powers of healing. Even if the person is using the powers of the beelzebub, people will unashamedly troop there ostensibly to receive ‘divine healing.’’
I have been following the man’s church comedy shows, and I have had to give it a thought. Unfortunately, I am not able to pin my thoughts on what the man is doing and why people go there and watch this fellow engage in tomfoolery of sorts.
I mean, how can sane human beings leave their houses, go and sit down with this character who from all intents and purposes is illiterate, and who makes incoherent remarks purportedly as a ‘man of God’ with ‘divine powers?’
Isn’t this fellow making mockery of our Christian faith? Can this guy be stopped? Who can stop him?
Truly, it beggars belief what his followers, some of who take their families along, think they are doing. Worshipping God? Or making mockery of God?
Religion in our clime has become a show, a social event, and recreational. Many people no longer fear God. Because there’s a huge population of gullible people in this country, every Tom, Dick, and Harry believes they can use God’s name as they will and with no consequences.
Everywhere you turn, one conman is fleecing people of their hard earned money with no qualms, and the people so fleeced do not even know they’re being taken for a long ride. They, therefore, defend these characters who masquerade as men of God but are, indeed, businessmen whom I call pastorpreneurs.
So, why not Odumeje? Isn’t he too among the prophets?
Because our governments have proven incapable of solving our basic needs and we have opted to make these needs the centerpiece of our prayer points, folks like Odumeje would continue to have a field day making mockery of Christianity and smiling to the banks in the process. That’s what they all do. Whether it is Odumeje or those who claim they drink tea with God, it is about money and living life of obscene opulence. Remove money and watch as 99.9 per cent of these church businesses will shut down.
For me, I honestly do not know what to make of this Onitsha-based comedian clergyman. So, I’d just watch the shows he organizes and laugh at his tomfOolery.
He says he’s not a comedian and warns those who say he is to be careful or else he would unleash his powers on them, that is, if he has such powers.
But Odumeje may be exploiting Luke 9:49 where John reported to Jesus Christ how they attempted to stop a man using His name to cast out demons, “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Frankly, it is not funny at all.