THE PULPIT: A GROUND FOR PERSONAL VENDETTA AND AGGRANDIZEMENT

The Pulpit: A Ground For Personal Vendetta And Aggrandizement

By Ude Chimaobi

Like all well meaning Nigerians who are pissed off with the age-long retrogressive state of the country occasioned by wasteful, ineffectual and imprudent management of our collective patrimony, I am deeply enraged by the vile pronouncement made by Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka against the person of Mr. Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 election.

The incessant use of the pulpit by most so called “men of God” to extort money from innocent and unsuspecting individuals, hiding under prophetic declarations is fast becoming a menace that calls for an urgent attention. The pulpit, a holy place of worship and profound reverence to God has since been desecrated and converted to a money-making venture and a platform for personal vendetta.

The recent invective poured on Mr. Peter Obi by Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka on the basis on his alleged “stinginess” is informed by a deep-seated resentment coupled with an uncontrollable quest to pull down a man who is currently leading an unprecedented political revolution in Nigeria. It is obvious that the natural and overwhelming love showered on Mr. Peter Obi by patriotic Nigerians especially the youths whose nation they are determined to take back is sending shiver down the spine of the Enugu based controversial clergyman and his co-travellers.

It is surprising that a well traveled and learned man like Rev. Ejike Mbaka could wage a vicious attack on a man whose only offense was being prudent with public resources as a governor of Anambra State. More disturbing was the fact that his gullible congregation whose future Mr. Peter Obi is committed to rescue from the poisonous fangs of bad leadership cheered him on while the verbal onslaught last. Very unfortunate!

Of course, the clergyman is not alone in the business of exploiting the gullibility and spiritual weakness of religious fanatics. The General Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), Pastor Tunde Bakare, a pathological tribal bigot and a chronic political bootlicker was seen on set dishing out malicious narrative against Ndi Igbo using the power of the pulpit. The worker of iniquity regaled his hollow audience with the most stupid claim of how Ndi Igbo were cursed by the Late, Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto) in the pool of his blood that “an Igbo man will never rule Nigeria.” This he deliberately concocted to exhume the sad memories of the 1966 military coup maliciously tagged “the Igbo coup” which claimed the lives of many prominent Nigerians including the Northern Premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello in order to instigate the North against Ndi Igbo with the view to thwart the actualization of a Nigerian President of Southeast extraction. While it is understandable for the anti-Igbo comments by the likes of Tunde Bakare due to the enterprising and ingenious nature of Ndi Igbo which is second to none in the country, it calls to wonder why a priest is keen at dimming the collective aspirations of his own people of having equal stake in the Nigerian project.

Most recently, Rev. Fr. Chibuzo Emmanuel Obimma, popularly known as “Fr. Ebube Muonso” was strictly cautioned by the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo to desist from using the pulpit to blackmail high political office holders in the guise of prophesy. He further advised the Onitsha based clergyman to relate any revelation directly to him since he has his contact rather than making mockery of the pulpit.

From all indication, it seem anointing has since left Mbaka which is evident in his many prophetic blunders and inaccurate political permutations. In the build up to the 2003 Enugu State governorship election, Fr. Mbaka pronounced on the pulpit that governor Chimaroke Nnamani would not be re-elected and declared that he would cease to be a priest if his prophesy did not manifest which according to him was inspired by the holy Spirit. Governor Chimaroke eventually won and Mbaka is yet to honour his word. In 2018, the inconsistent priest projected that President Buhari will serve only a single tenure but as we know, he is rounding up his second tenure by next year contrary to his assumption. It is apparent that his failed prophesies are carnally motivated as the holy Spirit is not an author of lies and confusion.

A man who saved a whooping N75b for Ndi Anambra inspite of his many signature projects and unbeatable human capital investments as a governor cannot be described as “stingy.” The likes of Fr. Mbaka are the greatest enemies of Ndi Igbo.

May God Almighty save the church from pulpit merchants garbed in religious cassock.