Date Published: 12/13/09

Sir,

A/Ibom: “MAN OF GOD” offered many anointing

Abominations are constantly committed by m any of those who claim to have been called by God. All these may be seen as serving God and mammon (money) at the same time but using God’s name. We see today; every church seeks its own General Overseer or Bishop or Archbishop in all manner of ways.

We have read of some church leaders consulting various fetish men of oracles for powers; we have read of church owners accusing one another of having received powers from native doctors and shrines, and recently a mad man claiming he gives power to some of the so-called church owners and leaders. As this could be misleading; some Christians that seek God in worship are confused and in the process, they withdraw to their shelves and trusting in only the Holy Book and praying privately in their homes.

These categories of church leaders have continued to showcasing headship of their churches, whereas Jesus Christ is supposed to be the head of all Churches. I read in Daily Sun newspaper Tuesday 10/11/2009, page 19 an interview granted by former military governor of Ogun and Rivers State retired Group Captain Sam Ewang, and referring to such church leaders he said: “If they are not confused, somebody who calls himself bishop, pastor, reverend will not leave the Church Altar to go and anoint a person in a shrine. Is that not confusion; which God did he anoint him for – the God of Asan Ibibio (Ibibio shrine)?” Invariably Ewang was referring to the various anointings of governor Akpabio for second term by the newly consecrated Bishop Cletus Bassey and owner of Destiny Tabernacle Church in Uyo who is said to be the head of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Akwa Ibom State. This bishop had early in his church anointed the governor and that earned him gifts from the governor - cash, a Jeep, and construction of road leading to his church. Why go again to the traditional native shrine venue to conduct another anointing on the same person? That was overkill and to consider he is the State’s head of CAN could mean that almost all the church heads there are of the same tint.

Dr. Segun Osobu, Osborne Road, Ikoyi-Lagos.