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By Casmir Igbokwe
Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo used this phrase “prophetic stones” in January 2009. In an advertorial titled “The power of the prophetic stone,” Ashimolowo urged Nigerians to join him in his church and be the first to be launched into favour, breakthrough and excellence that year. Those who would join him in his church, he promised, would be the first to break all barriers and break new grounds in 2009.
Tomorrow is another New Year. Different predictions will fly around this season. And, as a deeply religious nation, we will listen with rapt attention. In his now infamous Adoration encounter with former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka threatened to throw some “prophetic stones” today, December 31, 2018. Mbaka, as you know, is the spiritual director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN). Peter Obi is the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that the ministry had its bazaar recently. Mbaka made spirited attempts to force Obi to announce his donation like some other politicians who were there. Obi refused to make an open pledge. It was then Mbaka opened the mouth with which he eats yam and cocoyam to say that the way Obi and Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP, were going, they might fail at the presidential election coming up in February 2019. He also said he would release his prophecies at his crossover mass today. I don’t need to bore you with the other details of the story you already know.
This same Mbaka had earlier reportedly warned President Muhammadu Buhari against his second term bid. Delivering his New Year message earlier this year, Mbaka reportedly said that captive Nigerians would be speedily rescued. He urged Mr. President to wake up and sit up.
“God said you are toying with the privilege given to you. There is no time. Nigerians are dying in your hand; people are not happy with your system. Change or you will be changed,” he noted.
So, what will Mbaka tell Mr. President in his cross-over predictions this night?
Unarguably, Nigeria boasts of sundry prophets and seers. Prior to the return of civilian rule in 1999, for instance, one Rev. Chinecherem Oliwe was sure to be the next civilian President of Nigeria. The man called himself the founder of the Great Mustard Seed Church in Oyigbo, Rivers State. And he had claimed that God spoke to him and assured him that he was the only person ordained to redeem the country. Twenty years after, Oliwe, perhaps, is still waiting on the Lord to fulfill his promise to him.
There is another prophet called Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele. He is the founder of Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos. He always makes New Year predictions and some Nigerians regard him as the Nostradamus of our time.
Some media reports had credited him with many prophecies that came to pass. For instance, they say he predicted that the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, would be sacked; and that came to pass.
But this same primate made some predictions in December 2007, which went off the mark. In his prediction reported in the Nigerian Tribune on December 25, 2007, Ayodele said the then Senate President, David Mark, might be impeached in 2008. Mark was never impeached.
In his 2018 prophecies, Ayodele allegedly said the presidential candidate of the PDP would be imposed and not democratically elected after their presidential primary. We are witnesses to how smoothly the PDP presidential primary went.
On his part, Primate E.O. Akeju of New Holy Messiah Church in Ilasamaja, Lagos, said, “I foresee Atiku Abubakar becoming next president of his country but there are strong forces behind his plan. God revealed to me that Atiku’s regime will bring peace and harmony to the nation, unlike what we are presently experiencing … Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will also retain the Lagos seat without any opposition.” How come Ambode didn’t make it, Primate Akeju?
Also, the founder of the Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries International, Abuja, Prophet Emmanuel Omale, reportedly said that Lt. General T.Y. Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, would be used to restore peace to the North such that Nigerians would be very happy and proud of him in 2018. After he leaves office, he will be highly celebrated as a war hero.
“The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, should pray against set-up and betrayals that will bring disgrace to his hard work,” he further asserted. You see what I mean? Perhaps, he is right, considering the IGP’s recent transmission, transmission abracadabra!
The general overseer of the Christ Apostolic Deliverance Evangelic Ministry, Mowe, Ogun State, Apostle S.S. Aderigigbe, in his own prediction for 2018, reportedly said one senator each from the South-East, South-West and North would die this year. The cleric also predicted that a governor from the South-East part of the country and a former President of Nigeria would die in 2018 and that there would be surplus food and money in 2018. He urged Nigerians to pray against sudden death of four northern governors in 2018. Wonderful!
There are many other fake prophecies that I do not have to bore you here with. For making intelligent guesses, some Nigerians have risen to fame and fortune. And since ours is a deeply religious-cum- spiritual country, we believe anything purported to be divine. If the predictions did not come true, it must be that God intervened to stop the calamity that was predicted. If the visions come true, the soothsayer is celebrated as a wonderful man of God.
I see in all these predictions some comic relief for the stress called life in Nigeria. It is worthy to note that I have also made some predictions that came to pass (see The New Year soothsayers, Sunday Punch, January 6, 2008.)
As individuals and as a nation, let us resolve to collectively throw stones at our misfortunes, ignorance and gullibility. Let us set goals for ourselves and engage in practical ways to achieve those goals. Let us stop this grand delusion called predictions.
On this note, I wish to share an interesting piece a Nigerian lawyer, Firsts Baba Isa, reportedly wrote recently after a visit to South Korea:
“We are teaching our children to worship God while other countries are teaching their children to be gods. We teach our children to pray for smart phones and cars, while they teach theirs to invent smart phones and cars. Then our children become adults who go to church to thank God for smart phones and cars purchased from other countries whose children have become adults who invent cars and smart phones. That’s why they don’t need our God because, without them, our God can’t bless us. It is the cars and smart phones they invent that we give testimony and thank our God for in our churches. Then we go about boasting that it was pastor’s prayers and anointing that gave us these stuff.
“They are teaching their kids coding and programming in well-equipped schools while we are teaching our kids how to prophecy and speak in tongues in well-equipped churches.
“As we teach our children how to worship God, let us also teach them how to become gods – creators of solution.”
Happy New Year!
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Re: Blame game and bleak Christmas
I wouldn’t want to believe that officials and major stakeholders in the Anambra State government are becoming jittery on the possibility of Mr Peter Obi becoming the next Vice President of Nigeria. I thought the state government should have officially come up with a statement distancing itself from the purported endorsement of Buhari by one of its own. One needs to look at the direction of the pendulum on the 2019 election.
– Eddy Idigo, Aguleri, +2348033038099
GREETINGS Casmir. In all honesty, an Atiku/Peter Obi government will usher in an African Renaissance. I don’t want to expatiate. I am apolitical and frank. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
– Anonymous, +2348144814248
TRUTH of the matter is that all our Nigerian politicians are birds of the same feather because our Constitution allows some ugly things to happen without checks in our system. We must amend our Constitution now, if we want to move Nigeria forward. If our vote doesn’t count in 2019, we will still continue to elect ne’er-do-well politicians and they will still take Nigeria for a ride.
– Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, +2348062887535
DEAR Casmir, Buhari’s company APC and their managers don’t have the knowledge to uplift Nigeria in her present woes; all their plans and policies are doomed and have failed. Every sane Nigerian shouldn’t expect good things from the APC govt. because there are no men of good ideas in their midst. Thanks for educating Nigerians. You are highly esteemed.
– Eze Chima Cletus, Lagos, +2348180188168
THANK you for your write-up, “Blame game and bleak Christmas”. You have all the facts; we masses are blind to the truth. It is only a man with psychological sickness that would not see a difference and embrace change. Buhari should rest and let the strong have the power. Any man that queues to vote Buhari is illiterate, politically blind, geographically confused, too religiously biased, and socially corrupt.
– Hon. Ezeugo Forgive, Lagos, 08097041426
- First published in The Sun of Monday, December 31, 2018.
