George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Knocks and outrage have continued to trail the prophecy of fiery Catholic priest and Director, Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, who prophesied on the Imo governorship between incumbent Governor Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma that is pending at the Supreme Court.
Fr. Mbaka had in his New Year message predicted that the governorship candidate of APC, Senator Uzodinma, would take over from Hon. Ihedioha as Imo governor, making many to believe that he presumed the Supreme Court judgment would be in Uzodinma’s favour.
Consequently, the Catholic priest has come under heavy criticisms from several groups and individuals, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, and Bishop of Umuahia, Bishop Luscious Ugorji, as they noted that Fr. Mbaka has not only delved into fortune telling, but commercial prophecy.
The NYCN, Imo State chapter, in a statement issued by its President, Isdore Chukwuemeka, in Owerri advised Mbaka not to set the political landscape in the state on fire and leave Governor Ihedioha alone, stressing that the incumbent was massively voted for by the people of Imo.
He also queried where Mbaka was during the eight years of the destruction of the state by the immediate past APC administration headed by Senator Rochas Okorocha.
“We advise Fr. Mbaka to leave Governor Emeka Ihedioha alone. The youths of Imo State are pleased and satisfied with the Rebuild Imo administration.
“Governor Ihedioha barely seven months in office has restored the years the locust had eaten for eight years in the state.
“We do not want further distraction on his efforts in rebuilding the state. Where was Mbaka when Imo State was raped for eight years by a clueless administration that mindlessly looted the treasury of the state?
“He never uttered a word against that evil regime. When darkness reigned in Imo for eight years, Mbaka lost his voice,” Chukwuemeka said.
He said that Mbaka has always directed his prophesies on Imo political leaders who he does not like with the underlying motive to cause confusion in the state, noting that “we cannot remember when he prophesied on political developments in other states.
“We recall how he destabilized Ikedi Ohakim’s administration when he bought hook, line and sinker the allegation that Ohakim had ordered the flogging of a Catholic priest.
“In the end, it turned out that the allegation was false, but Fr. Mbaka had thrived on that falsehood and used it to make jest of Ohakim prior to the 2011 governorship election.”
NYCN, therefore, advised the cleric to stop mixing politics with religion, and do not allow politicians to sway his opinions.
“We have noted a pattern in his prophesies which is always tailored to suit the APC. In 2015, he prophesied in favour of Buhari who was presidential candidate of the APC, he had prayed for Governor Umar Ganduje prior to the 2019 general election despite mind-blowing allegations of corruption against him; and now he has ‘prophesied’ in favour of as another APC chieftain, Senator Hope Uzodinma.”
Also, the state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Senior Apostle Godson Ibeji, has dismissed the prophecy of Fr. Mbaka over the outcome of the pending Supreme Court judgment, saying that such prophecy does not hold water, wondering why a matter before the highest court in the land would be tossed around.
Ibeji in a statement stated that CAN has consistently kicked against such prophecies tailored to suit the whims and caprices of politicians.
“CAN has consistently opposed such politically motivated prophecies and at the same time strove to maintain the dictates that guide and regulate the practice of Christianity.
“We will continue to toe this path until we restore sanity in the practice of priesthood,” he said.
In his reaction, Bishop Luscious Ugorji of Umuahia Catholic Diocese and the Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Diocese, said the Catholic Church which Mbaka belongs to as a priest, is not into fortune telling, thus does not give authority to any priest to make predictions on who wins a court case or not.
His words: “The Catholic Church is not into fortune telling and so does not authorize any priest to make predictions on her behalf on who wins a court case.
“Anyone who speaks on such a matter is expressing his personal opinion”.
The prelate said he does not give attention to such predictions, as they are mere guesswork, saying that “in a true democracy only those who win elections have the mandate of the populace to rule.”
Bishop Ugorji advised Imo people not to rely on such guesswork coated in the name of prophecy, but rather pray that their choice as governor with their mandate wins at the Supreme Court.