Pastor Otabil’s fufu comment: A furtive euphemism on African culture

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Otabil Fufu 8 years ago

Now that he has become a multi millionaire with millions of dollars in his pocket along with an undisputed celebrity lifestyle, Pastor Otabil has conveniently forgotten his roots and now has the audacity to show utter disresp ...
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Now that he has become a multi millionaire with millions of dollars in his pocket along with an undisputed celebrity lifestyle, Pastor Otabil has conveniently forgotten his roots and now has the audacity to show utter disrespect, hostility and contempt not just for the food and those who eat it, but has also disowned his roots. As an influential statesman of his stature, Pastor Otabil is expected know better to be discreet and keep some of his "celebrity convictions" to himself. Much as I agree that the esteemed pastor is entitled to his opinion, his use of the pulpit to state such a parochial opinion is distasteful. I do not fault the esteemed millionaire Pastor for his contempt for fufu and his disrespect for those who eat from "bacteria infested" corners of the utensils used, neither do I have a problem with his ability to afford to eat breakfast in Ghana, have lunch in Europe and dinner in America on a daily basis. What I have a problem with is his total disrespect for our food, our finger-eating culture and his assumption that using stainless steel cutlery is the only polished mark of civilization. Pastor Otabil could have said things in a different way which could have drawn attention to some of the hygienic challenges in food preparation in general and for fufu in particular. However, he chose insults over humility and made contemptuous remarks which has seriously diminished his standing in the eyes of all well-meaning Ghanaians. As mom used to tell us when we were growing up, "if you don't have anything good to say, shut your front door". This basic but timely advise will serve our elitist Pastor Otabil well.
Kwabena Yeboah 8 years ago

Biting the hand that feeds you is exactly what this fabulously rich pastor has done. But the irony is that his poor congregation some of whom can't afford three square meals a day, and who he condemns as primitive and backwar ...
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Biting the hand that feeds you is exactly what this fabulously rich pastor has done. But the irony is that his poor congregation some of whom can't afford three square meals a day, and who he condemns as primitive and backward for using their fingers to eat are the same people who would continue to dole out money Sunday after Sunday to feed his ostentatious lifestyle.

Where is God in all this I might ask? This is the problem I have with black preachers. Instead of preaching the word of God to their congregation, they superimpose their world view and experience upon their faithful followers as if it is the word of God. And they are not ashamed to flaunt their ill-gotten
wealth under the guise of 'blessings' even though they may be the only people among many who is blessed.

You know I left the black church many years ago because their pastors' understanding of the word leaves much to be desired.
SEMAANKOKA. 8 years ago

UNTIL WE BEGIN TO FACE REALITY AND STOP HIDING UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF "CULTURE" WE WOULD REMAIN WHERE WE ARE AND BE FOREVER IMPOVERISHED.THOSE DAYS AND NOW ARE DIFFERENT TIMES.WITH THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION NOW WE CAN NOT ADVAN ...
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UNTIL WE BEGIN TO FACE REALITY AND STOP HIDING UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF "CULTURE" WE WOULD REMAIN WHERE WE ARE AND BE FOREVER IMPOVERISHED.THOSE DAYS AND NOW ARE DIFFERENT TIMES.WITH THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION NOW WE CAN NOT ADVANCE HOW WE PREPARE FUFU AND THINK WE ARE SUSTAINING SOME KIND OF CULTURE?THOSE DAYS , THE FOLLOWING DAY WORK AT THE FARM WOULD GET ALL THE CARBOHYDRATE DEALT WITH.WHAT ABOUT NOW? DEVICE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE IT EASY DIGESTIBLE TO WITHSTAND MODERN TIME.IT IS ONLY AN ADVISE. PUT THE KNOWLEDGE YOU HAVE ACQUIRED OVER THE YEARS TO GOOD USE BY MODERNIZING WHAT YOU HAVE INHERITED SO THAT THE NEXT GENERATION WOULD BE PROUD OF YOU THAN CONTINUE TO EXPORT COCOA BEANS, OR THE FARMER/FISHERMAN STILL USING CUTLASS OR CANOE TO FARM OR FISH UNDER GLOBALIZATION IN THE NAME OF CULTURE.
CHAMPION ATTA 8 years ago

SEMAANKOKA, STOP SAYING WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, WHAT IS CULTURE? ASK ANY BECE CANDIDATE IN GHANA, HE OR SHE WILL TELL YOU. SHOULD WE STOP NAMING OURSELVES BY THE DAYS WE WERE BORN AND CALL OURSELVES JOHN, STEVEN ETC, WHY DON'T Y ...
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SEMAANKOKA, STOP SAYING WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, WHAT IS CULTURE? ASK ANY BECE CANDIDATE IN GHANA, HE OR SHE WILL TELL YOU. SHOULD WE STOP NAMING OURSELVES BY THE DAYS WE WERE BORN AND CALL OURSELVES JOHN, STEVEN ETC, WHY DON'T YOU GIVE YOURSELF AN EUROPEAN NAME AND STOP CALLING YOURSELF SEMAANKOKA? CULTURE IS ROOTED IN A PERSON AT BIRTH, AS A JAPANESE, CHINESE, AFRICAN AMERICAN ETC. WAS MICHEAL JACKSON A BLACK AMERICAN WITH ROOTS FROM AFRICA OR A PURE CAUCASIAN ( WHITE)? NO MATTER HOW LONG A TREE SITS IN WATER IT DOES NOT TURN INTO A CROCODILE.
Pelicles 8 years ago

Maybe, he is bed with a company to establish something that will replace our local diet but he has lost it already. I will never ever stop eating fufu till the day I breathe my last breath.

This is a guy who is leading a l ...
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Maybe, he is bed with a company to establish something that will replace our local diet but he has lost it already. I will never ever stop eating fufu till the day I breathe my last breath.

This is a guy who is leading a large congregation and I hope he is giving them the right sermon. Anybody who admonish the eaten of fufu is just fool. Pounding fufu is an exercise and I don't thing the mortar and the pestle harbors any bacteria because after pounding the fufu, both the mortar and pestle are cleaned very good for the next operation.
yanks 8 years ago

a doctor and a pastor, but in my mind he is very ignorant.

a doctor and a pastor, but in my mind he is very ignorant.
Altruism 8 years ago

This pastor thinks that he is preaching to his guillible congregates. We Arfican's we talk too much without proving our assertions scientifically.

Because we know that the majority who use te be our followers blieved our I ...
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This pastor thinks that he is preaching to his guillible congregates. We Arfican's we talk too much without proving our assertions scientifically.

Because we know that the majority who use te be our followers blieved our Indian stories.That is why a commomn pastor who doesn't even understand the esoteric teaching of the bible want to engage him self in other shperes of live. (social, cultural, econoimcal, political etc.)

As a soceity we have nobody to be blamed, but our selves because we created our own monsters. When these monsters begin to climb the ladder of power gradually withou opposing view, they ultimately arrogated to themselve the positions of omnipotent, they become the God on earth
Nana Yaw Osei, USA 8 years ago

Intention not intension.

Intention not intension.
Kofi 8 years ago

I stopped eating fufu at a very early age partly because of the punishing nature of the pounding and partly due to the maltreatment of my uncle's new wife.
She would make me pound the fufu for her and my uncle until l have b ...
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I stopped eating fufu at a very early age partly because of the punishing nature of the pounding and partly due to the maltreatment of my uncle's new wife.
She would make me pound the fufu for her and my uncle until l have blisters in my palms.
The portion for my sisters and I, was moder mixed properly. You could see the cassava and the plantain partially blended. Very wicked wife!!
United Ghana 8 years ago

Kofi what you suffered is called abuse. Don't blame fufu

Kofi what you suffered is called abuse. Don't blame fufu

Prof Lungu 8 years ago

Nana Yaw Osei (Padigo),
You make some good points here.

Otabil speaks like an illiterate school drop-out who merely managed to swindle people into fame and riches using somebody else's culture. (There is no 2 ways about ...
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Nana Yaw Osei (Padigo),
You make some good points here.

Otabil speaks like an illiterate school drop-out who merely managed to swindle people into fame and riches using somebody else's culture. (There is no 2 ways about that).

The Otabils of the world are not going to get a pesewa of our money. But, for some people, that is a different story. That is a personal choice, without public policy relevance, from our perspective.

Sure, there is something called Ghanaian/African culture. Otabil seems ignorant of the fact that his people had a language before the "White Man" brought the bible he now worships, to Africa.

And Ghana must produce the food Ghana needs, and export the surplus. There is no reason serious Ghana cannot export "fufu". But, nobody is going to "pound" exported fufu, unless perhaps, for very special occasions when health standards are guaranteed. Or, the person must be an African culture fanatic.

Still, we need to understand that cultural traits that impact most of the people most of the time cannot remain static, or society stays regressive. From this, a good lesson is, no group of people ever developed to higher heights that benefited their people without borrowing from other culture(s).

American did not develop using just American or "European" culture.

Nor did China, whose recorded history goes back 1,000s of years.

You can still eat fufu without "pounding" fufu.

And many people do that today!

Further, knowledge about the human body, and every kind of knowledge for that matter, are all part of culture.
Cultural practices that harm ought to be abandoned/modernized/"re-engineered".

More important for your essay, please leave female genital mutilation (FGM) alone. You cannot defend it today using commonsense and/or science. (If you think otherwise, that is our challenge to you. Publish a paper and let's see you defense of FGM).

To the point, FGM is illegal in Ghana, as it should be: “Article 39 of Ghana’s Constitution provides in part that traditional practices that are injurious to person’s health and wellbeing are abolished.The Criminal Code was amended in 1994 to outlaw FGM, and the law was strengthened in 2007” (www.newsghana.com.gh/fgm-still-rife-in-ghana-and-needs-to-be-stopped-gender-minister/).

The irony for you is, here you are quoting Lawyer Moses Foh Amoani, an albino.

Point is, in many African "cultures and traditions, in the past and even today, many albinos are not treated with the full human rights, dignity, respect, and safety of security they deserve as human beings. Some of that goes to a basic lack of understanding (knowledge) about that condition in humans, by some African societies/individuals.

It is a good thing laws in Ghana and Africa frown upon less than dignified, safe, and secure protections for every person, albinos included.

That is progress, as human beings.

Peace!
Nana Yaw Osei, USA 8 years ago

Thanks. There is nothing wrong with pounding fufu. Most of food companies go through tedious processes before coming out with their finished products. Whether powdered or pounded fufu, some works need to be done.

Thanks. There is nothing wrong with pounding fufu. Most of food companies go through tedious processes before coming out with their finished products. Whether powdered or pounded fufu, some works need to be done.
Prof Lungu 8 years ago

Nana Yaw Osei,

Sure, there's "nothing wrong with pounding fufu", as long as it is you doing the pounding physically, and not some poor small boy or girl who could be doing their home work.

And we realize that individua ...
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Nana Yaw Osei,

Sure, there's "nothing wrong with pounding fufu", as long as it is you doing the pounding physically, and not some poor small boy or girl who could be doing their home work.

And we realize that individuals "pounding", like "By-Day" on farms, may even be employment for some.

But seriously, next to health and aesthetics, it is really not the amount of "tedious" time spent that matters. It is the Value-Added that allows sales/export outside areas (local/region/nation).

Given the significance of this week/month, that, we must say, is Kwame Nkrumah 101 for which we have an essay coming in short order on this and other Ghana interest portals.

Greetings.
Adama Barrow, 8 years ago

Dont mind them,nothing is easy on this planet,even in sex before u reach orgasm u have to push up and down till u get there,before u eventually enjoy something one always have to go through tedious process.he didnt make sense ...
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Dont mind them,nothing is easy on this planet,even in sex before u reach orgasm u have to push up and down till u get there,before u eventually enjoy something one always have to go through tedious process.he didnt make sense in that statement .am sorry man of God
United Ghana 8 years ago

My bro, well said. We have a culture we must respect, but, must eschew any bad, detrimental, exploitative practices. True, culture isn't static so we mustn't be hesitant in rejecting negative aspects.

My bro, well said. We have a culture we must respect, but, must eschew any bad, detrimental, exploitative practices. True, culture isn't static so we mustn't be hesitant in rejecting negative aspects.
Kwabena 8 years ago

Ati yei ma ayerefiri. He has amassed wealth for himself through the collections of these same fufu eaters n sellers so we can't blame him wai. Pastor go ahead say all u can wai but what belongs to us will always belong to us. ...
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Ati yei ma ayerefiri. He has amassed wealth for himself through the collections of these same fufu eaters n sellers so we can't blame him wai. Pastor go ahead say all u can wai but what belongs to us will always belong to us. Did I hear u mentioning Okomfo Anokye's name? U shall know them by their deeds. Rest my case humbly
jojo 8 years ago

Great piece of academic work

Great piece of academic work
Xtc 8 years ago

Culture is progressive not stagnant .do you still use bobo or any of the very outmoded cultural practice.what he is saying is not to stop eating fufu off course but to try modernize it a bit I doubt you can travel and still p ...
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Culture is progressive not stagnant .do you still use bobo or any of the very outmoded cultural practice.what he is saying is not to stop eating fufu off course but to try modernize it a bit I doubt you can travel and still pound fufu until we try modernizing the way fufu is been prepared it would fade out to modernity
Kwabeba 8 years ago

Please kindly go n watch the video again n listen attentively to every word said. The emphasis was not on the pounding of fufu alone but the fact that we use our hands in eating the fufu. For your information, pastor Otabil, ...
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Please kindly go n watch the video again n listen attentively to every word said. The emphasis was not on the pounding of fufu alone but the fact that we use our hands in eating the fufu. For your information, pastor Otabil, millions of Europeans n Americans n the so called perceived developed nations use their bare hands in eating. How many people eat fries n burgers with forks n spoons? Are they also uncivilized even though they lived in these so called developed nations? Please use your fork n spoon to eat n leave us the uncivilized ones alone and go ahead n tell those that pay tithes to you to stop doing so because they eat with their bare hands
Kofi Ho 8 years ago

Burgers were not what their ancestors ate. They have progressed from eating roasted meat on wood fire to Burgers. Why don't you progress from eating fufu powder made into nice fufu, instead of punishing your children with pou ...
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Burgers were not what their ancestors ate. They have progressed from eating roasted meat on wood fire to Burgers. Why don't you progress from eating fufu powder made into nice fufu, instead of punishing your children with pounding. You are wicked. Even when technology is there to weed a farm in a day you will use cutlass.
Govto the chop bars in Accra, they use machines to prepare fufu . people come from homes to buy. They are fed fed up with pounding. Don't sit in a car. It is exercise to walk from Tamale to Accra. It was our culture to travel that way.

ABOAGYE 8 years ago

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Osonoba 8 years ago

Pastors should not use pulpit for fufu politics. If they want to be politicians, they should dump the cassock and don on political garments and enter the political fray. Enough of misleading the public from the pulpit.

Pastors should not use pulpit for fufu politics. If they want to be politicians, they should dump the cassock and don on political garments and enter the political fray. Enough of misleading the public from the pulpit.
John Say 8 years ago

Please try to understand before you comment on any statement.
Pastor Otabil didn't say fufu is bad for our health, rather the process of its preparation.
What is African culture when your way of life has enslaved your mind ...
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Please try to understand before you comment on any statement.
Pastor Otabil didn't say fufu is bad for our health, rather the process of its preparation.
What is African culture when your way of life has enslaved your mind to become ignorant, poor and stupid?
Matt 8 years ago

You're a TITHE FUCKING CUNT!!!

You're a TITHE FUCKING CUNT!!!
zaxza 8 years ago

It has been said that one should not throw away the dirty bath water with the baby. Even though I respect pastor Otabil a lot and often follow his sermons, he has only confirmed that he is also human. There us no doubt tha ...
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It has been said that one should not throw away the dirty bath water with the baby. Even though I respect pastor Otabil a lot and often follow his sermons, he has only confirmed that he is also human. There us no doubt that pounding fufu us a tedious enterprise, but to use that as the reason to discourage its consumptionis too sshortsighted. Like many have said, innovation using both local and imported knowledge us what we should look up to. He should not lose sight of his power of influence on Ghanaian society and thus choose his words with careful thought on their impact on his listeners habits. Has anyone taken time to realise that there are several trees in the forest but only particular ones are used to produce pestles and mortars for pounding fufu. For all we know these trees contain natural substances that do not allow bacteria to flourish. On the sweat dropping in the fufu, it can be avoided. On the other hand it could as well be beneficial. Some scientist aregure that urine can be used to cure certain conditions.
ben 8 years ago

I will rather eating gari and soup tweaaaa how can I used all powers just to prepared common food like fufu

I will rather eating gari and soup tweaaaa how can I used all powers just to prepared common food like fufu
KOJO LEE 8 years ago

COMPLETE NONSENSE BY THIS OTABIL. HE SHOULD CLEAR OFF!

COMPLETE NONSENSE BY THIS OTABIL. HE SHOULD CLEAR OFF!
Kojo 8 years ago

Every group of people have a history and Ghanaians are no exception; we are dynamic as a people, we must not forget the where we are coming from. Playing on/with words is not Christianity; this is a proof that u have been pla ...
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Every group of people have a history and Ghanaians are no exception; we are dynamic as a people, we must not forget the where we are coming from. Playing on/with words is not Christianity; this is a proof that u have been playing on a the ignorance of ur followers to get to get to where u r.
Who knows, we might have the preparation of fufu on a grinding stone and the use of mortar is an advancement, why then do u condemn it; talking is cheap.Mr Otabil cone again
Kweku trouble 8 years ago

We can argue the other way round that the effort put in to preparing fufu and the joy of consuming it after is a very important life lesson. You work hard for what you want in life and enjoy the fruits of your toil. The same ...
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We can argue the other way round that the effort put in to preparing fufu and the joy of consuming it after is a very important life lesson. You work hard for what you want in life and enjoy the fruits of your toil. The same Bible said in Genesis that man will sweat before he eats. What's the big deal here?
Akwasi 8 years ago

I do not agree with you Mr. Otabil's, the same way you have
to clean chopsticks, cutlery etc etc...You can also clean our hands properly b4 eating...
simple as that…..
And who told Otabil dirt to not stick on cutlery or ...
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I do not agree with you Mr. Otabil's, the same way you have
to clean chopsticks, cutlery etc etc...You can also clean our hands properly b4 eating...
simple as that…..
And who told Otabil dirt to not stick on cutlery or chop
sticks? Please visit China to see for urself the chopsticks in their restaurants...
Also we have to punish yourself to make fufu? Really, have
you drawn your attention how Cheese is made? Or even Ham?
Please we should preserve our culture...Following other
peoples culture will not get us anywhere...Mr. Pastor....?

kafui 8 years ago

why don't you have your church open up a scientific research wing like the catholic church had, to come up with innovative ideas if you think we are backward and stop all these stupid ignorant myopic analysis of issues you d ...
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why don't you have your church open up a scientific research wing like the catholic church had, to come up with innovative ideas if you think we are backward and stop all these stupid ignorant myopic analysis of issues you don't fully understand and know?
Freddie Re Nduom fucken dirty lies. 8 years ago

Otabil short of con-words for money fufu is become the rescue?

Otabil short of con-words for money fufu is become the rescue?
JB 8 years ago

We need people like you to let our religious leaders know that they are not embodiment of all knowledge. They can knowledgable in religion but in other aspects of our lives.

We need people like you to let our religious leaders know that they are not embodiment of all knowledge. They can knowledgable in religion but in other aspects of our lives.
Ensuro 8 years ago

I was not surprise when I first read this piece coz I've watched documentaries I, mean good stuff, and I've stumble on a lot of articles meaning reading some books and the bible as a whole. I know very well as an African a ...
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I was not surprise when I first read this piece coz I've watched documentaries I, mean good stuff, and I've stumble on a lot of articles meaning reading some books and the bible as a whole. I know very well as an African a black man that whether the will believe or not I know CIA is use some of our so call men of God hence their wealth, I've been to Egypt before and thank God am still alive, how dare this nan of God is talking down Africa culture, where did God almighty started putting things down in his own holy book? The answer is in Egypt through Moses right? Who was Abraham's first born regardless the Marital status ? The answer is Ismael from Haggai (Hagga) why is that a goal post has been moved and now an African daughter descendants are from the Arab world ? They should tell the children the truth. Are we so curse to the extend that everything from Africa is a curse in the human race? Let's take our bible and it written that out of Egypt I will call my holy one , in other words my beloved son. Let the pastor continued to enjoy his heavenly manna but one thing he should know is that, the first ,one day be last in Gods kingdom, the most important thing the African pastors should tell us is there is 12 tribes which makes Israel, where's our family tree in that 12 tribes as black people? They should tell us the truth and stop distorting the truth as our adversaries did in the past.
AMOH 8 years ago

I am sixty and have travelled for almost 40 years... to read such an article has made me realize..how cursed our continent is...please I stopped eating fufu...exactly for the reasons given by pastor Otabil..but now that...my ...
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I am sixty and have travelled for almost 40 years... to read such an article has made me realize..how cursed our continent is...please I stopped eating fufu...exactly for the reasons given by pastor Otabil..but now that...my wife does not need to toil only to get me fufu...I eat fufu almost everyday...like the example of konkonte...ei tuntum aden ??? Now I believe the story that satan had no regrets convincing the white man to join his kingdom...but has regretted training africans and their arab cousins...we have overtaken him as the father of liars...over demon possessed...God gave man the garden of Eden as his first habitat...now there is no single African nation which has all the rural clean....keeping a place tidy has nothing to do with infrastructure...I know that a certain percentage of the comments are from people who no more pound their fufu...but the itching evil of hypocrisy
everybody 8 years ago

May the "pastor" invent a dish to replace the ingenuous creation of the African nutritional sages of old; following that or before, tell him to please tell us how much he knows about the preparation of his healthy and cultura ...
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May the "pastor" invent a dish to replace the ingenuous creation of the African nutritional sages of old; following that or before, tell him to please tell us how much he knows about the preparation of his healthy and culturally progressive foods from ... God knows where he thinks such come from; third, he is free to move to his (new) home and cultural origin and stop being a NOISY MASK in our land: the time is long overdue - this is 2017, mr pastor.
everybody 8 years ago

Oh, and may I add - in case he or someone else being misled does not know: packaged nicely, contaminated with preservatives and made easy to prepare (warm in a microwave especially) only makes for easy marketing but the WORST ...
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Oh, and may I add - in case he or someone else being misled does not know: packaged nicely, contaminated with preservatives and made easy to prepare (warm in a microwave especially) only makes for easy marketing but the WORST nourishment possible. Someone tell him/them why cancer and other strange diseases are killing so-called civilized eaters the world over.
King of powers(+233547122212) 8 years ago

This is a man who can bring back your life about all your spiritual problems spiritual diseases spiritual attacks problems madness child Barrens or you want to get quick riche search for positions and many more call for all h ...
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This is a man who can bring back your life about all your spiritual problems spiritual diseases spiritual attacks problems madness child Barrens or you want to get quick riche search for positions and many more call for all help but I don't just do because I see people doing

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Pastor Otabil’s fufu comment: A furtive euphemism on African culture

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