Pastor Fights Over Preaching On Bus

A self-styled pastor, Francis Arthur, alias Elijah, last week engaged in an open fight with some drivers at the Takoradi-Sekondi lorry park, for preventing him from preaching on a Sekondi-bound bus.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Madam Araba Essumaba, a trader at the lorry park, said for some time now, the local GPRTU had banned preaching on its buses and has subsequently driven away several preachers.

She said at about 10 o'clock Thursday morning, Elijah came to the lorry park as a follow-up to his earlier request to preach in the bus but he was again denied permission. Unsatisfied with the response from the officials, Elijah boarded the Sekondi-bound bus and started preaching.

Mr. Kobina Mensah, driver of the bus, who came on board later, asked Elijah to alight, but he refused.

The refusal of Elijah to get off the bus infuriated the driver who forcibly threw Elijah out of the vehicle.

But as he was about to take-off, Elijah threw his Bible away, chased him, held his neck, and called him "Agent of Lucifer, demons" and told him that he would go to hell.

Other drivers, who attempted to settle the misunderstanding, were also branded "demons, anti-Christ and useless vessels" by pastor Elijah.

In an interview, Godfred Ntsiful, stationmaster, explained that they banned preaching on their buses last year due to the excessive noise made by the preachers.

Pastor Elijah later explained that after receiving directives from the Holy Spirit about two years ago, he moved to Inchaban after over 10 years of preaching within the Greater Accra and Tema Metropolis.