Rev. Owusu Bempah and the rumours about the Asantehene’s death

By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor

Friday, February 7, 2014

Folks, the challenges facing our country at several fronts are characteristic of a society in transition; but they have to be confronted and tackled so they don't derail our democracy.

True, the government is indeed pushed to the wall and is fighting its way out to have a handle on the situation.

On the sidelines, though, certain pronouncements, claims, and activities by some clergymen give very serious cause for concern. We have taken up some of those issues to discuss, but more still keep cropping up. Here is one.

The recent rumours that the Asantehene, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II, had died in South Africa were very vicious and deserved outright condemnation. Thus, every reasonable person who is alarmed by such rumours will expect action to be taken to deal with the sources of such rumours.

But the matter has taken a new twist altogether with a claim by the leader of the Glorious Word Ministry International, Rev. Owusu Bempah, who has disclosed his involvement in the issue.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Okay FM, the man of God stated that he received a message on 31st December, 2013 that if he doesn’t lead a crusade to pray on behalf of the Asantehene, he might join his ancestors soon.

According to him, this gingered him to offer intercessory prayers for the king so to avert the calamity.

“I fell in a trance and the Lord revealed something to me. In that experience, I saw a buck (goat) tied to a tree and I saw a king clothed in his traditional outfit order an executioner to slaughter the animal. As the action was about to happen, I saw another goat which was a nanny come out to save the tied goat. I asked God to explain the revelation to me and He explained to me that the goat I saw was Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the nanny was his mother. God further told me that if we don’t pray for Otumfuo and his mother, they might pass away. But we prayed for him and his mother and this averted what could have been a sad story”.

He advised Ghanaians not to regard him as a doom prophet but rather someone who was simply doing the work of God.

He again pontificated that before the late Komla Dumor met his untimely death, he had received revelations about it, but because the ace broadcaster didn’t do anything about it, the unfortunate happened.

“I received same revelations about the late former President John Atta Mills and vice president Aliu Mahama, but because nothing was done about it, they also passed away,” he stated.

(Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=299918)

Is this Rev. Owusu Bempah to be held liable as the source of the rumours?

But even before the dust settles, the head of the Nsumankwa (spiritual) division of Asanteman, Baffuor Asabre Kogyawoasu Ababio III, has stated that the faceless people behind the Asantehene death rumour will be dealt with severely by the gods of Asanteman.

The head of spiritualists in the Asante Kingdom said Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who occupies the Golden Stool, was being protected spiritually by the river and other deities in the kingdom, day and night.

(See: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=299920)

MY COMMENTS

Here we are, folks. A Christian Pastor is claiming to have "saved" Otumfuo from death while a traditionalist is invoking the spirits of the gods of Asanteman (symbolized by the rivers and other deities of Asanteman).

I can't unpack this matter involving a Christian God and the gods of Asanteman.

Meantime, I know that the Asantehene is a Christian belonging to the Anglican Church (if my memory serves me right).

So, where are we?

No matter what the case may be, the claims made by Owusu Bempah are outrageous and disturbing. This is one man who is constantly predicting doom and citing names of prominent personalities about whom he has seen "visions" concerning death, etc.

He had predicted the death of President Mahama after the December 2012 general elections and also doom for the country if Akufo-Addo didn't become the President.

In all these situations, the so-called Christian Council of Ghana hasn't seen anything troubling about this particular Owusu Bempah's outrageous claims to call him to order.

There will come a time when some agitated and angry person who is fed up with this Prophet of Doom will bundle him up and do to him what he has been predicting for other people. It is a disgrace to have such characters in our midst. I shall return… • E-mail: mjbokor@yahoo.com • Join me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mjkbokor to continue the conversation.