Bishop Daniel Obinim
To borrow the immortal quote from my favorite actor Al Pacino, from the Godfather, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in”. I had vowed never to again waste any precious breath over the deeds of “Angel Obinim”. Here I am, blood boiling, heart racing and speechless.
I am not one bit mad at “The Angel”. I’m mad at the hypocrisy and selective anger being displayed by most of us. It amazes me how most Ghanaians are responding to his latest shenanigan. “I just don’t tink far, I don’t tink madness”.
We’ve had the misfortune of dealing with this character over some years now and we still seem to be baffled by his ways. God in his abundance of mercies has generously endowed us with several individual talents and traits. Some are tall; others short, some big, others skinny, some fair colored whilst others are beautifully dark. The one thing I believe we all share is common sense.
What differs is how this gift is utilized. In the 16th year of the 21st century, there is no excuse for anyone to abuse such a gift. We have managed to set up Facebook accounts, tweet, text and drive. Some of us are yet to learn the most primitive acts of them all; think.
Last time I checked, Obinim did not operate a buffalo force dragging people out of their homes to his churches. They go out of their own volition. This man has slept with his junior pastor’s wife, cursed a baby, trashed a radio station; publicly insulted people and the worst of it all denigrate his wife’s womanhood. Need I go on? These acts are not classified secrets, yet these sycophantic followers troop to his abode fawning over every move he makes.
Friends we all experience miracles in our own small ways. It amazes me anytime I get back home safely after a long drive on the highway. Can one imagine how many things could have gone wrong? How easily I could have lost my life? People, can anyone testify seeing a known cripple finally walking after an Obinim service? Can anyone honestly tell me someone they knew finally gained back their sight after visiting Obinim? Don’t ask me to go watch YouTube clips pur-leease.
For how long are we going to show this selective outrage episodically? The entire nation is throwing a fit over some trivial issue. Nana Oye Lithur, minister of women, gender and children affairs supposedly reported Obinim to DOVVSU. Madam minister, teen girls are getting pregnant by the numbers because of poverty at home.
Single mothers are swelling by the numbers because of dead-beat dads. Kaya yoo girls are being raped because of their vulnerable state of accommodations. With all these pressing needs, you have the free time to pursue such a case? You really believe these servile “victims” would cooperate with the authorities? Dear minister, stop wasting our monies and quit the showboating.
Amnesty international calls for the immediate arrest of “Angel Obinim”. Ghana is one of the worst nations ever for the disabled. BBC news once had the headline “The Country Where Disabled People are Beaten and Chained”. Before we attack a western media for portraying Africa as hell, lets do a quick self-reflection. We know deep within our hearts this is true. Families’ treat the disabled as abominations.
Some are kept in rooms for over a decade and abused. We live with such a shame and yet pretend like Obinim whipping some horny adults is the worst thing to taint our image as a people. In 2016 Ghana, we still have “witch-camps”. We abandon these vulnerable elderly, starve them and some even abused to their graves. Amnesty international Ghana should religiously stay on such an issue until things change. They must quit the noise and stop the showboating.
Our noble politicians have abused and misused most of our resources, which could potentially offer some ray of hope. If our passport offices were not ridden with corruption, Obinim wouldn’t have any need to miraculously retrieve a passport from the unknown world. If folks had 9-5 jobs, it would be hard for them to frequent Obinim’s churches 4 outta 7 days in a week.
If our education offered more than just “chew and pour”, folks would know and demand their rights as citizens. I’m not here defending Obinim’s debauchery. He’s just one man contributing to the gradual denigrating of our motherland. Most of us know the story of Jim Jones of the People’s Temple. This cultic personality convinced 909 Americans to drink cyanide laden cool aid killing them all. Obinim is getting real close. I might sound dark and gloomy but this issue is much bigger than just Obinim.
What could be done? Police can’t control mindsets. Jail Obinim and I guarantee you, 100 more will emanate from their classroom churches to take over the mantle like rats. The answer is EDUCATION! EDUCATION!! EDUCATION!!!. I don’t mean just what we learn in schools.
People must be taught life skills to maneuver a mean world. People must be taught self-worth. People must be taught to believe in the power of their imagination and be confident about their decision making process. People must understand pain, death, poverty, happiness are all integral part of life. Not every death is attributable to your poor grandmother trying to enjoy the rest of her golden age.
Not every poverty is associated with our mother’s evil spirit. We set out to seek miracles and we easily get amazed of what we discover. Obinim might be a spiritual Atta Ayi but he plies his trade on his own property.
Ghana is morally failing. This moral denigrating is at an alarming rate. Obinim is only a symptom of a broader much bigger societal decadence. #leaveObinimAlone#.
Writer's e-mail: Ekoduro1@hotmail.com
