In God’s name!, By Wole Olaoye

More than ever before, Nigerians are now calling for some kind of regulation of the religious sector in such a way as to protect citizens from religious Ponzi schemes. At the moment, virtually anyone who can acquire a suit of any description and memorise a few verses in the Bible can call himself a pastor and start a church. In the same vein, anyone who can tie an impressive turban and recite important verses in the Quran can claim to be a cleric.

I believe in God. My faith in His existence is transdenominational. My pro-God stance predated my encounter with the ontological approach of St. Anselm or Thomas Aquinas’ cosmological argument, or even René Descartes’ logical approach to prove that there has to be a supreme being for everything else to make sense.

I make that declaration from the onset before the horde of hypocritical religionists start raining down invectives, as they usually do, whenever anyone questions their weaponisation of mass hypnosis to swindle congregations all over the world — particularly in Africa — under the canopy of God.

If you believe in God, then there is a possibility that you would also believe that He can intervene in the affairs of men. That intervention could be in the form of a miracle — an extraordinary occurrence that can’t be explained through natural or scientific laws. That is as positive as it gets. The other side of the coin is that ‘miracles’ are now being commercially hawked by merchant pastors who use them as an opiate. 

Nigeria’s National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) recently warned the public not to buy “miracle” products produced by a church headed by the popular Christian televangelist, Jeremiah Fufeyin.

NAFDAC said the products, which have names such as “Miracle Water” and “River Jordan Water,” claim to have “bogus” healing properties, such as the ability to cure women of infertility. The statement also said Mr Fufeyin’s Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry was selling these wares without NAFDAC approval, as required by law.

NAFDAC began investigating the products after receiving complaints from members of the public, the agency’s statement said. It also said the products violate regulatory approval and that Mr Fufeyin’s church had “refused to co-operate with the investigation.”

Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry has countered NAFDAC’s statement, arguing that it operates under Nigeria’s law, which guarantees freedom of religion without interference. The church, which has hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers and enjoys huge success across social media, denied all the allegations. 

However, it is noted that some of the products are emblazoned with Mr Fufeyin’s name. According to the BBC, “Mr Fufeyin has long attracted followers from across the country, claiming to perform miracles and heal ailments. The preacher has said he is a billionaire, but has faced criticism for his lavish lifestyle. In Nigeria, it is not uncommon for preachers like Mr Fufeyin to sell products claiming to treat ailments. For instance, the late televangelist TB Joshua sold “anointed water”, which was marketed as having healing powers.”

Remarkably, it is not just a Christian thing. Muslim clerics have also wisened up to the immense possibilities available to ‘men of God’ in the multi-billion naira industry. Some clerics specialise in sourcing marabouts for the high and mighty. Many of those spiritual intercessors are of middle eastern origin, as if their God is more powerful that the one worshipped in Nigeria. 

Fufeyin’s church is not alone in what has been described as the lucrative business of packaging miracles for sale. In these harsh economic times, many Nigerians are looking for an easy way out of their miseries. Psychologically flagellated and hemmed in from all sides by problems of nuclear and extended families, many people resort to the transcendental. They forgo logic and hold on to whatever celestial straw is thrown their way.

Warehouse-type buildings that hitherto housed manufacturing concerns have now been bought over and converted to churches and miracle centres. The factories are dying but the churches and their offer of miracles are booming. 

Yet, we cannot tar every pastor with the brush of infamy because there are still veritable men of God doing God’s work in spirit and in truth. The problem is that the genuine ones are being totally overshadowed by the charlatans. 

And it’s a dog-eat-dog affair out there. Sometime ago, one popular pastor, Bishop Prince Ufuoma (Prophetic Professor) of Elevation Christian International Church, reportedly confessed how he joined the white prophet cult, killed about seven persons, slept in the cemetery and performed fake miracles. He was also said to have claimed that all the popular pastors in Nigeria are part of the white prophet cult and they made him join them. 

At the event, he was said to have displayed the charms he relied on in the past to swing ‘miracles’, warning his listeners that most of the claims of miracles in many modern churches are fake.

Truth be told, the movie star lifestyles of many modern pastors could put pressure on the fledgling ones among them to devise various means of catching up. With a desperate congregation hungry for miracles, the stage is set for mass deception. 

I wasn’t surprised the other day when I received a video clip of a pastor magically conjuring credit alerts into the accounts of church members. You would think that I had been soaked in nitrous oxide, the laughing gas. I told myself that that was one miracle I could vend myself, especially since I had all the account details of tithe-paying church members!

Remarkably, it is not just a Christian thing. Muslim clerics have also wisened up to the immense possibilities available to ‘men of God’ in the multi-billion naira industry. Some clerics specialise in sourcing marabouts for the high and mighty. Many of those spiritual intercessors are of middle eastern origin, as if their God is more powerful that the one worshipped in Nigeria. 

Government intervention in the area of streamlining policies governing religious practices is bound to meet with stiff resistance from those ‘holy’ men making iniquitous gain from the misery of their congregation. But the government has to stay the course. The Bible itself foresaw mercantile religiosity and warns: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (1 John 4:1).

Our politicians, who could be as vicious as they come when looting the treasury, are mere potty in the hands of the marabouts. Karl Marx must be beating his chest in self-congratulation because it was he who warned us that religion was the opium of the masses.

More than ever before, Nigerians are now calling for some kind of regulation of the religious sector in such a way as to protect citizens from religious Ponzi schemes. At the moment, virtually anyone who can acquire a suit of any description and memorise a few verses in the Bible can call himself a pastor and start a church. In the same vein, anyone who can tie an impressive turban and recite important verses in the Quran can claim to be a cleric.

Nigerians are now clamouring for some kind of control to protect the people. References have been made to Rwanda’s battle with the same problem and the positive results already yielded.

In Rwanda, the law requires that places of worship operate in an orderly and secure manner. It prohibits the use of loudspeakers and mandates that all preachers undergo theological training before establishing a church to ensure the safety and tranquility of worshippers.

Last month, Rwanda shut down 5,600 churches, including some 100 places of worship operating in caves, for not complying with the country’s safety and health regulations. The crackdown on places of worship is part of a broader effort to regulate religious practices. A 2018 law requires pastors to hold theological degrees from accredited institutions and mandates churches to adhere to strict building codes and hygiene standards.

Government intervention in the area of streamlining policies governing religious practices is bound to meet with stiff resistance from those ‘holy’ men making iniquitous gain from the misery of their congregation. But the government has to stay the course. The Bible itself foresaw mercantile religiosity and warns: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (1 John 4:1).

If that verse was a meal, I’d gladly take the Jamaican reggae artist, Max Romeo’s lamentation as dessert:

“My father’s house of worship
Has become a den of thieves
Stealing in the name of the Lord…”

Wole Olaoye is a Public Relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on wole.olaoye@gmail.com, Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021.