The Director, Adoration Ministries, Enugu, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has continued to receive more knocks and criticisms following his recent controversial prophecy about the pending Imo State governorship election petition at the Supreme Court.
Mbaka had in his New Year message predicted that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma, will upturn and take over from Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State.
The cleric reportedly said, “in spite of all that would happen this year 2020, there is hope. In Imo State, there is hope. Imo people have suffered but God is raising a new hope that would be an agent of salvation for them.
“He is coming with a new flag to restore the dignity of that noble land. New leadership will break barriers and there would be joy in the land of Imo. Lift up your candles as I bless Hope Uzodinma and I empower him spiritually to take over. How, I do not know.”
Since that New Year day, the cleric has come under intense criticisms for the said prophecy, which several groups and individuals have dismissed.
Reacting to the prophesy, the Imo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said the cleric’s message was without substance, wondering why a matter before the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, would be so tossed around.
In a statement, the leadership of the Imo State chapter of the CAN under the leadership of Senior Apostle Godson Ibeji, said CAN had consistently kicked against such prophecies tailored to suit the whims and caprices of politicians.
“CAN has consistently opposed such politically motivated prophesies and at the same time strived to maintain the standards that guide and regulates the practice of Christianity. We will continue to tow this path until we restore sanity in the practice of priesthood”, the statement stressed.
In his reaction, Bishop Lucius Ugorji of Umuahia Catholic Diocese, who is also Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Diocese, said the Catholic Church, which Mbaka belongs to as a Priest, is not into fortune telling and as such, does not give authority to any priest to make predictions on who wins a court case or not.
He said “The Catholic Church is not into fortune telling and so does not authorise any Priest to make predictions on her behalf on who wins a court case.
“Anyone who speaks on such a matter is expressing his personal opinion.”
The Bishop said he does not give attention to such predictions, because they are cheap guess works.
“I do not normally give attention to such predictions because for me they are as good as any guess work.”
He noted that, “In a true democracy only those who win elections have the mandate of the populace to rule.
Bishop Ugorji advised Imo people not to rely on such ‘guesswork’, veiled as prophecy to support the governor of their choice, but to rather pray that their choice governor wins at the Supreme Court.
“The people of Imo should therefore pray that the candidate with their mandate should win at the Supreme Court”, Bishop Ugorji said.
