Bishop Charles Agyinasare
The Founder and Leader of Perez Chapel International, Bishop Charles Agyinasare, has launched a blistering attack on people who do not agree with him on national issues, going to the extent of calling them ‘attack dogs’.
“When you do, they release their attack dogs who pounce on you through the media and social media and they insult you, threaten you and label you,” he said, adding “we cannot raise issues in this country anymore; when you do, then you are branded NDC or NPP, depending on whose ox is gored.”
Bishop Agyinasare who started World Miracle Bible International, which has metamorphosed into Perez Chapel, has been using his pulpit to attack the government of late, saying that it has collapsed indigenous banks and was favouring foreign business.
Besides, he has said that the government has crippled opposition media and was not tolerating dissenting views, adding specifically that “some politicians have made it so difficult to criticize their wrongs.”
In some of his broadcasts, the popular Bishop said, “We do not even have any known opposition radio or television station, and we pride ourselves that we are a democracy. It is a shame on us,” adding “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.”
“We need people that can tell the unpleasant truth. If we build a nation of yes-people, then we are doomed.
“We have too many sycophants who only tell leaders that: ‘You were making a mistake’ after their fall. ‘I knew things would go wrong’, they say. So, why did you not say it then?’” he said on another forum.
“Politicians and leaders, it is time you appreciated those who would show you ‘sins’ but not those who would sing your praise”, he said, stressing that “leaders on all fronts need people who would not fear your office but respectfully tell you that: ‘The king is naked’ but not say: ‘Oh king, you have a nice transparent garment on’.”
Voters Register
He also waded into the resolve not to allow foreigners to register for the Voters ID card in the ongoing registration exercise and appeared to whip up ethnocentric sentiments by claiming that the government is trying to divide the people.
“Our politics must stop dividing us. Politicians must stop polarizing our country. We used to be one country. In our boarding houses, we were bonded together: the Christian and the Muslim; the Ewe and Ashanti; the Ga and Dagbani or Frafra; the Dagaba and Nzema, etc. We all stayed in one dormitory or hostel, so, we saw ourselves as one people.
“It is not right for us to see some Ghanaians as foreigners,” was his reaction, similar to what former President John Mahama echoed recently in the Volta Region, where the opposition NDC claims the NPP government is harassing them because they were saying they are allowing Togolese to come into the country to register.
The Prez Chapel Bishop said, “Today, our politicians see some Ghanaians as foreigners and so a 70-year-old blind man, Mr. Christian Agbeviade, who had worked with the Ministry of Defence at Burma Camp for 30 years and now retired to his village, can be harassed by security forces to prove he is a Ghanaian because he is branded Togolese,” adding “when I saw the video, my stomach churned as to what our country is coming to.”
He said “apparently, this old man was the in-law of the Moderator of the Global Evangelical Church (Right Reverend Dr. Kwadzo Setorwu Ofori)”.
Divisive Politicians
“Our politics must stop dividing us and we must stop this attitude of ‘you are a foreigner’ because it does not build a nation but destroys a nation,” Bishop Agyinasare pointed out, adding “we don’t need to be piling ethnic or tribal explosive powder under our national carpet. When we do, it will explode in our faces one day,” he warned.
He then tried to create the impression that something serious is happening in the country and even likened it to the Nazi Germany era, quoting German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller, regarding the silence of good people during the rise of the Nazis in his country, to buttress his supposed claims.
Fight Back
His critics have been sharing on social media where they said Bishop Agyinasare ‘enjoyed’ from the NDC and created the impression that he was doing the bidding of the opposition as the December election draws closer.
They claimed he used a diplomatic passport during the NDC tenure and that privilege had been taken away by this government.
They also claimed that Bishop Agyinasare was a Board Chairman for the insolvent First Trust Savings and Loans then owned by Nii Kotei Dzani, currently a Member of the Council of State, and added that he took loans from the collapsed financial institution.
More Clarification
When his attention was drawn to the fact that those banks taken over by the government breached laid-down regulations, including blowing taxpayers sweat in the form of bailouts given them, the pastor became offended and issued a statement through Apostle Raymond Acquah who is the Administrative Bishop of Perez Chapel International, saying anytime some one criticizes the authorities, they release their ‘attack dogs’ on the person.
The statement said the allegations were false and were calculated to tarnish the reputation of the Bishop.
Bishop Statement
“It has come to our attention that some ridiculous and mischievous information is circulating on social media and on some unsuspecting news portals.
It is a known fact that if one dares to speak about the ills of society, attack dogs are readily unleashed to sustain the crippling culture of silence in our dear country.
I am to state on authority that Bishop Charles Agyinasare has never applied for or secured any loan from the collapsed First Trust Savings & Loans Company and the GN Bank.”
The statement said further that “the allegation is a complete fabrication and is therefore false, adding “for the record, I am to clarify and confirm the following that Bishop Charles Agyinasare was one time Board Chairman of First Trust Savings & Loans Company.”
The statement added that “Bishop Charles Agyinasare NEVER applied for or ever received a loan from First Trust Savings & Loans, either before, during or after his Chairmanship of the Board of First Trust Savings & Loans. Bishop Charles Agyinasare or the church he presides over has NEVER applied for or
ever received a loan from GN Bank or First Trust Savings & Loans.”
We are by this press release urging the media and the general public to disregard the lies and falsehood, asking those persons circulating such lies and unfounded allegations to put an end to them.
“We ask the general public to disregard this failed attempt to malign Bishop Charles Agyinasare,” the release added.
By Ernest Kofi Adu