Pastor Mensa Anamoah Otabil and Former President John Dramani Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama has launched a veiled attack on Pastor Mensa Anamoah Otabil, founder of International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), virtually labeling him as a hypocrite.
Although the former president did not specifically mention Pastor Otabil’s name, the outburst appeared to be in reaction to the motivational preacher’s recent comments that he had lost interest in happenings in the country, especially activities of the local media because everything had been politicized.
“Suddenly, everything is fine. Some say they don’t watch TV again, they watch animals. In our time, they were not watching animals. They were listening to the political discussion. Now in their time, there is too much politics. You will be tired because your darling [government] is super incompetent so they are tired of hearing the analysis. That is the hypocrisy we face,” Mahama told NDC supporters in London, United Kingdom, during his recent visit.
He tagged the comment as propaganda, urging the NDC supporters to carry on.
“So let us not buy into their propaganda,” he charged.
Otabil’s Sermon
Pastor Otabil had said specifically that the media, particularly radio stations, had embraced “mediocrity” and abandoned “excellence” and as a result, he preferred to watch foreign channels that focus on the animal kingdom.
“I will watch animals. I will watch cheetah; I will watch lion; I will watch antelope,” Pastor Otabil pointed out when he delivered a special sermon during the church’s 34th anniversary service recently.
“Oh yeah! I’ll watch antelope anytime. I’ll watch cheetah anytime, I’ll watch giraffes anytime, because at least, they will tell me how to hunt,” he said, adding, “At least, I’ll learn how to get your goal, how to avoid being eaten. I’ll learn that from the antelope. At least I’ll come back inspired and say nobody will eat me.”
The popular preacher went on to say, “Are we serious? We eat and drink politics. Turn on the radio. Here there is no political vacation. From the time a vote is cast to the time the next vote is cast, we argue politics morning, afternoon, evening. Check all your radio talk shows, all the top talk shows, take politics out they have nothing to talk about again.”
The renowned motivational preacher stressed, “I won’t even say take politics out; take NPP and NDC out. Just say, this morning no NPP, no NDC. There’ll be no conversation because we can’t even think beyond two parties. We can’t think any ideas. We can’t think solutions and we are driving ourselves into this abyss of hopelessness.”
Angry Mahama
This and other national issues appeared to have irked the former president and so when he visited London, he decided to vent his spleen in reaction.
He claimed all those who were very active in criticizing his administration had lost their voices all of a sudden.
“Something is pardonable when one government is in power but when another is in power it’s unpardonable. Things that the media would have been so loud about under my administration, it happens every day and it’s like it’s business as usual. That is the hypocrisy of our civil society, and religious and traditional leaders, everybody is quiet. Suddenly, some say they don’t watch TV anymore and that they watch animals.”
By William Yaw Owusu