The two teenagers who were whipped with a belt at a church service for engaging in premarital sex have broken their silence on the issue in a rather dramatic way.
The video went viral and sparked a public uproar when Bishop Obinim, leader of God’s Way International Church, was seen flogging the teens and at a point ordered his pastors to join him in whipping them.
OBTV, a television station owned by the church, invited the two teens, aged 16 and 14, for an interview on the incident and they explained it was a once off sexual encounter.
Below is a transcript of the interview:
Host: How are you?
Boy: I am fine by God’s grace.
Host: Are you fine?
Boy: Yes I am fine. I am even stronger now.
Host: What is your real name?
Boy: Elliasu Zakari.
Host: How old are you?
Boy: I am 16 years.
Host: How are you also?
Boy: I am very fine.
Host: And what is your name?
Boy: I am called Jestina Nshiraba Gyesewa and I am 14 years.
Host: Eliasu, how long have you known Bishop Daniel Obinim?
Boy: Bishop is my father. He started to cater for my education, my upkeep and everything eight years ago. He takes care of my cloths and everything and I have taken him as my father.
Host: How many siblings do you have?
Boy: We are three and I am the second born.
Host: Where is your mother?
Boy: She is in the studio with us.
Host: I mean where does she stay?
Boy: Oh, she stays with bishop just like the rest of us.
Host: And where is your father?
Boy: Oh, he died a long time ago.
Host: So you and your mother have stayed with bishop for the past eight years?
Boy: Yes, my mother and I and my siblings.
Host: Gyasiwaa, how long have you stayed with bishop?
Girl: Four years. I started to stay with him when I was four years old.
Host: Where is your mother?
Girl: She is at Madina. She stays at a place called ‘Maye Hot’
Host: Where is your father?
Girl: He is in our hometown. He does not take care of us.
Host: How many siblings do you have?
Girl: We were 12 siblings. Two died, so we are left with 10. I am the ninth born.
Host: Do you stay with your mother?
Girl: No, I stay with bishop.
Host: Your beating video has gone viral.
Boy: Yes, I have received calls from many people and some of the calls even came from South Africa and London.
Host: What do they want to know?
Boy: They ask me what happened and I tell them that I did wrong and my father disciplined me.
Host: Do you accept that you had sex with Gyasiwaa?
Boy: Yes. We had sex but it was just once.
Host: Are you sure?
Boy: Yes I am sure. We had sex just once. She is here and you can ask her if you want.
Host: Are you aware she became pregnant?
Boy: Yes, she told me. She told me three days before the flogging incident. She told me on Monday and on Wednesday, bishop saw it in church.
Host: Maame, is it true you had sex?
Girl: Yes, we had sex only once.
Host: Why did you decide to abort the pregnancy?
Girl: I was afraid of mommy and bishop (Florence Obinim and Bishop Obinim). They are the ones catering for us and have spent money to put me in apprenticeship to learn a trade. She asked me whether I wanted to go to school or learn a trade. I opted to learn a trade and she spent money to get me into apprenticeship. Six weeks into learning the trade, I became pregnant. It got scared that she would get angry. So, I sent my younger brother to go home and bring me some medicine so I drink it to about the pregnancy. It was even the wrong medicine that my kid brother brought.
After I drank the medicine, then my kid brother, Angel, came to me and asked me why I had taken medicine to abort the pregnancy.
Host: Which angel?
My brother; the youngest child of Bishop Obinim. He asked me why I wanted to abort the pregnancy. I told him to shut up and warned him that children are not to talk that way and that how did he even get to know I was pregnant. He said I should not abort the baby and then he poured the medicine away. Although he denied he was the one who threw the medicine away, I knew it was him. Then the boy warned me that even if I take the medicine, it would not abort the baby.
Host: This is surprising. You mean Bishop Obinim’s five-year-old child told you this?
Girl: Yes.
Host: Eliasu. What do you think about the persons criticising your father for disciplining you?
Boy: I felt very hurt when I heard the comments because it is bishop who takes care of me so if I have done something wrong and he has disciplined me, I am happy about it. It was a mistake I did and I have learnt my lessons, I won’t repeat it. So when I hear Ghanaians talk this way, I feel sad.
Host: What advice do you have for your fellow youth?
Girl: Everyone should be careful. I did a mistake and I won’t repeat it. It was a bad thing I did I won’t do such a thing again. People should be careful so they do not fall for such temptations
Host: Gyasiwaa, what’s your take on what people are saying?
Girl: I do not understand Ghanaians. Someone has disciplined his children in church and others are standing elsewhere talking foolishly about it and asking why he should punish his children in the church.
Host: Take your time and talk properly to let Ghanaians understand you. Exercise patience. We apologise for some of the words she used. She is just a child. Gyasiwaa, tell Ghanaians you are sorry.
Girl: I am sorry. Ghanaians wanted to say things to annoy Bishop Obinim so he stops taking care of me.
Host: What advice do you have for your fellow youth?
Girl: What I did was wrong. I thought it was the best for me, but now I know it was wrong and bishop disciplined me so that I won’t do that again. I want to tell Ghanaians should be cautious and even when they have sex and get pregnant, they should not think of abortion. And even if they want to have sex, they should protect themselves so they do not get pregnant.