“Rather than everybody calling for change, religious leaders should own up to their ethical failure. Nigeria is littered up with mosques and crowd-pulling, money-spinning churches, but reeling in a cesspool of corruption and moral decadence.

“Ours is a secular state where top public officials, traditional monarchs and clerics go on pilgrimages annually at public expense, while their followers and subjects suffer in neglect, unemployment and backlog of unpaid salaries, for the few employed ones, in both public and private sectors.

“And what hope is there in a country where parents fund exam malpractices which are encouraged by teachers and tutorial centres/ school proprietors – right from primary to tertiary institutions.

“If Nigerians are honest with themselves, the change we need should begin from the home, the churches and mosques, to schools and universities where the future leaders are groomed.

“So, while the President does his part by cleaning the federal Augean stables, state governors, parents, and heads of social institutions have a greater role to play in driving the desired change. Are we not ashamed of the endemic corruption and frequent news reports of ritual murders, where believers and religious chieftains are often implicated?”

The General Supervisor (GS) of ThankGod Awaited Liberation Ministry, Mr Francis Onwudiwe Otukwu, expressed the above at the 9th Anniversary and Founders birthday celebration on Sunday August 9, 2015.

The event was held at the Mission House, 37A Adekoya Street, Ogba, because of the demolition of their 91 Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos premises, which, he said, was a blessing in disguise.

Speaking on the theme of the anniversary, The Light has come, Mr Otukwu (fondly called Ozuomee), stated that the ministry has been regarded as controversial because, being founded by the Son of Man, it stands out distinctively in its outright condemnation of evil – both in Christendom and the political system.

This, he noted, led to various forms of attacks and hate petitions, culminating in the demolition of the worship centre by the Lagos State Government on June 18, 2015, against an injunction of a competent Ikeja High Court.

He added that despite the antagonism, the ministry is joyfully celebrating the power of light in their congregation.

“Because I’m empowered by the Master himself, the raw power of God is released in my prayers and it delivers healing, liberation from all forms of demonisation, including pernicious invasion of spirit husbands and spirit wives (the incubus and succubus), as well as opening of people’s spiritual eyes to enable them identify sources of their problems directly, rather than depend on occult-empowered pastors and seers who cannot provide any solution,”  He said.

 Mr Otukwu averred that it is only in ThankGod Awaited that you are not subjected to fasting, night vigils, tortuous deliverance exercises, and other forms of warfare prayers - all of which produce no results to supplicants because there is no power of God in churches.

This, he said, is another distinguishing feature of light, “which separates us as disciples directly empowered by Christ.” He recalled the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter 8 where he said that he is the light of the world and so his followers cannot walk in darkness.

This was explained by Apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 6: 14, 15: “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what concord with Christ and Belial (How can Christ and the devil agree?).”

Stressing that condemning evil practices, contrary to so-called Christians say ‘thou shall not judge,’ the minister recalled arguments between Jesus Christ and the Pharisees and religious leaders of the time who rightly claimed to be children of Abraham.

Citing the scenario in John Chapter 8, where they vehemently rejected him as the messiah, how Jesus Christ was compelled to tell them the bitter truth: “Ye are of your father, the devil, and the lusts (desires) of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him…He is a liar and the father of lies.” (Vs 44).  

Mr. Otukwu asked: “Despite their pontifications and impeccable Queen’s English, false claims to miracles, annual ‘life-changing’ programmes with deceptive themes, shouts of Holy Ghost fire, blood of Jesus, and what have you – are they not agents of darkness, corruption, lies and ritual murders – all of which Jesus attributed to Satan the Devil?” The crowds in their churches, the GS added, are in bondage as they are manipulated and controlled in the night, which explains why many behave like zombies: ‘my pastor, right or wrong - which is neither biblical nor sensible.

The cleric said that there are manifestations of syncretism in Christendom. That is, combining God with other powers, which according to him, “is not tolerated in our ministry, because the Almighty made it clear that He is a jealous God.”

Mr Otukwu noted: “As a result of our Insistence that God does not combine, many so-called believers come to our worship centre or buy the blessed table water: after they’ve received healing and solutions to their various problems, go back to their various churches to give testimonies. The reason is simple: they cannot afford to stand on God alone, as demanded in the kingdom, which simultaneously destroys such diabolical powers.

“Although this costs the ministry membership, but that we cannot compromise such standards, because our goal is not crowd-pulling or prosperity appeal, but serving God of justice, who alone can liberate you before you can attain success. It is Spirit-enabled” On visions and dreams, as the Bible states, will happen in the last days, he said that in the ministry, everyone sees.

He mentioned the example of the current anniversary where the inscription on the cake and mode of hall decoration was revealed to a Basic 9 pupil, who relayed it to him and it was fully complied with. Given what he described as misconception about the Kingdom of God and second coming of the Messiah, he cited Luke 17:20 where Jesus specifically told the Pharisees that the Kingdom does not come with your careful observation;…because, the Kingdom of God is within you.

The minister also said that experiences of God’s power in his ministry was in accordance with John 1:12 which said power was given to those who saw the Messiah and believed: and Mathew 13:16, 17 where Jesus said to his disciples:  “How fortunate are you. For blessed are your eyes because they see; and your ears because they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see and to hear these things which you hear…”

Mr. Otukwu, who rejects being called a pastor, expressed satisfaction that his ministry commands the light because the founder rightly stated via the mass media and Internet, that he is the Christ. “And although he has gone back to the Father, he still directs the affairs of the ministry through revelations, which is why the light in us delivers the power of God that manifests in our prayers.”   

•Photo shows Mr. Otukwu