“Every man is prone to some degree of rascality but for its consequences. ”
Few years ago,in the city of Port harcourt where I live,a friend of mine called me from the police station. He was detained, so he needed me to come secure his bail. What was his offense ?
Having been out of job for over 3 years he had resorted to rigorous spiritual interventions like,fasting and prayers. He also became a “born again.” No doubt his church offered him the needful succor and comfort to an extent.
Through painstaking prayer assignments and unending tarry nights, where deliverance services were held, to cast out unrestrained legions of demons and ancestral spirits impeding his spiritually visible breakthroughs, my friend was taken in by a con man who supposedly was his pastor and the GO of his church.
In one of the ceaseless night vigils my friend, apparently, overwhelmed by what later proved to be a stage managed testimonies of the amazing miracles that could result from seed sowing decided to sow a seed! But he has to convince his wife first.
So, on that fateful night, following breathtaking prophetic declarations and subtle brainwash my jobless friend this time, in agreement with his wife, decided to sow the seed of faith.The only worthy gift was the only most valuable material possession they had…a 190 Mercedes benz car! Interestingly, then, the car also served as his only source of livelihood as he did “kabukabu” with it.At least the taxi job fetched his family their daily food. When he announced his seed to the hearing of daddy GO. The GO, unexpectedly, was full of praises to my friend and his wife for their uncommon magnanimity to an “anointed man of God.”In an obvious excitement daddy GO released thunderous blessings upon the “giver” whom he prophesied shall “never lack!”
Six months after, my friend was plunged deeper into an abysmal hunger and starvation garnished with the most traumatizing impoverishment of self confident and his dignity! He barely could eat talk less pay his house rent and attend to few other basic needs.Even his dear wife and his ecclesiastical accomplice became unfriendly and would deny him of everything including “the thing.”
All he could get from his, once compassionate and ebullient daddy GO,was a faithless avowal of hope,obviously, lacking in conviction…”Brother keep waiting on God all will be well” became like a canonical liturgy of sort.
By this time daddy GO had tricked him to endorse the well scripted “Change of Ownership” that finally dispossessed him of his car.By that he,surreptitiously, sealed the deal!
While daddy GO cruised his “God given benz” from one of his sons. My friend, ironically, was trekking around time looking for how to survive! Unknown to him the seed he sowed to Daddy GO has inadvertently sown discord in his home. He has lost his wife,his only means of livelihood and ,invariably, his manhood!
Although he managed to cope with the home he had, unknowingly, created. His conscience on the other hand keep signalling incoherent messages! But he has made up his mind…!
On that fateful day my friend woke up from sleep and decided to visit his daddy GO. Although visiting daddy was like a ritual, but this time he had an ulterior motive. Daddy welcomed him and also treated him to a lavished launch with some heart warming prophetic declarations which my friend acknowledged, albeit, with reservations.” Oru daddy akuola” (Daddy’s game has failed woefully)!
He wasn’t surprised that daddy will offer to drop him off, so it did not come to him as a surprise.This time he would request that daddy should kindly take him to his house instead of the usual Eleme junction. Daddy accepted and joyfully took him home.
On arrival to my friends house,my friend and his wife pleaded to daddy to step his “anointed” feet into their house,at least, for a holy contact! The unsuspicious daddy accepted. It was on entering the house that my friend informed daddy that he would need his car back hence he stretched out his hands and demanded for the car keys. Daddy,in utter surprise, inquired how he wanted him to return to his home in Eleme from Rumuigbo. “Dont worry sir, I will drop you off to Rumuola junction”… My friend gladly offered.
Having taken possession of his keys he bade him enter the passenger seat as he took him to Rumuola Junction.
My friend had a good drive back as he enjoyed the new ambience and comfort the car provided. Daddy GO truly “tushed” the car! He changed the seat covers and the car stereo with a more sophisticated 5 loader CD player! The AC was also chilling!
For all he cared,his car was back and life can now gradually return to normal,my friend thought.Little did he know that, like a wounded lion, Daddy GO will give him a fight.
So on that fateful Friday morning,my friend was to welcome two strangers to his house. They identified themselves as Police officers from a Police station near Rumuokwuta. They politely requested he follow them to the station to clarify few allegations of stealing,etc leveled against him. They wouldn’t reveal the complainant until they got to the Police station. Once the IPO slammed him with the charges,he was ordered to go behind the Counter for further investigation. But for the presence of his erstwhile daddy and the stoic silence he maintained he would have concluded that the police had mistaken him to someone else. The reality was quick to dawn on him,that the hunter is the hunted and the beloved giver is now the suspect!
Sooner than they read his charges out,the IPO as well as the complainant disappeared. Their intention was later made clearer ,since it was already weekend they wanted him to spend the weekend inside the police cell. It would have been accomplished but for the divine intervention of the DPO who,on Saturday morning,demanded a brief of all the arrests made the previous day.On learning of my friends matter he demanded to see the said Pastor. When both the accused and the complainant stated their cases the DPO was so vexed with the fraudster GO that he ordered his arrest. But, because bail was so free, my friend would part with a token to defray the cost of documentation and the logistics for the arrest and detention of the daddy GO.That Clergy man,like most Clergy who coerce folks of their various possessions in disguise of seed sowing,tithe and offering that ends up in the personal pocket of the GO and his household,is the Hushpuppi.To be Continued.
Kennedy Onyenma, is a Marketing Communicator, Public Relations Practioner, Writer and Poet.
