Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings in his usual outrage, last Friday attacked pastors whose false prophecies, he said, had unleashed untold hardships and indignity on old women and children in the country.

He said these “crooks” through their ungodly acts, have arrogated to themselves big titles such as “prophets”, “Head Pastors”, “Apostles” and “Evangelists” just to cash in on the ignorance and gullibility of the majority of women who have branded their grandmothers, mothers and children of other relations witches and consigned them to physical torture, under the pretext of exorcism.

Mr. Rawlings condemned such charlatans last Friday, during the inauguration of two-semi detached staff bungalows for a health centre at Agona Kwanyako, in the Agona East District of the Central Region.

His comments followed a Ghanaian Times front page story on a six-year-old househelp who was subjected to torture by a 29-year-old woman, Jennifer Mensah, because a pastor told her that the girl was possessed by an evil spirit and should be exorcised.

The victim was, however, rescued by the Odorkor police whilst the perpetrator of the dastardly by act has been arrested for interrogation. Flt. Lt. Rawlings said such victims, mostly old ladies and children were sometimes banished from their localities and taken to “witches camp” for confinement.

He asked, “Why don’t these villains of pastors who identify only old women and children as witches, extend their services to the men fold? “Why are there no wizards camp but always witches camp? I need an explanation from these so-called men of God who often put the Bible under their armpits pretending to be serving God, and saving souls.”

He said “let us collectively fight this untruths and save our mothers and children from this nonsense:-God or Allah does not tolerate such nonsense”.

The former President said that what worried him most was the way and manner these “fake men of the Holy Spirit” openly flaunt themselves on television and on the airwaves professing to be wielding some supernatural powers that could solve all problems, be they financial, travels, infertility, barrenness, witchcraft and others overnight.

“Why should their falsehood tend to mesmerize us? Don’t we think?” he asked, and advised parents who had given their children out to serve as househelps to constantly visit them and assess the conditions under which they lived.

Mr. Rawlings advised people to practice family planning, as bringing forth many children, resulted in poverty.