The following succinctly narrated three true stories tell how wicked Ghanaian Fetish priests and pastors could be. You had better stay out of the harms way, as they are often in to exact a pint of your blood in addition to the agreed pound of your flesh. They always go the extra mile in attempts to inflict maximum injury on you or defraud you of your hard-earned money as and when they get the least opportunity.

I will intentionally withhold the names of those I am writing about just to preserve their dignity though two of them are already dead and gone to that unknown land of our ancestors.

Firstly, an initially struggling "burger" phoned to his grandfather to assist him procure residence in his foreign country of abode. His grandfather who belonged in that Ghanaian generation with avid believes in fetishism, offered to help. He consulted a fetish priest (name withheld) for spiritual assistance towards obtaining his grandson foreign residential status through the acquisition of residence permits. The grandson had lost all hope in the assurance of ever acquiring residence papers shortly as communicated to him by the fetish priest via his grandfather. Time delay coupled with untold circumstances had compelled him to under several name metamorphosis like many of his Ghanaian compatriots resident abroad. Ten or more years later, he finally saw light at the end of the hazardously tortuous tunnel. The foreign authority in the end granted him the wish of his heart.

A woman who was an extended family member of both the grandfather and the grandson died in a mysterious way. The same fetish priest alleged her to be a witch and stricken her dead. They interred her remains by the shrine in accordance with the Ashanti custom pertaining to the death of those spiritually killed by fetish. The grandfather attended the funeral and happened to trip, fall and break his leg very badly. The fetish priest's spirits possessed him a few hours later. He said he caused the grandfather to break his leg for failing to honour his promise made to him if he helped his grandson to obtain foreign residence permit. Both the grandfather and the grandson had completely forgotten about any assistance forthcoming from the fetish priest towards his eventual acquisition of residence papers since it was well over ten years ago that he was consulted for help but nothing seemed to be happening. In the end, they paid the fetish priest his due but the grandfather suffered from painful broken leg, and limped around with aid stick onto death.

Secondly, a man (name withheld) was supposed to have consulted a fetish priest for spiritual assistance. He had requested that the fetish helped him to operate a more successful "provisions" store. He wanted many people to purchase from his store as against buying from the shops of his colleague-traders. He made a promise to pay the fetish priest some money if all went well, in line with Ghanaian custom and tradition. I could personally not see him operating any successful "provisions" shop but struggling equally as those within the same vicinity, yet, the fetish accused him of failing to honour his promise after helping him. He fell seriously ill, suffered weak knees that rendered him incapable of walking for the entire last five years of his life. He defecated on himself, was restricted to his room and bed, and suffered rotten body with entire toes tearing off until he passed miserably. This is how wicked fetishism could be to those adhering to their ways.

Finally, a Ghanaian resident in the Americas has lately become a victim of the Ghanaian pastoral charlatanry. He was married to a woman by whom he has two children. They got divorced a few years ago owing to certain marital misunderstandings they could both not help resolve amicably. Each went their separate ways. The man decided to marry another woman after staying what may be "celibate" for sometime. The unpalatable issues about his new marriage are not the topic for discussion today but will be reserved for later. I am more concerned about how two Ghanaian pastors resident in the Americas have waded into the attempts by the former couples to get back together. The former wife insists she will only accept her ex-husband back if he was cleansed by proper physical bathing by her two pastors. This set precondition is a difficulty hurdle to overcome by the man though he is dying to go back to his former wife. He is categorically refusing the pastors bathing him.

Why at all will the pastors want to see the husband in his nudity with probably his little "Willy" dangling in-between his legs? Why do they want to bath him personally themselves? Why also should the woman be that stupid enough to insist that the pastors bath her husband before she accepts him back? Anyway, this is also how some Ghanaian pastors can corrupt the minds of the weak-minded. Let us wait and see that one of the pastors will eventually be caught sleeping with the woman if she continues to be that silly insisting the ex-husband succumbs to the prescriptions as laid down by the pastors.

Make sure no pastor fools you by seeing your nakedness under the pretence that the Holy Ghost has directed him to cleanse you of some evil. If you do, you will end up in bed with them eating your "bearded meat".

Rockson Adofo