Opinions of Monday, 13 October 2014

Columnist: Igwe, Leo

Duncan-Williams: Prophecy and Panic over Ebola in Ghana

Can't someone please call “Archbishop” Duncan Williams to order? Is there nobody in Ghana who could caution this reckless 'man of God' and get him to shut his prophetic mouth at this critical time? I mean Duncan Williams' recent declaration on the Ebola, published on Ghana web is capable of causing panic and confusion in the minds of Ghanaians.  Indeed Duncan Williams' prophetic visions can undermine efforts to prevent the spread of Ebola to Ghana. At a time of so much tension and anxiety over the spread of Ebola in West Africa; at a time the government of Ghana is doing whatever it can to prevent the spread of the virus, Duncan Williams should stop making baseless pronouncements or face state sanction. The people of Ghana cannot afford to have themselves confused by dubious prophetic posturing, fake visions and misleading information which this self-styled Archbishop is currently spreading in the country.  Fake Encounter with God Duncan William claimed to have had an encounter with the “Spirit of God”. This is what he reportedly said to have transpired between him and the divine spirit. “I was resting and [at] 1 am, the Spirit of the Lord woke me up and He said: ‘Are you sleeping?’ And I said: ‘Yes I’m sleeping’ and He said: ‘Wake up!’ So I did and He said: ‘You have to go into prayer because the Ebola virus is looking for a door to enter your country between October [and] November’”. First of all, how can anyone confirm that there was such an encounter? This is clearly a subjective experience that cannot be objectively authenticated. And what is special about this encounter? Does anyone require any spiritual experience to know that the Ebola virus could spread to Ghana if it is not contained by the neighboring countries?

Now, is it not absurd that what the “spirit of the Lord revealed to the sleeping man of God was something any thinking person on the streets in Ghana know and can predict without lying or pretending to have encountered God? In fact why didn't the spirit of God reveal the cure of Ebola to Duncan Williams? That would have given this encounter some credibility? I cannot see anything extraordinary about this fake visionary encounter apart from being a crude attempt to make an evangelical capital out of the prevailing anxieties and uncertainties over Ebola. Duncan Williams enjoined his congregants to fast and pray so that Ebola would not spread to Ghana later in the year. Now think about it. What has the spread of Ebola to do with fasting and praying? Where has fasting and praying proved effective in preventing the spread of any disease? Is fasting and praying what the people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea need in order to contain the spread of the epidemic. Is he saying that people in these countries are not fasting and praying enough?

Prophesied the Outbreak of Ebola 'Archbishop' Duncan Williams did not stop at that. He went further to declare that he prophesied the outbreak of Ebola in Liberia. He said: “When I went to Liberia early this year, I said to the president, I said: ‘Madam President, call all the pastors, the bishops the churches to begin a fast once a month at the stadium every Friday and attend yourself: there is an impending danger ahead between now and 2017’“ It is unlikely that Duncan Williams ever told the Liberian President so.  A man who could claim to have encountered the 'spirit of God' can make other frivolous claims. But let us assume there was actually an encounter like that. Now how does 'an impending danger ahead' for a country between 2014 and 2017 tantamount to Ebola? In fact how does this amount to a prophecy in the first place? Why did he stop short of mentioning the exact danger ahead? Did he encounter some problem with his prophetic network? Why didn't he go public with this prophecy before the outbreak of the disease? I mean 'Archbishop' Duncan Williams is slowly evolving into a T.B Joshua of Ghana.

Like some self-styled prophets and bishop across West Africa, Duncan Williams is an evangelical opportunist. He is taking advantage of the Ebola epidemic to shore up his 'ministry'. The people of Ghana should ignore him and not trade evidence based measures against Ebola for fasting and praying. The accounts of Duncan Williams' encounter with the 'spirit of the Lord' and 'Madam President' are clear indications that this is a man whose “prophecies” should not be reckoned with by any thinking individual or society.

Duncan-Williams prophesies: Demonic Ebola targeting Ghana Oct, Nov