WHO APPOINTED KWAKU BONSAM REFEREE?

By Cynthia Ama Mills (cynamamills@yahoo.co.uk)

I HAVE, of late, been listening in amazement to the assertions of Nana Kwaku Bonsam, the Akomadan-based fetish priest of the "Kofi Kofi" shrine, regarding the rift between Bishop Daniel Obinim, the General Overseer of International God's Way Church at Bosore near Kumasi and his, as it is, arch rival, Rev. Ebenezer Opambour Adarkwa Yiadom of the Ebenezer Miracle Worship Centre at Ahenema Kokoben also near Kumasi.

In fact, I do not need to be told that the dreaded fetish priest backs Bishop Daniel Obinim against Rev. Ebenezer Adarkwa Yiadom and wants to fuel the impasse at the least chance. That is his own cup of tea.

But dear reader, let me go straight and pose these questions with the hope of provoking the right answers.

Since when did Kwaku Bonsam become a promoter or an events manager wanting to stage a platform to show off some supernatural powers of the two pastors? I must admit that the bad blood flowing between the two prominent Men of God is not the best but I don’t think Kwaku Bonsam’s intervention is the best. There is more to it. In fact, I dare say that like Captain Planet, Kwaku Bonsam is bent on combining his powers with Bishop Obinim against Rev. Ebenezer Adarkwa Yiadom for reasons best known to himself.

I hear he has fixed December 23, 2009 for an encounter in pursuit of truth in the alleged juju scandal involving his mentor. I wish that event could come on but I must say it is misplaced because Kwaku Bonsam has not made any effort to even bring the two Men of God to agree to the meeting.

He just walks into a radio programme uninvited and declares his intention to organize such an event and thinks the pastors would fall t is tricks and imbibe everything hook and sink. Merely going on air with an open invitation does not mean consent on the part of he two pastors. At least none of them has responded to this so far as I am can remember. He should stop bragging and never think he can influence people to act the way he wants.

I see this as a case of bragging and an attempt to draw attention to himself at a time artisans at Suame Magazine in Kumasi are complaining that he has outwitted them to waste their monies on some dirty "two-direct" lotto numbers he called "sure bankers".

If I may ask: Why is Kwaku Bonsam irritated by the title of Prophet One adopted by Rev. Adarkwa Yiadom? Would he also question the title of Bishop by Obinim? Of all the 32-years of the life of Obinim on this earth, nowhere have I read that the title of Bishop was conferred on Obinim by any Council or Elders of his church. According to the website of the International God's Way Church, Obinim attended the Bible College for one year and that is it. Does he compare with Bishop Palmer Buckle or our own Bishop Emeritus Dr. Peter Akwasi Sarpong or Bishop Yinka Sarfo of the Anglican Church in Kumasi? What makes Obinim more qualified to use the title "Bishop" against his background and what stops Adarkwa Yiadom from adopting a title that comes as an accolade by his large following for what they believe in? Does Kwaku Bonsam believe that Frank Annor deserve to be called a pastor?

In this instance, I can say with authority that Obinim adopted "Bishop" the same way Adarkwa Yiadom adopted his "Prophet One" title. What is Kwaku Bonsam’s beef?

Or does Kwaku Bonsam think that Obinim’s apprenticeship at Christian Triumphant Centre (C.T.C) at Akwatia-line under Reverend Bismark Owusu and two years as the leader of the Prayer Tower Group as well as the stint with Jesus Christ Ministry (J.C.M.) at Asawase under Prophet Collins simply make him a Bishop? Has he bothered to find out how Rev. Adarkwa Yiadom also came this far? I wish Kwaku Bonsam would find out the cause of the rift between the two men of God and resolve the impasse instead of fanning the enmity between them. In any case why does he not mind his own business and stop the unnecessary interference.

If Kwaku Bonsam insists on resolving the issue then I will suggest that he finds out the backgrounds of the controversial Pastor Frank Annor of the defunct Faith Power Ministry and the very people surrounding the two feuding pastors. Two weeks back, I posed this question: why is Obinim always being accused of plotting against Adarkwa Yiadom and not the other way round?

Is Kwaku Bonsam aware that the 23-year-old apprentice driver Charles Donkor who stormed the Suame police station and invoked local deities in and around the locality against Charles Abankwa and Bishop Obinim is now in the camp of Obinim after he had implicated Obinim on tape? I just listened to some recordings of Charles Donkor just before he crossed carpet to Bishop Obinim. Charles Donkor has given a statement to the police claiming he knows about Pastor Charles Abankwah’s association with Frank Annor over a year and half years.

According to him, Charles Abankwah was mostly in his company all the period they stayed at Akronwi for God’s work.

If Kwaku Bonsam minds, I will give him some background information to guide him to properly plan a resolution. In August this year the Bishop was interrogated by the Buffalo Unit in Kumasi for engaging one Musah, a fetish priest of 25 years at Sefwi, who had been converted by Rev Adarkwa Yiadom to tell his (Obinim’s ) congregation publicly that his master (Prophet Ebenezer) was spiritually powerless and that he has no power to cast away or subdue demons and deities as he claimed.

Musah was given GH¢50 as transport fare to go back and bring his family to settle permanently at (Obinim’s) house.

On his way back to Ahenema Kokoben, Musah had a change of mind and feeling remorse for being disloyal to Prophet Ebenezer, decided to go back to Bishop Obinim’s for some belongings he left behind but later thought it wise to first report to the Buffalo Unit of the Ghana Police Service at Central Police Station that his items had been seized by someone and that he needed police assistance to retrieve them.

Before proceeding to the police station, Musah confessed to some young pastors at the Ebenezer Worship Centre about what he had done and appealed to them to intercede on his behalf

When the police arrived at the Church premise of Bishop Obinim with Musah, they were refused entry by his associates, resulting in a physical scuffle in which the police were reported to have fired warning shots. The issue therefore got to public domain, resulting in a verbal battle between the two churches. Musah has also said at a press conference later that that he agreed to Bishop Obinim’s moves initially because he wanted to expose the Bishop and let the public know about evil plans harboured against Prophet Ebenezer. As a result, the two pastors have since engaged in war of words on local radio stations accusing each other of using supernatural powers not inspired by God Almighty until the juju allegation became public. Does this information mean anything to Kwaku Bonsam?

If Kwaku Bonsam cares that much, he must stop the two pastors from further unnecessary accusations and counter accusations before the PNDC Law 221, also known as the Religious Bodies Registration Law, which seems to be outreached by the Constitution, is enforced.

While I am praying and fasting for the Bishop and Prophet at no fee, let me caution them to be cautious of what those around them tell them. I want to say that Bishop Obinim should watch and weigh whatever Rev. Atta Agyeman who used to be with Prophet One tells him about his former boss ( Ebenezer ) so should Rev. Adarkwa Yiadom be mindful of whatever his boy, Pastor Emmanuel Appiah, who used to be in Obinim’s church, proclaim about the Bishop.

I am praying that the two pastors see reason and co-exist as men of God before they destroy themselves. I trust in the Lord that they can resolve the issue themselves.

Stay away, Kwaku BONSAM!