Prophet. Odumejeje is at it again. This young man wants to pop up often and on. He wants to remain in the news. We would do him the courtesy.

 

Nearly everyone knows that Odumejeje is semi-mad. Yes, Odumejeje is sick in the head. The comic self-acclaimed Pastor is a joke. Many of us only watch his clips to ease off and pass time. Odumejeje is one character that ought to be totally ignored and not taken seriously.

Who has he spared? He had in the past fired shots at Abakiliki people. He fired at Native Doctors. He claimed he could walk on River Niger. He gave Corona Virus until end of first of April, claiming that he’s the virus himself, the liquid metal, the end of the virus and all those brouhaha. We are in the second week of May, yet nothing.

 

Odumejeje does WWE smack down with his church members, as gimmicks to casting out devil and healing them. He stomps his full weight on bloodied open-injuries, which he claims are poisonous as a way to heal it. He claims to destroy charms and shrines. He claims everything, and ask church members to spray him money whilst he dances.

 

We must acknowledge herein that he has a good musical crew. He may be a good singer too. Infact, his instrumentalist is top notch. Odumejeje would’ve easily qualified and passed well as a musician, dancer, actor or comedian, or even combining them all, but attaching Pastoral calling to it is what I am yet to understand.

 

He recently fired a heavy and indeed, a ballistic shot with provocative tendencies at ndi Arondizuogu. I want to start by making it clear that Odumejeje is taking his luck and joke too far. Sometimes, it’s better to respect yourself, than play god in virtually all things. You cannot ignorantly and so arrogantly rise to speak on what has no correlation to religion and Christianity.

I’ve watched several clips by ndi Arondizuogu from home and abroad who rose in unison to defend their land and their own. Arondizuogu is a remarkable town in Igboland. They’re progressives and really hardworking people. It’s stupidity of the highest order for Odumejeje or anyone at that, to talk down on them or so disrespectfully.

 

Odumejeje to many of us is not a Pastor. Infact, he may be anything but not to be one called by God. Well, in this time and age, many people even when God fails or bluntly refuses to call them, force the call upon themselves. They go ahead and call themselves to those service. They’re merely businessmen and women.

 

Odumejeje is a clownish comic actor. Infact, one shouldn’t be surprised at the turnout of many of his colleagues, who have an edge above him, as “professional actors and actresses” flooding his church. They must come, to make whatsoever that happens there look real. They’ve a pool of followers, and can bring more followership for Odumeje.

 

The actor/pastor doesn’t spare any ends. He once traveled to Indonesia for his dramatized outings. There, like never before, many young Nigerians, majorly Igbo boys resident in Indonesia came all out and were so recklessly spraying monies at him while he sang at the event venue.

The attraction wasn’t pastoral duties or spiritual fortification of any sort, but purely his musicals and comic displays. The fanfare that follows Odumejeje is the quotes, quips and funny talks he releases and timely too. The residents in Indonesia who attended totally forgot that this wasn’t Nigeria where nothing works and anything goes, but abroad, where the system works.

 

The sad thing about the Odumejeje’s Indonesian trip was that it ended in tears for many Nigerian residents there. They were spraying monies like mad men, when the real owners of the nation, through their various policing units were taking note. The next day, they virtually raided all homes with African residents.

 

The heartbreaking part was that many were definitely heading for deportation, just for the shared foolishness of one man and his ignorant army of followers.

 

Indonesians aren’t idiots. The Nationals may be jealous too. They work as much as foreigners do, maybe even more and harder, yet foreigners, particularly Nigerians have wealth to flout around and spray. They would ask questions, where’re those monies coming from and what are the boys doing to make those monies?

 

There’re many persons living there without valid papers – expired visas, no student visas, no work permits and many more. There’re many who don’t own homes and are jobless, yet they flout wealth. Most of them are into dirty dealings – drug peddling, internet fraud and such nefarious activities. Why would they so recklessly flout wealth?

Odumejeje’s visit to Indonesia was supposed to be a blessing to Nigerians resident there; sadly, it ended in becoming a window to the discovering of their illicit means of acquiring wealth, and deportation of many of them. Yet, Igbo boys won’t ever learn, they still idolize and take Odumejeje seriously.

 

Even in his church, no one to this day knows for sure, how he gathered some ladies and clothed them in Catholic Reverend Sisters outfits. I’ve struggled to ignore that, but it keeps popping up in mind, back and forth.

 

Those women are for sure not of the Catholic Church, but Odumejeje has succeeded in bringing and clothing his co-travelers and actresses to portray an image as Catholic Reverend Sisters in a desperate bid to further deceive unsuspecting followers. Well, I leant that when he was much younger, he was an altar knight, a mass servant, meaning he came from a Catholic home. He therefore knew how to drive pity.

 

Latest in the news is that Odumejeje has dared Chief. Pericoma. He had claimed that he even once in the past, asked him to bring his charm and that he would defeat him. Well, that, most definitely would be a lie from the pit of hell. Infact, that’s lying about the dead, and you see, Odumejeje lied with this shocking uneasiness, baffling carelessness and indeed, with such reckless abandon.

 

There couldn’t have been any time Odumejeje met with Pericoma and discussed spiritual warfare with him. It’s unbelievable that he would be that mischievous and have a tongue so lying to that level. As if hitting at Pericoma wasn’t enough, he fired hard at his children, calling them all “useless”.

It’s a long established fact that Speedy Darlington, just like Odumejeje is also sick. Speedy seems to have slight mental disconnect, and so does Odumejeje. However, they’ve one thing in common – comic actors who are only in pursuit of cheap popularity.

 

It’s totally unacceptable to roundly conclude that all Pericoma’s kids are utterly useless, especially when he Odumejeje is not anywhere better. It returns to the stand of pot calling kettle black. Atleast, we know the US-based comic singer, Speedy Darlington. Odumejeje and himself are in thesame class psychologically, mentally and socially, maybe even financially too. They’re merely both hustlers.

 

As if firing at Pericoma and his immediate family wasn’t enough. Odumejeje in his folly and pomposity pushed further to Arondizuogu as a community. One wonders, what has Arondizuogu got to do with the madness that drives Odumejeje? Next he began to talk about money, “no wealthy man from Arondizuogu, not even one person”.

 

Sometimes, some arguments shouldn’t even be happening in the first place. There has never been anytime in history, that wealth of individuals were counted to ascertain who’s wealthier or not. Infact, those who we pity and ignore as middle class, quite pulls surprises, when someone sees from inside within of their wealth.

 

Most times, in Nigeria for instance, many people write off Igboland and in particular, Onitsha main market to have wealthy businessmen coming from there. Everyone thinks first of Abuja, Lagos and PortHarcourt and in some instances, Kano.

Well, the surprise is that there’re a handful of billionaires in Onitsha. Many of them who are well made multimillionaires. I mean those who made their money legitimately, not those who dupe banks, deceive westerners or those who loot from the public treasury, diverting Government contract monies or misusing those.

 

In Onitsha main market, the surprising discovery that can be made is a wonder. Nnewi is another shocker, as to how wealth can be made, grown and sustained quietly without so much show-offs and noise. This can correlate to Arondizuogu. Even Odumejeje himself, what’s his worth? How much does he have? Where’s he from and what’s the wealth of his people?

 

He can’t continue to hide under the cover of Onitsha-based Pastor to be deceiving people. Odumejeje looks more like a conman. The young man is taking his joke too far, and one wonders, who’s even advising him? Who are his close friends? Who does he listen to?

 

Odumejeje might’ve powers, good or evil. He of course has many followers. He might’ve many flooding his worship center. He could be catching the fantacious cruise of the moment, as his church is today a household name, but for all that it’s worth, he must thread with caution.

 

We understand that he’s an illiterate. Of course, just like many other things, he isn’t ashamed of that. He shows it off without apologies. He’s even unwilling to be schooled. And our institutions aren’t even helping matters, a roadside university even offered him a Honorary Doctoral Degree. Everything about Nigeria is a joke, from Buhari down to Odumejeje.

 

I’m not from Arondizuogu. It’s not my job to speak or defend for them either. Mine is to educate our people aright, that Odumejeje’s madness is quickly going out of hand, and something has to be done, and urgently too.

At this juncture, is pertinent to note quite clearly, that Pericoma in his prime and youthful zest, even when he was advanced in age was remarkably known as the Lion of Africa. There were reasons for those. During his reign, Odumeje was only but a baby. The gra-gra that he is posing in this age and time was only a cheap joke when compared to what and who Muonwu Arondizuogu, Pericoma was at his time.

 

The open threat by ndi-Arondizuogu is another cheap ridiculous joke. It would’ve been best to ignore Odumejeje and his lame stupidity. The young man just wants to continue to trend. There was no need to threaten to do whatsoever to him. The fact is, those threats are merely threats, and are nonsensical. If you’ve any actions, you fire on. You don’t trade threats first.

 

Pericoma that we heard of, knew and can remember back then didn’t have time for childishness. He doesn’t give in for cheap popularity stunts. There has been many noise and counter noise. We have watched and read. Even his sons are posing for a challenger. You don’t put up a fight with a man whom has already dared you, drawn the battle line and jumped into the ring. The next that could follow is your eventual destruction.

 

Even in his most sold music track, Muonwu ndi-Izuogu na anyi ajo aro. He examplified his capacity and capability when those Upper Iwekka Boys lifted him on their heads to their tax office, he glued on their heads and refused to climb down, until he was wholly appeased. Pericoma talks less and shows action. Well, they can’t do anything to Odumejeje. All of them are merely comedians too.

 

Odumejeje must be called to order. Indeed, the deaf fly, follows the dead body into its grave. It’s okay to fight, but if you must fight, win. The bar head or clean skulled man doesn’t go for a head knocking competition. He who lives in a glass house, doesn’t throw stones.

 

Every wise man should intelligently understudy the rise and fall of empires. They should be smart enough to ask questions on why people fail and how they succeed. They should make inquiries. He’s not the first and definitely won’t be the last.

In this same Nigeria, Igboland and Anambra, infact, within same Onitsha axis, we have had Eddy na Nawgu, we all remember how the once very powerful Eddy was so cheaply ended, by mere Bakassi boys who sliced his flesh like suya before sprinkling a gallon of patrol on him and igniting him to burn to ashes.

 

Seven hundred and eleven words are enough for the wise. The problem now is – “is Odumejeje even wise?” As for the answer, your guess is as good as mine, “nwoke na apu ara”. He’s mad!

 

 

Tobenna Obiano