Back in 2009, I received a comment from a certain “t.ukam” in defence of Nigerian evangelist Helen Ukpabio:
May I ask the educated illiterates something:Does Helen billboard conspicuously displayed on this page suggest that Helen Ukpabio organizes programs and invite them for a “kill” or “deliverance”? Why are people mischievous and blind to naked truth.Ita Uma is a ripe off,and smilling to the bank daily because he knows how to get you guys cheap,but I bet you no Nigerian can fall prey to him,and his falsehood.
As I have blogged on numerous occasions, “Apostle” Ukpabio believes that children can become “infected” with witchcraft and cause harm to other people; she teaches that such children require “deliverance”, which she provides at her church. However, the idea that children can be witches has resulted in children coming to harm or being abandoned by their parents. Sam Itauma runs a hostel that looks after such stigmatised “witch-children”, much to Ukpabio’s fury: she has declared that he is a wizard and that attempts to educate the public against the idea that children can be witches is an attempt to infringe on her religious freedom (she recently lost a legal action on this point). In 2009, she sent her followers to disrupt a local conference on the subject.
“t.ukam” is Tony Ukam, a lawyer of some reputation in Nigeria; in 2001 Ukpabio provided the foreword for one of his publications (from a cache of his website, which is no longer on-line):
CAN LAWYERS MAKE HEAVEN? – a.k.a ARE LAWYERS LIARS?
First published in 2001 (148 pages) FOREWORD by Evangelist (Mrs.) Helen Ukpabio
It is generally believed that Lawyers are liars, and will not stand the test at the gates of heaven. This 148 pages Christian Literature offers hope to this “condemned” sect of professionals. This mind chilling novel reveals that “the facts” which contains the lies comes from the client or litigant, and the “excuses or defenses” to offence/crime comes from our statutes and case laws; thus, the role of the lawyer is merely to present the facts and the law: if there is any lie in the facts or the law, it is not the product of the lawyer. In the words of Lady Apostle Helen Ukpabio (who wrote the foreword to this interesting book in 2001): “Lawyers definitely can make heaven if they do not call evil good nor good evil” she stressed further thus: “Lawyers must note that if they are not hypocritical about the law, and do not owe any man anything, but restores that which was wrongfully gotten, remains purged by the blood of Jesus, believes and fears the Lord, such a lawyer will definitely go to heaven.”
Ukpabio has in turn just received an award from Ukam; the Nigeria Daily Independent reports on an event held in Calabar on 4 December:
21 prominent Nigerians Ukam identified as hard working were on that day given honours for contributing to the development of the Nigerian society in various capacities. They included Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Aloysius Katsina-Alu honoured with Pillar of Justice in Nigeria; Walter Onnoghen of the Supreme Court honoured with Pioneer Jurist of Cross River State; Francis Felode Tabia with Pioneer Justice of Bayelsa State and Ibrahim Tanku Mohammad with Defender of Justice.
Apostle Helen Ukpabio, film producer and senior pastor of Liberty Gospel Church was awarded the Indomitable Principality of the Lord Merit Award; Enebong Ephraim, bishop of Pentecostal Fellowship of the World Inc. and chairman of the ceremony was awarded the Indefatigable Warrior of the Lord; Emmah Isong, bishop of Christian Central Chapel International, Calabar, got the Dynamic Preacher; Rev. Theodore Effiong of Assemblies of God Church and co-founder of the renowned Prayer City, Calabar, was awarded the Fearless Orator of Divine Assignment.
Rev. Sylvanus Tommy, senior pastor of Endtime Ministries, Calabar, got the Righteous Must Reign Preacher Merit Award, Emmanuel Nsan, politician and former Health Minister was honoured with Pathfinder Politician of Cross River State while King Clement Uwemedimo, the King of the Wealth of the Ocean got the merit award of the Black African Champion Inventor.
Ukpabio has boasted about her powerful connections, and she has even cautioned Akwa Ibom state governor Godswill Akpabio to “remember the fate of Saddam Hussein”. Obviously, receiving an award alongside the Chief Justice and a member of the Supreme Court sends out a message.
The “Pentecostal Fellowship of the World” is a mistake: Bishop Enebong Ephraim is actually with the “Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc”, an American denomination based in Indianapolis. There is no indication that Ephraim shares Ukpabio’s belief in “child witches”, although his part in this event is clearly an endorsement of what she stands for. As I have previously blogged, Ukpabio has a number of religious allies.
(Incidentally, King Clement Uwemedimo of Comandclem has been involved in a dispute with Mobil over royalties for the use of an anti-corrosive paint; “King of the wealth of the ocean” appears to be a reference to that. Ukam was his lawyer.)
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