Self-styled bishop wants appointment as Spiritual Advisor to Mahama

A Tema-based bishop has threatened to drag the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to court if the party fails to offer him the position of Spiritual and Special Advisor to the President.

Archbishop Boakye Asiamah, founder of Abednego Incarnation Church at Community Five, told The Finder in an interview that the NDC promised him the post in exchange of prayers to enable them win the election petition.

He said three of the executive members of Tema Central NDC, led by its constituency chairman, Mr Benjamin Djakumah, contracted him to offer intercessory prayers in his church premises weeks before the hearing on the matter began at the Supreme Court.

The pastor mentioned names such as Alhaji Bukari, who was believed to be representing the President, Mr Moses Adzah, the Vice-Chairman of the Tema Central NDC and Mr Ahmed Mumuni, an opinion leader of the party in the constituency, as those who contracted him to pray for victory.

The bishop claimed that he fasted and prayed for the NDC and President Mahama with the assurance that once vic­tory was pronounced in favour of the party and the President, he would move to the Flagstaff House, where he would become the President’s Spiri­tual and Special Adviser.

“It has been more than four months now since the verdict went in favour of the President and the NDC, yet all efforts to get the executives of the Tema Central NDC to fulfill their part of the agreement have proved futile. Mr Djakumah continues to drop my calls or would refuse to pick up at all,” Bishop Asiamah said.

He showed a form bearing the NDC logo dated January 11, 2013 with the heading ‘Nomination as a spiritual and special advisor to the President,’ which was duly signed by four people, with Alhaji Bukari, who indicated that he was representing the President, being the writer of the letter.

The letter stated in part: “Your re­muneration and other gains will be communicated to you later by Alhaji Bukari on behalf of the President.”

Bishop Boakye Asiamah said: “I feel so cheated by the NDC, and so I thought I should come out now to pour my heart and worries out to the gen­eral public and for the President to hear what his followers have done to me.”

When contacted in Tema on Bishop Boakye Asiamah’s claims, both Mr Benjamin Djakumah and Mr Moses Adzah admitted meeting the bishop, but denied promising him an office at the Presidency.

Mr Djakumah defended: “We did­n’t promise him a job or an office. We nominated Bishop Asiamah and there are other pastors ahead of him in the queue and who are yet to be shortlisted so Bishop Boakye should be patient.”