“Dr. Otabil is a thief!” “All those who attend his church are zombie, mindless Christians incapable of realizing they’re being lied to and cheated by this money-hungry criminal behind a pulpit.” “All the ills of this country are because of men like him!” The outrage is justified, the frustration is also justified. Ghanaians live with a system that holds no one accountable and this seems like a situation where a small group of banking charlatans are going to get away with exorbitant amounts of taxpayer Cedis. We must demand accountability, it is our duty as citizens, however, we’ve singled out one man, to unload our frustrations on, our disrespect and vitriol on. I am here to unpack why.
As long as I can remember, I have decried the religious dogmatism that literally impedes productivity in Ghana and Africa by extension. The fact that Duncan Williams commanded the Cedi to rise in prayer when it was in free-fall, or that we sent pastors to lay hands on the Akosombo Dam in lieu of a technological solution to dumsor are all prime examples that make religious dogmatism one of our main obstacles to progress. However, let’s be honest for a moment. Christianity has become the default punching bag for intellectuals looking for an upheaval of this social conditioning that allows the citizenry to avoid taking responsibility for their actions but also absolves government of its duties to the nation and citizenry. We’ve all been appalled by the antics of the Obinims and Kumchachas of our society. We’ve been angry with religion for so long because our struggle and lack of access to upward mobility has become so stifling that we were primed to lay blame on any dodgy behavior coming from a prominent member of the Christian fold. Here we have Rev. Dr. Otabil’s head on a spike!
I’ve been hesitant to speak on this publicly because I wanted to fully examine the facts, truly understand what I was feeling and thinking and eliminate all bias in trying to properly express what we’re experiencing as a nation and a youth who are sick and tired of the non-functioning system. A country that disregards the rule of law so regularly that corruption is an inherent part of our daily lives. We participate in it so willfully that our suspicion antennas are absolutely heightened and receptive, we can’t afford to give anyone the benefit of doubt in any situation involving the public purse. We will vilify, denigrate, insult and disparage anyone and whoever, regardless of their record because even “a man of God” has many a time proven to be corrupt, a womanizer, occultic or engaging in one too many nefarious activities so why should Dr. Otabil be exempt from the wrath of the masses?
Here’s why; As far as the public record shows, Dr. Mensa Otabil has been exemplary in character. He has been a leader that even non-Christians have pointed to as a truly upright man in his moral code. He has often contributed to the national discourse as one of the reasonable men who have held government accountable through his sermons. His contributions to the lives of many is not indicative of a greedy character. I am not aware of any misconduct on his part, publicly or privately that bordered on immoral or illegal. Until this scandal(yet to be determined illegal but has quite the makings of immoral if the Reverend is complicit). I will say this, the PR from the Reverend and the Church about the matter has been inadequate and disappointing. Initially the silence was deafening, then came the poorly-worded press statement and the icing on the cake of “God is good” repeated three times without any real content on the first appearance behind the pulpit since the case burst into flames. A better approach to the press release would’ve been: “As board chairman of Capital bank, my duty was to provide oversight and leadership in guiding the institution to remain solvent and profitable for all stakeholders. I wasn’t successful in that capacity but I assure you it wasn’t for a lack of trying. The matter is currently being investigated by the authorities. In respecting that process and to enable a fair and thorough investigation, I have submitted myself to all necessary and relevant investigation by the authorities. I will no longer be making public statements about this matter until the conclusion of the process in order to focus on my primary purpose, which is leading the Church of God.”
Behind the pulpit: the context of “God is good” is lost on those who don’t follow the faith so it seemed gimmicky or the words of someone trying to avoid discussing an uncomfortable matter. However, the discerning mind knows the meaning of “God is good” is based in scriptural principles that eschews a concept of being fallible while only God is ultimately good. There are multiple scriptural examples that will justify the use of this simple phrase to avoid having a lengthy explanation for a conversation that frankly doesn’t belong there and aligns with the public statement. I would hate to turn this into a list of Bible quotes and lessons ultimately irrelevant to my issue. However, just because Dr. Otabil has not presented his statements the way “we” would prefer does not make him automatically guilty.
For my good friends and artists Mensa, Mutombo and Wanlov who I’ve come to admire, I believe in their right to artistically express how they feel about the scandal just as much as I believe it’s my duty to speak up in contrast to their message or conclusions. I think it is healthy discourse to have differing opinions if our true aim is to arrive at solutions to the problems we collectively face. I do believe that the public outcry and disrespect of Dr. Otabil is an attack on the Christian faith and mostly unwarranted. A lot of us have grown weary of the religious-hold that entraps this country but let’s not pretend that Christianity is the only culprit here. It is the easiest one to attack and disrespect but not the only culprit in dogmatism. I have never heard any of the people denigrating Pastors use the same energy towards Imams or Fetish Priests. They also collect money for their services, let’s not kid ourselves. Prosperity gospel may be on the most public display but certainly not the only one creating dogmatism or collecting money for miracles. As a person who identifies with the faith, I get sick and tired of those who don’t share the same faith wanting to impose their expectations on Christians until I remember Christians have also done this to the masses for centuries. At some point we have failed to truly engage the concept of separation of Church and State and respecting everyone’s right to “belief”. In understanding that our social policy and religious practice are two separate parts of our public interaction and don’t have to interlink. I believe this anger towards Christianity is partly fanning the flames to single out Dr. Otabil for public denigration. The fact is, he was the chairman of the board NOT the CEO. The board chairmen of UT, Unibank et al have not even been mentioned let alone held responsible. I haven’t heard diss songs for them or the CEO’s of the other failed banks either. UT and Unibank squandered significantly more of the public purse yet no public shaming for them. I am simply saying that, it is obvious that Dr. Otabil is the preferred target for those in the public arena mainly because he’s a Christian Leader(granted we should maybe hold him to a higher standard but there is no merit in doing so in the banking sector) and I think it is plausible to point this out.
Here’s my conclusion. My aim isn’t about absolving or excusing Dr. Otabil’s role in the collapse of the bank. My aim is to point out that he was singled out for all the disrespect and insults primarily because he’s a Pastor and also a target for those who are opposed to Christianity. I believe in holding our leaders accountable in as much as we hold ourselves accountable. I have been guilty of being disrespectful as well in the past in addressing my frustrations with how things are done in this country and I realize that it’s a staple of our public discourse to not only jump to conclusions but to be very insulting and disrespectful in our our dialogue. If our aim is to win the “insult olympics” then we should carry on BUT if our real goal is to bring solutions and respect for order and due process to our national fabric, we the generation claiming to know better should do better. The reality is people we disagree with will always be defensive and closed minded if our approach in trying to reach their ears is insulting and disrespectful. I know it’s fun and I sometimes miss the rush of quipping wittily and insultingly at people I disagree with but maybe my multiplying grayhairs is aiding a bit of the wisdom I’m learning by being more compassionate and observant in the dynamics that motivate our society. Full disclosure, I am recently back to attending Church at-will and still finding my place with my faith(a sacred journey that no human should be subjected into feeling threatened by their choice of belief system) and I do choose to listen to Rev. Dr. Otabil because I find him to be a learned educator of the Christian Faith. In my opinion, based on his history and public record, he has at minimum earned the right to the benefit of doubt and certainly does not deserve the gross disrespect. When the facts after the investigation say otherwise, I’ll be happy to admit it. Gracias.
80griots 