The NBC ban of unverified TV miracles in Nigeria

You will not let ignorance make nonsense of the power of God. . . eeh ,  and what is it that you are doing?

Last year, joftech, one of the regulars on nairaland, asked: "Are the Nigerian Pastors Deceiving Nigrians"? I tried my best to shed some lights on these bad eggs in our society who go about preaching lies and screaming miracles in order to make a buck! Here are excerpts:

"The majority of them (flocks) are poor! I remember, in Sanngo, Ibadan, in those days when Obadare would lock the whole place down for months, saying that he was doing "deliverance." We would go there to watch them -- believe me, my brother, the sight was always unpalatable (destitutes all over; pungent odours -- argh!). On top of this, the Ibadan residents suffered the economic hardship, as every 10kobo coin in Ibadan had found its way inside hundreds of "gorodomu" empty petroleum barrels that Obadare's henchmen had placed in strategic locations in the area. The market women and danfo drivers gave the residents unspeakable hell, as they were ready to blame everything on Pastor Obadare's "gorodomu" empty petroleum barrels. This man did these for years, claiming that he could wake the dead, straighten the lame, and even restore the blind's eyesights. Hmmmm! I think he himself is still blind till date? Charity begins at home! How many lame and blind still roam the streets of Ibadan today after decades of "crusades"?
"Pastor Obadare is still alive. Call him to join the forum; I'll tell him the place, date, and time! I was not a child when Reverend T.O. Iyanda used to spray the "I found it -- Mo ti rii" pamphlets from a helicopter, disturbing the peace and quiet of Ibadan residents and claiming that he could cure them of all ailments. I personally knew one Olumide boy -- a born Christian who had been lame since birth (his mother used to sell amala at Ayedade, Elekuro opposite Medina bus stop in Ibadan). He went up the rostrum at the end of the month-long "crusade" to complain that he was still the same as he was before the begining of the "deliverance." T. O. Iyanda's guys told him and others to leave the stage. When confronted by the newshounds, T. O. Iyanda said that those people were not real Christians and, so, it would be difficult for the "holy ghost" to descend upon them. Olumide cried  and cried, saying he was a real Christian. Call Abiara of Agbala Itura (why would I lie?) and ask him to join the forum; I'll remind him of the "Gbajue/4-1-9" guys that came to him for prayers, but ended up swindling him of a huge sum of money -- at the time when naira was heavier than American dollar. Who doesn't remember the late Idahosa whose preaching was focused on nothing but riches. Correct me if I lie! We all remember how he went around (both at home and abroad) in limos, sporting expensive wears and jeweleries. Didn't he frequently claim that his own God was not a poor God? There was a time Idahosa occupied the entire Olubadan Stadium for two months or so; to everybody's chagrin, after announcing that the amount of salvation would be equal to how much money the "gullibles" could donate, he categorically refused to take nothing less than #5 (five naira) from each "gullible" at the "crusade." NOTE TO YOUNGER READERS: five naira then was a lot of money. In circa 1995, just few years before his death in 1998, Benson Idahosa boasted in the presence of a lot of people, to have had about 950 (nine hundred and fifty) pieces of expensive suits. A friend of mine told me the story. I believed him because he was the one that picked Idahosa up from the Dulles Airport, Virginia-Washington, DC, and he was present when Idahosa made those claims. We know everything about Chris Okotie who, after failing musically (Chris Okotie used to sing and produce music with his jerry curls in those days; I think he released one record or more professionally), professed to have been touched  by the "holy ghost." He later founded his own "new breed" church/ministry. You all know how rich he is today. I think some of you are even suggesting that he should run for president.      Internationally, we even know of shady individuals like Jerry Falwell, Benny Hinn, Bohnke and a host of other evangelicals, but I'll leave them alone for now insofar as this topic only questions if pastors deceive Nigerians. If you like we can start a new thread about this anomaly, so widely prevalent that it's international!"

   

Nonsense! , makes no spritual sense.

donnie,
I know how touchy you can get when it comes to people criticizing dubious pastors and miracle-working liars because you're one yourself.

Jagunlabi is right on the money! The "naive individuals" who "follow-follow" them are only wasting their time.

"Na 'giri' come catch your brotha wey you think say he die," Your brother suffered nothing but shock.   

Its a miracle that we got invaded and brutalized by the Arabs and British and we are now all Muslims and Christians. Even though our economy sucks, our leaders are thieves, God is still Great!! Amiright? 

If NBC is banning something, then they have just created a rule or decree to that effect.  Perhaps in your reading of their rules and regulations, you unintentionally ignored the one that said - "We are banning the broadcast of unverified miracles on our stations".

Ok, strictly speaking, what is illegal about the ban?

NOTHING.

In order for the ban to be illegal, it would have to be in violation of an established law.  Since there is no law that says a corporation MUST show miracles on tv, their ban on it on their stations cannot be illegal.

This is ridiculous, its like saying its illegal for your parents to ban alcohol comsumption in their house.

The real issue is if such a code is consistent with a democratic situation as we have in nigeria. There is such a thing as freedom of expression, the freedom to hold whatever relious beliefs you choose as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. Like i said, those codes associated with the media are for the military dictatorship kind of government and not for a democracy. There is need for a change and brother, that change aint far away.
 
The church are not the only ones affected. I read in the papers where an NBC official siad they had recieved so far over 250 applications for licences for TV and radio. According to him, the applications have since been assesed and fowarded to the presidency for approval. There is the need to have a more independednt media in our nation. One without overbearing government influeance.

 
Well, since the bann, not only have the length of our programs been increased, we now show daily on almost every TV staion in the country. We have become so much more influencial than ever before. When we hold programs now, the entire nation is aware. They know something is happening. So who wins? satan or the church?

In April, 3.5 million people gathered to hear God's Word at the mouth of his prophet and satan could do nothing about it.


Well pity, because they have already done their investigations and found them to be true. Sane societies indeed.  Are they more sane than those in South Africa, Europe and America where we have our programs showing daily? We own satelite stations airing from  Europe, south Africa and Togo to the rest of the world. We hold meetings around the world with several thousands in attendance.

God has given us this country for our possesion and he will continue to increase our influence in the land. Righteousness will prevail. The wicked will have their influence taken from them. Time is up for the devil , o glory to God!

You know, I watch Christembassy's programs on Sundays here in Nairobi. I actually take it as a form of panacea to the nostalgia that I sometimes fell. I am not against airing religious programs, I am just saying, miracles should not be part of the advertisement that churches put on TV to win followership. Many Miracles are a farce today.

Yes, the boadcasting code should be reviewed in line with our progress as a nation, but freedom to sell lies should not be allowed. It's not NBC that's the problem, it's the minds of those who are been beguiled. Eventually, they'll realise and that will spell doom for the perpetrators of this deception.

@ donnie
It's good you noticed that CNN, MTV and WWF are selling lies to us. But the interesting thing is that these stations are also banned by the NBC from being shown over terrestrial TV in Nigeria. You can however pay to get these lies on DSTV or tother satelite channels. So may be you should go on DSTV to sell your miracles.

@ onnie
Please tell me what this miracle was about?

The same argument could be made for the discriminatory sex law which obviously infringes on the rights of a minority of Nigerians. But I'm sure you support that 

Maybe the miracle was they taught a man how to read.

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I'm going to have a cheek attack. Hahahahahahaha.