Pastor Otabil previously laid into the Ghanaian media, insisting it is better to watch animals on foreign channels than “contaminate” his soul with content from Ghanaian radio and TV stations.
The Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho has delivered a brutal assessment of Pastor Mensa Otabil following the preacher’s comments that the Ghanaian media is “depressing”.
Pastor Otabil, who is the founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), previously laid into the Ghanaian media, insisting it is better to watch animals on foreign channels than “contaminate” his soul with content from Ghanaian radio and TV stations.
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In one of his sermons, the Preacher said: “I don’t listen to Ghanaian radio much, I will listen maybe for 15 minutes and shut off because it’s very depressing. It will contaminate your soul.
“…I will watch animals, I’ll watch cheetah, I’ll watch lion, I’ll watch antelope anytime, I’ll watch cheetahs anytime, I’ll watch giraffes anytime because, at least, they’ll tell me how to hunt, how to get your goal, how to avoid being eaten. I’ll learn that from the antelope. At least, I’d come back and say: ‘Nobody will eat me’. But you [listen to] Ghanaian radio, watch Ghanaian TV and you wonder: ‘are we still here; the mediocrity?’”
However, two-weeks on and Dr. Otabil has been criticized for making such statements against the media
According to Koku Anyidoho, the preacher has failed to apply the same rule he used to criticize the NDC on the ruling NPP.
He accused Pastor Otabil of refusing to speak on the NPP’s shortfalls like he used to do during the erstwhile John Mahama-led administration.
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The NDC deputy General Secretary further stoked more fire by suggesting that the Pastor sticks to preaching to animals at the zoo since he believes the Ghanaian media is mediocre.
“Suddenly today some pastors say that now they watch animals. It's animals that they watch, they're prepared to watch Antelopes and Giraffes...Yes, you'll watch more animals,” Mr. Anyidodo said on '21 minutes with KKB'.
He added: “...if NDC is in power that one you listen to human beings to prepare your sermon but when NPP is in power and they are doing horrible things because you cannot preach those sermons you are watching animals, they should go and live in the zoo. He should actually go and be preaching his sermons in the zoo to animals. Hypocrites and parasites.”
Pastor Otabil was a staunch critic of the erstwhile NDC government, and has often been accused – although unfounded yet – of being in bed with the ruling NPP.