Odumeje Vs Pericoma: Surviving the Gods

(By Mitterand Okorie) - As the Pericomas unleash terror, has night come for Odumeje?

Chukwuemeka Ohanemere a.k.a Odumeje is an internet sensation. Yellow to the soles of his feet and lanky like an okro plant, the self-acclaimed Liquid Metal has given Nigerians so much to talk about in the last few days. Recently also he trended on Twitter and today, dominates discussions on Facebook since the Pericomas came to town. Individuals or corporations pay influencers to trend on Twitter; Pastor Odumeje a.k.a Ikuku a na-afu anya (the visible wind), has remained an organically trending topic on social media Nigeriana. In short, some now called themselves Indaboskians, culled from the pastor’s favourite war chant – “I am Indaboski Bahose”. Apparently, Marlians (fans of the singer Naira Marley) have not only met their match; they have been overtaken by a more exuberant bunch. 

Odumeje is a popular prosperity pastor who, unlike most of his colleagues, found an unconventional route to fame. He is remembered for his antics more than for his preaching. He throws his spiritual patients around like a wrestler in a WWE bout. I once saw a video of him taking a crippled man’s crutches and proceeding to hit the man’s legs with the iron frame in an attempt to heal him. Spirits, they say, work in mysterious ways. 

While pastors of conventional Pentecostal churches call for tithes, Odumeje enjoys people spraying money in his church, sometimes over his head while he jumps around with the flexibility of an excited ninja.
In an era where giveaways have become the ultimate currency of social media following, Odumeje sometimes asks his church members to come pick up the notes strewn across his alter. Often, he warns, “Don’t touch me. Don’t destroy my flower.” I wonder why the synthetic flowers on his altar are so cherished, but that is an entirely different discussion. 

Though his ministry—Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention Deliverance Ministry Onitsha—has been in existence for a while, most Nigerians knew about him only during the xenophobic attacks in South Africa last year. Never one to miss an opportunity of thrusting himself in the limelight, the Liquid Metal asked South Africans to prepare for his vengeance over their treatment of his people, Nigerians. The video made it to Instablog, Nigeria’s foremost Instagram news platform. Ever since, it would seem, Nigerians have been hooked to the opium that is the pastor’s displays, his strange chants and acrobatics, not to mention his mesmerising dance steps. 

In Odumeje, you not only have an unconventional pastor but also an entertainer, a pop star, a highlife musician and, sometimes, a foul-mouthed talkative. The question today is whether he has bitten off more than he can chew from his recent insult on the deceased Igbo highlife legend, Pericoma. That was not the first time Odumeje attacked traditional worshippers or voodoo adherents for being good-for-nothing fools. In his recent video, he not only abused the legacy of Pericoma as a traditional high priest, but also the man’s children and the entire Arondizuogu town for being wretched dolts. For starters, the legendary Onyeka Onwenu, Mbonu Ojike, to mention but a few, are from the town. 

As it stands, Odumeje’s outburst has taken a life of its own, gathering a dangerous momentum. Pericoma’s children have refused to see it as a light-hearted joke as many have chosen to interpret it. Several videos by Arondizuogu people have emerged threatening the pastor and the effective destruction of his ministry and family. The extreme rhetoric he used on the late Pericoma seems to have met its match. In one of the videos, one of the sons is seen bearing a small-sized ikoro. Odumeje is a fish carelessly bouncing on water without knowing it was preparing to end up in the belly of a crocodile, he said in a poetic war cry charged with Igbo proverbs. In another video, a man is seen strangling a chicken, with Odumeje’s name being summoned as the effigy. For those who understand Igbo spirituality, the act bodes disaster.

Whatever the case, Odumeje has now found himself at a crossroads, with a spiritual battle that may well define his career and ministry. If he survives the pestilence being invoked upon him, he will be thought the real deal and his ministry will flourish. On the other hand, his opponents have also subjected their oracles to the test of relevance. Nigerians love magic and quick fixes. If the oracle wins, the forest will be swarmed with clients. But if it loses, children may start playing monkey-post on their turf. 

Then again some have noted that whenever spirits are invoked to kill someone, humans can execute the mission through other means, just so the spirits are not seen to have failed. Hence, the subject is at the risk of both human and spiritual annihilation and must stay alert forever.

For me, this is a needless fracas and a shameful duel happening among brothers. Among the warring factions and those egging them on, there seems a total lack of awareness about the cherished Igbo spirit of republicanism. The early Missionaries in Igboland coexisted with Ezeulu in Umuaro, and Ezeulu never called for their destruction either. It’s all there in Achebe’s Arrow of God. So from where came this sudden belligerence towards other people’s modes of worship? Are we no longer the ones who said the kite should perch and let the eagle also perch?

There is a lesson here for Odumeje, if only he will care to take it. The brand of Pentecostalism he practices began in the South West, yet no one has seen a video of Pastor Oyedepo or Pastor Adeboye insulting worshipers of Ifa or the Ifa priests. Traditional religion is, in fact, a recognised religion in Nigeria whose right to freedom of worship is recognised in the constitution. There is no excuse for Odumeje’s continued bellicose rhetoric towards them, especially in a region where we have seen overzealous Christians burn down shrines.

Those who are close to Odumeje must now prevail on him to dey his dey, and allow the dibias to dey thier dey. Elders must not stay at home and watch the she-goat deliver in tethers. Those who can, must now call a truce between both parties. Or this strange game may take a turn for the worse.

Mitterand Okorie is a thinker who writes. His academic sojourn spans the United Kingdom, Cyprus and South Africa. Zonal Marking is where he shares his thoughts, hopes, anxieties and frustrations about life, Nigeria and the world. He is author of several books.