Africa-Press – Nigeria. Last week Sunday, November 14, 2021, pictures of the Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom worshipping at the Glory Dome of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, emerged and became a subject of debate in the social media. It threw up different angles of discussions. Even as silly as some of the comments that trailed the show of reverence to God were, they formed part of the unnecessary discourse.
Of all the pictures from the event, only the one where the Governor laid down with others and was anointed by Pastor Paul Enenche with his wife, Pastor Becky Enenche by his side attracted the needless attention of naysayers. The pouring of the anointing oil on Ortom’s head which signifies consecration and fortification was beautiful to behold and the cameraman must be commended for not missing the iconic moment. He was right on time and beheld through his lens the spiritual exercise. He was the maker of the picture.
Governor Ortom had attended a service to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Dunamis Ministry. The anniversary celebration also had other dignitaries in attendance, including the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye whose sermon signified the commencement of the anniversary conference with the theme, ‘EXCEEDING, ABUNDANT GRACE’.
Moments like that are rare to come by. They hardly repeat themselves. For many of those who were anointed along with Governor Ortom, they may never get such an opportunity again. So why has his anointing become a subject of intense debate and to lose sleep over especially by the members of the opposition party in Benue, the All Progressives Congress, APC? Should Ortom have worshipped god instead of God? Would that have made them better? But you know gods are not worshiped in the glare of the people; but in the dead of the night.
Governor Ortom’s choice of worshiping God in the full glare of the people and demonstrating humility to lie down to be anointed is a clear departure from shrine visitation by some desperate politicians.
The story of Okija shrine is not new but not too old for us to forget. In August, 2004, Okija Shrine in Umuhu Okija village, in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, in the southeast was bursted by men of the Nigerian Police. At the shrine, human skulls and dozens of corpses, some of them dismembered, some in coffins were found. The shocking revelation was that it was a place where big politicians visited for oath taking and fortification. Okija shrine is no more but the practice at the shrine is much around. It may not be pronounced, but it is certainly not dead. Politicians still do rituals.
Governor Ortom could have chosen to visit an Okija – like shrine where he would see corpses and human skulls and even asked to offer some. But he chose where he would see living people serving the living God; Where he would worship without offering human parts as sacrifice.
With every conviction, circumstances have proven that God Ortom is a child of God. He has escaped many hurdles his political opponents have set for him. The impeachment plan in the build up to the 2019 general election was one of such traps. He survived the plan to rig the 2019 governorship polls in Bunue by the Federal Government. Recently, the assassination attempt on him by some Fulani herdsmen failed.
He has scaled through all these challenges because of his firm believe in God and so he reaps the fruit of his belief. This buttresses the Psalmist position in chapter 125:1 which says
“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endure forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.”
Governor Ortom has benefitted from the glory of God and getting anointed was a no brainer for him to sustain his relationship with the most high. He is a politician and could have chosen to see other gods just like others do; but he chose otherwise. Governor Ortom knows what he is benefitting from serving the true God and I prefer him worshiping God to the gods other politicians worship.
Benjamin Ngutsav writes from Agbeede, Konshisha LGA, Benue State.
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