Hypocrisy cloaked in the garb of ‘anointing’ – time to spare us this “righteous BS”: I am asking that Nigerians be allowed to simply live life – safe – with basic amenities, fairness, equality, justice and dignity. I am not referring to feeding people post tithe exploitation or ad hoc gatherings. I am referring to lifting people out of poverty where they no longer depend on manipulations. I am asking about speaking up against the killings, the hunger, the poverty, injustice, impunity that have taken over Nigeria. I am wondering who will chastise the ‘Pharoahs and Jezebels’ that are oppressing the poor of our homeland? Where are the voices of outrage! What I know for sure is, if there is no voice of courage amongst these avowed ‘anointed,’ then, truly, it is time to spare me the righteous BS.
By Elsie-Bernadette Onubogu
As a rule of thumb, I strive not to allow words that are not fit or well-heeled for print to run through my write ups. But, in the face of continuing hypocrisy and duplicity robed in the garb of ‘anointing,’ I am left with no choice. As an Igbo proverb says, “Exigency demands that a King must be chided even if coded and under a mask.” Put in another way, with respect and under the cover of a mask, a King must be chastised.
As I begin, what I know for sure is, there will be the famous ‘weaponized’ line – “Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm.” This – NOW (in) famous quote is often meant to invoke fear, and also as a shield to cover up the hypocrisy, duplicity and unaccountability that many now ‘sell’ as the message of Jesus Christ.
Initially, I resisted writing. But, as Catholics were celebrating the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi (October 4), whose simple lifestyle as a shepherd (shunning family wealth), serving God and caring for the poor – popularized a ‘simple brown cotton tunic for Friars,’ and austere living, on the other side, there came a call for prayer for Nigeria. Now, that did it!
I digress briefly.
The spiritual values and lifestyle that Francis embodied was exemplary for Franciscans. But, it soon caught on the psyche of many people and communities – that is positive impact. Such was his influence, that Dante Alighieri (Divine Comedy) demanded that at his death, that, he, be buried in a Franciscan Church grounds. His love of Francis’ lifestyle made him dedicate an entire Canto (XI of the Paradiso) to St. Francis, a singular honour for a character in the Divine Comedy.
That the message of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is now being ‘traded’ as if it was ‘Heaven’s Stock Exchange’ on earth plunged this write up in reverse order. I found myself in a deep distress of trouble – maybe it’s ‘good trouble,’ soon, you may find out why!
As I set out, I’d be bold to say, I have no right of condemnation, but, I do have a right to probe. Thus, let me begin by saying, I have no issue with “anointing” — if it is reflected in both word and deed. I have no issue with anointing if it is aligned with integrity, compassion, truth and righteous action and living. For those who claim anointing – they profess to operate in a ‘spirit realm’ that the ‘rest of us’ cannot easily grasp – and that’s okay!
But, spiritual values are meaningless without love and empathy for those in need. So, I take issue with ‘avowed anointing’ when it is cloaked and used to justify: silence in the face of injustice and impunity; exploitation of the poor under the guise of offerings and tithes; when it manifests only in the private jets, designer clothes, cheap pulpit sermons, and bullet proof exotic cars and AK-47 wielding bodyguards.
Yes, I take issue. This is not righteousness – it is manipulation, it is hypocrisy. To this type of anointing which is dominating Nigeria’s religious-ecosystem, I say, spare me the “righteous BS.”
These pastors are supposed to be “shepherds” tending to their flock as Isaiah 40:11 states, ‘He will feed His flock like a shepherd….and carry them in His bosom.’ Contrary to this assurance, they ignore their flock and covet earthly riches.
To the pastors I ask, where is your ‘spiritus mundi’? Do you not care one bit about the present suffering of the people of Nigeria – including your own flock?
By your lifestyle and action/inaction – the answer seems obvious. As Saint Augustine of Hippo reminds us, “In order to be overcome by the sufferings of others, you must first abandon your own self-love. We can safely conclude, most are overcome by their self-love.
Simply put, I am asking for courage amongst the present ‘anointed’ who swore to live the life of Jesus Christ who stood against injustice, who stood for the poor.
I am asking that Nigerians be allowed to simply live as Saint Mother Teresa asked, safely – with basic amenities, fairness, equality, justice and dignity. I am not referring to feeding people post tithe exploitation or ad hoc gatherings. I am referring to lifting people out of poverty where they no longer depend on manipulations.
Here, I urge readers to explore the history and lives of Saints: Francis of Assisi, Bernard of Clairvaux, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Katharine Drexel, or Joseph of Arimathea who provided the tomb where Jesus was buried.
Before the ‘brainwashed mercenaries, and or benefactors’ repeat that (in)famous line – “Touch not my anointed,” hear me well: This is not judgment, it is the naked truth; and I look to 1 Timothy 5 v 20, 2 Timothy 3 16-17, 1 Corinthians 5 v 11, and Luke 17: 10, as the unworthy person that I am.
It is not condemnation – it is factual observation; It is not righteousness – it is a call out on hypocrisy; It is not meant to demean – it is meant to provoke and examine conscience; It is not rebellion (I believe in God), rather, this is righteous indignation.
And what I know for sure is, it gives me plain shame. It started on Sunday, September 27, 2025, somewhere in New York, a gentleman named Bishop William J. Barber II, was delivering a national sermon on democracy, elections and the challenge of poverty in America.
As I listened to his speech via zoom, I wished I could link all of Nigeria (particularly the “anointed” pastors) to that Sunday sermon. In listening to him, two things jumped out at me. First, his message (as usual) was as fiery as that of Prophet Jeremiah, and if you look to the New Testament, it would be John the Baptist or Saint Paul.
Unfortunately, when I compared Bishop Barber’s sermon to several sermons from ‘anointed’ flock in Nigeria, that old saying that ‘talk is cheap’ filled my thoughts. The notion that ‘talk is cheap’ is true. But, what is equally true is that “words, conduct and actions matter” especially if contextualized.
For over four decades, I have watched — sometimes in stunned disbelief, sometimes in disgust, sometimes in amusement, but often with shame — as countless individuals, particularly in Nigeria, claim divine status, inter alia: “God’s mouthpiece, God’s appointed, God’s room-mates, or, in our uniquely Nigerian parlance, God’s anointed.”
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In these years, we have seen lives lost and wasted daily – Christians and non-Christians. It is worse now. People are dying like flies from hunger, diseases, poverty, and impunity from the evil that is leading the land – Pharaohs from a different epoch.
Unfortunately, in the face of the carnage – especially present times, many of the pulpits/churches with sitting capacity of thousands and the megaphones that never fails in times of offerings and tithes – have lost their vocals and sound. I wonder what happened.
Thus, I ask: Where is the outrage that decent people – more so – God’s own “appointed or selected” ought to show? Where is the love, courage, character, compassion, action and the audacity of the Biblical prophets? None, all we see is silence.
If these were anything close to the Biblical prophets of old – Jeremiah, Elijah, Ezekiel, John the Baptist, Nehemiah, etc., there is no doubt, we will have bold proclamations, prophetic rebukes and even tearful wailings for the impunity that has become daily soundtracks across Nigeria. But no, absolutely nothing, rien, zilch, nada!
Ancient prophets vs. modern “anointed”
Let’s pause and juxtapose today’s self-proclaimed anointed with biblical prophets. Would Elijah, Ezekiel, Amos, Jeremiah, or John the Baptist have remained silent in the face of widespread hunger, bloodshed, injustice, corruption and impunity as is the case today? Would they fly over the suffering of the people in private jets while preaching the virtues of love, compassion and humility? Absolutely not!
Here in Nigeria, neither their messages nor their lifestyles reflect compassion, care for the poor or the underprivileged. They excel in calling for seed-sowing without even letting the land to fallow and regenerate! They live lives of opulence, luxuriating in designer clothes, expensive and exotic bullet proof cars, private jets, AK-47 wielding bodyguards, palatial mansions – to borrow David Remnick’s words “vulgarity unbounded.”
Honestly, it makes a mockery of Jesus Christ who chose to ride into Jerusalem on a borrowed/leased donkey. Think for a moment, if Jesus is “Almighty” as we all know and believe, could He not have miraculously invoked a “horse drawn–gold adorned chariotor carriage” (the sort Pharoah used) for the trip? But, Jesus sent his disciples to borrow a donkey. Why?
These pastors’ lives do not exemplify the austere life that Jesus called for. Both their lives and the sermons center not on the poor but on prosperity. As Bishop William J. Barber cautions, “ignoring the poor is ignoring the Jesus factor. Anything less, is heresy and a betrayal of both the gospel and democracy itself.” I share Bishop Barber’s sentiments.
For instance, while Jesus walked among the poor, many of today’s preachers fly over the poor literally and otherwise. This trend has gained traction in Africa, and of course in the US. Within the US though, there are some regulatory measures.
To these ‘anointed’ I ask, where is the courage, compassion and character that I see in the likes of: Reverend Fr. Michael Pfleger – the Catholic Priest of Saint Sabina Catholic Church in Chicago (USA), whose activism and leadership challenged and halted the proliferation of guns, drugs, and liquor. Such was the success, that in 1982 – the State of Illinois was forced to pass the ‘Drug Paraphernalia Control Act’ – to save young lives.
Do these pastors not see the ‘mkpurummiri, tramadol, kolos, and other chemical induced mixtures’ ravaging young lives? It is not sufficient to see symptoms without looking at the root cause.
In March 2025, Chuck’s Gun Shop in Chicago was finally closed. For what it’s worth, Fr. Michael Pfleger is white, but most of his activism has benefitted poor black communities, and some of the ‘fight’ has taken him decades before a win – yet, he remained consistent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iabU07HGUFE or, Bishop William J. Barber of the Poor People’s Campaign, who reminds us that there would have been no labour movement without a moral underpinning, no ‘Abolition’ without William L. Garrison, and no ‘New Deal’ without Frances Perkins – a Social Gospeler – first woman Labor Secretary who kept nudging Franklin D. Roosevelt, etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x24gm1T2Aqk or the courage of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who – was the central moral framer that pedestalled the civil rights movement, or Charles Spurgeon – a vocal advocate against social injustices – that earned him the title “Prince of Preachers”, and yes, Bishop Desmond Tutu?
I refer to Bishop Tutu because in the late eighties (80s), the apartheid government banned gatherings and preaching. In defiance, but standing up for justice, Bishop Tutu stood in a Church and the police attempted to stop him. Pointing at the police, he said: “You are powerful. You are very powerful. But you are not gods. And I serve a God who cannot be mocked. So, since you’ve already lost, I invite you today to come and join the winning side!”
Bishop Tutu’s sermon asserted that the apartheid government was not only unjust but ultimately destined to fail because its cause was “fundamentally indefensible”.
Okay, if South Africa’s Bishop Tutu does not cut it for you, come home with me to the Esan born – former Catholic Bishop of Lagos – Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okojie, whose activism and fearless voice confronted the ‘invincible Maradona’ former President – Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’ (IBB) – and halted IBB’s near roping Nigeria into ‘Organization of Islamic Conference OIC.
Cardinal Okogie’s was a leading voice that brought IBB’s ‘junta to the precipice.’ Also, in the 70s, Cardinal Okojie successfully stopped the government from taking over Mission Schools, as well as played a key and frontline role in the pro-June 12 democracy campaigns.
He, like Bishop Tutu was fearless, they spoke truth to power! That is what I am asking of these avowed shepherds! Let me reiterate, I am asking for such courage amongst the present ‘anointed’ whose lives should mirror that of Jesus Christ – the One who loved the poor.
I am asking that Nigerians be allowed to simply live life – safe – with basic amenities, fairness, equality, justice and dignity. I am not referring to feeding people post tithe exploitation or ad hoc gatherings. I am referring to lifting people out of poverty where they no longer depend on manipulations. I am asking about speaking up against the killings, the hunger, the poverty, injustice, impunity that have taken over Nigeria.
I am wondering who will chastise the ‘Pharoahs and Jezebels’ that are oppressing the poor of our homeland? Where are the voices of outrage! What I know for sure is, if there is no voice of courage amongst these avowed ‘anointed,’ then, truly, it is time to spare me the righteous BS.
