JOSEPH OKECHUKWU’S COVID-19 PANDEMIC VIEWS:  POLITICAL CHICANERY AND FRAUD

By Vincent Uba

My attention was recently drawn to a video put in the public space by one Joseph Okechukwu on the rampaging Covid-19 global pandemic. Going through the video, I felt so disturbed and alarmed because it is a video not only loaded with fallacies and misleading comments, but also one packaged and relayed in false pretences.

His introductory comments nearly put me off as he said; “In the wake of the hysteria created by Corona virus, I have been holding my breathe and keeping my calm the whole time, a lot of people have been saying Oh Joe you better do something on corona virus and I have been laughing……..”

Such egoistic, proud and arrogant introduction is enough to make a rational viewer/listener look at the issues he wants to raise with mixed feelings. As I said, his opening remarks nearly put me off, but out of curiosity, I continued to listen to know the type of solution he wants to bring to the table on corona virus.

Viewing the video again and again, I neither was able to see any logical, scientific or religious reasons to support the arguments he was raising, nor was I able to grapple with any solution he’s bringing to solve the problem of corona virus. Rather, all he did was to confuse the public the more, discouraging them from adhering to preventive measures put up by those who know better, thus making them become more hysterical. Yet he tends to give the impression that he was making important points and arguments. What a grandiose delusion!

Linking COVID-19 with the temporary measures to curb it, technological advancements like 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), etc to “Revelation 13” and “Anti-Christ” phenomenon is a conspiracy theory taken too far. We have been with artificial intelligence since 1956 as invented by John McCarthy. We already have some living things made in the form of robots such as insects robots, robot dogs, robot humans, etc. These living things have not given way for artificial robotics.

If Anthony Lavendowski wants to venture into an adventure of creating a robot god, that is his business. This whole noise about AI, Church of AI, god of AI, etc, all started as mere fictions and we watch them in action movies. If some people want to become crazy to escalate them, using technology to the point of making them become their gods, such is not new. Right from the time of creation to the time of Jesus Christ till now, some people choose to make the creation of their God given talents (intelligence, knowledge and wisdom) their gods.

Debrah Lee Charatan in her comments about AI on 13th October, 2018 said,  “From Galileo to Darwin, discoveries and scientific breakthrough regarding our planet and the universe have challenged religious texts and interpretations through history. And yet religious institutions have persisted ”

Again Joseph raises the alarm about mandatory vaccination. Imagine raising the alarm about the vaccine for COVID- 19 that is yet to be found? His myopic argument suggests that if by God’s grace, the vaccine is eventually found, people should not agree to it.

How would Joseph Okechukwu and Prophet Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj in their sane senses portray Pope Francis as a false Prophet, linking him to “anti- Christ” and “Revelation 13”. How sad!

Towards his concluding part, the real reason behind this video was unmasked to be Trump’s campaign for presidency in 2020 (Africans for Trump 2020) and he was asking people to register and  gullible people were registering according to him. This is absurd. Very surprising that someone in his right mental state would say the corona virus ravaging the whole world came about to humble Trump out of power. What a documentary packed with political chicanery and fraud! Deception at its peak !

Now let’s look specifically at some of the issues he raised in the video: In his opening remark, he said people were calling on him and saying, “Joe you better do something about corona virus”. Then I ask, were people calling on him to do something to solve the problem of corona virus, as a medical practitioner, scientist or what?

He went on to say that 10 years ago, he predicted the lockdown scenario we are experiencing currently. I ask again, to who did he make that prediction? He acknowledged that it was not a prophetic prediction but a research based one, meaning he did a research and came out with a finding that there would be a pandemic such as we are having now. But research on what? Was there any publication of such research and findings? I am not sure there is any.

He made reference to some comments alleged to be credited to Pope Francis:  First the gay issue, a woman was shown to be quoting Pope Francis talking to a gay, “You are gay, it doesn’t matter, God made you like that and He loves you like that”.

I’m not armed with the context under which that comment was made but be it as it may, there are comments by a man of God that you don’t read meanings literarily, especially if you are not led by the spirit. If the likes of Joseph were to be around during the time of Christ, they would say Christ was “anti-Christ” because there were somethings that Jesus did and said then, that if men of God do same now would raise dusts.

You cannot win a sinner by outright condemnation and judgement, but with loving words of encouragement. Jesus, with love, welcomed, tolerated and dinned with sinners for whom He came.

Secondly, accusing Pope Francis of being against prosyletizing exposes Joseph of being a Christain, if he is anyway, at sucking breast stage. These days, even during the time of Christ and after, emphasises should not be on induced words of mouth to convert people but on your show of love and tolerance – the hallmark of Christianity.

Jesus constantly made allusion to this during his life on earth. Humanism is not a deviation from Divinity contrary to Joe’s view but part of it. For the ten commandments of God was summarized by Jesus Christ into two, love of God and love of your neighbour (your neighbour include all persons of different religions).

Thirdly, in a world ravaged by hate, conflicts, wars and intolerance, concerned leaders including religious, have been battling to find solution to bring lasting peace in the world. It is, therefore, foolhardy for somebody to condemn the gathering of world relgiious leaders, initiated by Pope Francis to foster friendship and peace across the world.

If that is what Joseph Okechukwu and Prophet Sadhu Sundar referred to as  “One world religion”, what  is wrong with that? To say it is the same thing as “Revelation 13” is not only misleading, but the people saying this are the real false prophets and ant-Christ. What do you think Jesus meant when He said, “Let them be one as we are one”?

It is very laughable forJoseph to see something wrong with the naming of a mosque at Abhu Dhabi as “Mary the Mother of Christ” after the meeting between Grand Iman of Abhu Dhabi and Pope Francis. People of the whole world are children of Abraham and by extension, children of God.

May I conclude by advising that at this trying and perilous times in global history occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic, we should remain focused and steadfast in our faith in God, committing ourselves to constant prayers whilst religiously adhering to and following laid down guidelines/procedures to curb the spread of the pandemic.

We must also try to avoid playing into the hands of unscrupulous people who may wish to use this time as an avenue to push their negative and selfish motives. Be careful of what you receive, read and forward. It is not every thing that you receive you should forward to another because what you receive may not harm you after going through, but may harm another. So be objectively cautious before sending anything out.

Vincent Uba, Former President, Catholic Brothers United and Public Affairs Analyst