Seven Archbishops and Reverend Fathers drawn from both the Catholic and the Anglican Church in Nigeria on Tuesday stood in defense of Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin over the allegations of producing fake water brought against him by a controversial content creator, VeryDarkMan and authorities of the National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The development became forceful last weekend when authorities of the agency led a team to Warri and sealed up his spiritual water production factory at his church premises, Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries, sending warning signals to the public to stay away from his spiritual products.
The seven bishops and reverend fathers in full regalia led protesters to the Delta state office of NAFDAC, insisting that the food and drug regulatory agency goofed in its responsibility to Nigerians, noting that the water, soap and other items used by Prophet Jeremiah are spiritual items which are not sold in the open market, hence they do not fall under the regulation of the federal government agency.
In their separate arguments, the products are of spiritual interpretation and use, hence men who are not spiritual cannot benefit from them. They also added that since the materials are of spiritual significance, government agencies have no authority regulating spiritual products.
Speaking to journalists in front of NAFDAC office in Asaba Delta state, Most Revd Calixtus Oke of the Evangelical Church (Old Catholic Church) and Rector of Union Theological Institute and Seminary in Port Harcourt, described the action of the agency as unwarranted harassment on Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin.
He described Prophet Fufeyin as “our brother, whom we cannot allow to be stigmatized when he is doing his pastoral assignment,” adding that “NAFDAC is acting beyond its regulatory boundaries.”
He agreed that NAFDAC has regulatory powers over drugs, foods and related products in Nigeria but noted with a clause that “in this case, we have used in churches oil, candles, sacramental, and other spiritual materials that are related to Christianity.
He stressed thus: “Jesus himself authorized the use of sacramental. If someone has where those sacramental are produced, those materials are made with money. Therefore people will definitely patronize them for the graces they receive and for the belief in what they have on the sacraments.
“They have belief in the man of God. Those materials are not for everyone. They are not for sale in the open market. Therefore, media trials of Prophet Jeremiah should stop. And by sealing his factory, NAFDAC is acting beyond its boundaries.”
Revd Fr. Oke said rather than sealing up his factory, the agency should have invited him and heard his part of the story before wielding the big stick against his factory, adding that there are many water factories operating in Nigeria, hence he said the action may mean a systematic mission targeted at the prophet.
“There is a timeline within which someone is invited to respond to accusations. It takes a process. But what we are seeing now is like NAFDAC is singling out someone to stigmatise and victimize.
“If you say something is fake, it means you have tested it. You don’t have the capacity to declare something fake when you have not taken it for proof. If it is the water that is fake, NAFDAC should come up with clear issues that are wrong with the water.
“The items in question are spiritual materials. In terms of the water, we bless water in our churches. I know a lot of churches that bless water for people to use. You can use any water that is blessed without any form of approval or regulation. In terms of the spiritual aspect, the NAFDAC act does not give room for the agency to regulate spiritual matters.
“Being a man of God of such caliber, NAFDAC should have invited him to answer the allegations instead of waking up and sealing the factory premises. That is confrontational. And as such NAFDAC has gone beyond its powers.”
Most Revd Professor Samuel Baaba, the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Charismatic Anglican Church of Nigeria, said there are limits to which government agencies interfere with what churches are doing, especially when it comes to matters of faith.
He compared the water of Prophet Jeremiah to the instruction given by Prohpet Elisha to Naaman in the Bible. He said Elisha directed Naaman to bath in a river and would be healed of his leprosy.
But rather than obeying the voice of Elisha, Naaman insisted that the waters in his region were better than the waters in Israel. But it was the persuasion of his servants that made him to obey Elisha and got the miracle.
He said in protecting the public, “NAFDAC would have invited him to find out whether the water in question is good or not. You cannot just seal up a place because you somebody gave you wrong information. Looking at how everything played out, it’s like NAFDAC acted on pre-information by an enemy.
“I know in most cases there are people who do not like someone making progress. NAFDAC should have invited him, look at what he is doing and if they find anything substandard, it is the responsibility of NAFDAC to advise him on how to upgrade the factory. What he is doing is also to help the people, making sure people receive what they could not receive on their own. What NAFDAC has done is against the Christian faith. What affects one affects the other.”
Most Revd Dr. Chidi Ikemefuna Chuka, Archbishop of the Province of the eastern orthodox Anglican Communion, also spoke in defense of Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin.
He said Prophet Jeremiah operates in a realm away from where ordinary pastors operate. He said “Jeremiah is a prophet not just a pastor. Even from the bible, it is clear that there a varieties of callings. Some are pastors, some are prophets, some are evangelists, some are teachers. Jeremiah is called to be a prophet. And a prophet behaves differently from pastors.
“A prophet makes use of every natural thing to pass his message to the people. As a prophet, Jeremiah has right to make use of oil, salt, sand, every other thing that comes his way. That’s how prophets operate.
“I must say that as much as the water is not sold in the open market, or supplied to the public, it does not violate NAFDAC regulatory laws. It is used within the church premises. As a prophet, God directs men of God in different ways. He may direct me to use water and direct the other one to use salt. God is not stereotyped”
“If Prophet Jeremiah is directed to use water, he has right to produce the water according to his spiritual direction as far as he does not make sales outside or supplies to the open market. I see no reason why NAFDAC will go and seal up his factory.
“In Nigeria we have religious bodies. If anything is wrong with the issue, the religious bodies have right to look into the matter, while NAFDAC is to look at the outside matters. This is a spiritual issue and it is expected that it be handled spiritually.
“Prophet Jeremiah is running a spiritual church. People who operate spiritual churches make use of oil, water and others. As it has been sealed now, many lives are at stake because this water has been healing many people.”
