Many have wondered why God, in recent times, 'hardly' reveals progressive, life-transforming and nation-building prophecies to prophets until 31st watch nights.

It is not surprising how some Ghanaians have grown to the ritual of ‘strong’ and ‘piercing’ prophecies every New Year's eve. I think about how stressful it can be that ‘victims’ of such predictions, which have mostly been negative over the years, live with the harsh realities in the near future.

One thing I remember from my journalism class is about how names make news! Oh, how would you have reacted to a headline saying “A President has been stripped naked in public?"

Glory be to God that the Chief Imam, former presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and John Mahama as well as the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa are still alive and kicking, despite some heartbreaking prophecies about them.

After another crossover service into January 2022, we woke up to a trend on social media, particularly on Twitter that a prophet has announced a new town – Umuofia.

Naaah Dampare really worry them.. wtf Umofia?😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/7bOyzActsz

— Don Dingo. (@ksheldongh) January 1, 2022

The much-anticipated watch night services saw most religious leaders measured in the kind of prophecies they made out there.

Especially in the face of a very uncharacteristic caution from the Ghana Police Service on possible sanctions that could potentially follow fear-inducing prophecies.

As expected, the Prophetic Hill Chapel was buzzed with spirited jubilation as Ghanaian Prophet Nigel Gaisie unleashed some predictions about a country called Umuofia.

Such a strategy! ‘No be small’ disclaimer preceded the prophecies as he repeatedly stated that ‘the things’ he was about to say were not about Ghanaians or Ghana but a country called Umuofia.

Certainly, someone was being mindful and careful about his utterances so he does not fall into the trap of a new sheriff in the town.

“I am not talking to the people of Ghana because of the repressive system going on in Ghana. I am not talking to the topographical, geographical land called Ghana. I am prophesying to a nation called Umuofia,” he said.

There you have it! He managed to cause a stir on social media with this as many lost sight of the prophecies that followed.

Many Twitter users commended the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, for instituting some form of discipline in some of the prophets.

Here are some of their comments:

God bless us all in 2022🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 May Umofia, eiiii sorry, Ghana be blessed.. AMEN

— SAMMY FORSON (@sammyforson) January 1, 2022

dampare got niggas prophesying to Umofia and things, Okonkwo from thing fall apart ein hometown that

— dracojeremy🔫 (@jeremyb___) January 1, 2022

Abeg where dey Umofia?
Still Dampare must be the IGP there😂 https://t.co/PlLRM19nLV

— ROKNOD🇬🇭 (@yaw_roknod) January 1, 2022

Even Google no want talk about Umofia sek of IGP oo😂😂 Nigel Gaisie come and explain wae. pic.twitter.com/FJz9LC3WLL

— 🌍🖤 (@1realguy_) January 1, 2022

Ladies and Gentlemen this is what Google tells us about umofia the Country Nigel Gaisie gave his prophecies about. pic.twitter.com/NWlDS03Iuq

— Yiedie-nkoaa🇬🇭 (@oaghmusic) January 1, 2022

I’m a proud CND boy and we shall win election 2024 in Umofia.

— ANNAN PERRY ARHIN (@AnnanPerry) January 1, 2022

Dampare worry these soo called prophets. What is Umofia?😂😂😂

Abena|Umofia|John Mahama|#top4of2021 |#31stnight |#welcome2022 pic.twitter.com/qvUFpR3X8a

— S.K. Boafo🇬🇭 (@Shadrack_II) January 1, 2022

Can't wait to watch the Black Stars of Umofia at #AFCON2021...😂

— Mirpuri✍ (@InterBoy1908) January 1, 2022

It’s the way the congregation was cheering when he said Umofia 😂

Wei Wei 🤦🏾‍♂️💔

— Youtube : Eddy Papsi (King Pocco 🇬🇭) (@Eddypapsi) January 1, 2022

They’ve started again 🤣🤣🤣🤣 i beg where UMOFIA Dey ? pic.twitter.com/G6QQmGXO5G

— 🇬🇭VERYGOODBADGUY🇬🇭 (@CAPTAINPLANETGH) January 1, 2022

Herh Umofia paa, Nigel Gaisie to the whole wiase. Proper goat🐐

— Adepa Ama 💙 (@Etwepaa) January 1, 2022

As the self-elected prime minister of Umofia, I'm here to announce to you that we have a lot of openings for immigrants from Ghana. You can apply through https://t.co/7ezjvreEmt pic.twitter.com/enEUkEMwGE

— Mr #HopeDey 🕊️ (@k_maxx85) January 1, 2022

Boys fool oh, one guy just said “ Umofia be small town bi at Pakyi No1 in Kumasi it Was named after a popular gob3 seller bi. ebi hint he Dey give to GhanaPolice, so make dem go arrest Nigel, ah WTF 😂😂

— CORROSIVE  RULE 👿🇬🇭 (@yawdevil_) January 1, 2022

Is Umofia a country’s name?

The said country or group of people do not exist anywhere around the world. There is no such recognised society that bears that name.

However, Umuofia is a fictional village in ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe, a play that takes place sometime in the final decade of the nineteenth century in Igboland, Nigeria.

The town of Umuofia is Okonkwo’s father’s home village, which makes it Okonkwo’s fatherland. But that is a fictional piece! I would have made it a recommendation for researchers to learn more about this new town if this article was to be a research study.

Did Prophet Gaisie play smart here? The Dampare effect was at play, obviously.

Now here are some prophecies he revealed:

• The ‘man of God’ saw a heavy cloud like the cloud of darkness covering the head of state of Umuofia. He saw the Deputy using mediums to overtake the boss – the head of state. The deputy went ahead to wear the shoes of the ‘big man’. “I saw in the nation of Umuofia that something that has happened there is about to reoccur again,” he stated.
• Prophet Nigel Gaisie warned of a terror attack about to hit Umuofia. According to him, a pending explosive attack will occur in the nation of Umuofia and that will be an external one with internal collaborations.
• Being emphatic, Prophet Nigel Gaisie said the Lord revealed to him that former President Mahama will win the 2024 elections. He warned that the current government of ‘Umuofia’ will do everything to subvert the ballot.
• “The hand of the Lord rested upon me and carried me into the election of 2024 or 2025 in the nation of Umuofia and the Lord told me to tell them, to tell the CND people they should forget about the Ashanti region.”
• “Again, the Lord carried me in the realm and said if the CND people of Umuofia do not wake up, they will use systems and the EC and the NIA to twist the agenda and the will of the people.”
• He predicted that 2022 will be a difficult year with famine similar to that of 1983.
• He featured the Parliament in the prophecies. He disclosed that there is a conscious effort to reduce the Minority seats and added that there will be a by-election.

It appears the state of ‘Umuofia’ should be bracing up for an interesting turn of events that has the potential to hamper its socio-economic development.

A new Sheriff in town

Oh yes! There is a new sheriff in town. His name is Dr George Akuffo Dampare, who barely picks calls from big men.

Under his watch, the Police issued a caution to all religious leaders to be measured in their prophetic utterances ahead of the December 31 watch night services.

The Police explained in December 27 press release that in Ghana’s law, it is a crime to deliberately send communication that is either false or misleading and likely to prejudice or disturb public peace where that person has no evidence to prove otherwise.

Many believe this forms part of the seeing ‘fear’ and ‘panic’ that characterised the manner in which some pastors went about their prophecies on New Year eve.

With that soapbox rant over, I welcome you to the state of Umuofia. Happy New Year!

*******

The author, Christian Yalley, works with The Multimedia Group Limited. Views shared in this article do not reflect the position of his employers.

You can contact him at chrisbankie193@gmail.com or @YalleyC on Twitter.