Kwesi Pratt Slams Assemblies of God Church; "Sycophancy Is Getting Too Much"

The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has slammed the Osu branch of the Assemblies of God church for placing a full page colour advert in the Daily Graphic wishing the First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Mahama, a happy 50th birthday. �How does the church make money? Is it not from the little offertory by the poor church members? And you use that money to buy a full page colour advert? Why, are there no poor people in the church?� he questioned. The veteran journalist�s condemnation of the church, for the full page advertisement of the First Lady�s birthday on page 15 of the 7th March 2013 edition of the Daily Graphic, stems from the fact that most of the members are facing hardship one way or the other in their lives. �I suspect there are members of the church who have difficulties eating three square meals a day. And is this the best way to spend the church's money? �There people in that church who might be jobless, there are people belonging to that church who cannot pay the school fees of their wards and so on�. And I want to know if the head Pastor of the church really thinks of his congregants?" the Managing Editor of the Insight asked. Speaking on Adom FM on Thursday March 7, the Senior Journalist was not careful to offend the leadership of the Assemblies of God Church by his submission, by stating the �sycophancy is getting too much�. He feared that if Ghanaians do not stop this behavior, �it would be at an alarming stage which Nigeria has gotten to, where pages of newspapers are bought and advertisements are made to wish happy birthdays even though there is suffering among the populace�. Mr. Pratt further expressed his disgust at sycophancy leading to the idolization of leaders, and stated that what he has said despite the fact that it is the truth, some people might make it look as though he is attacking the First Lady which is not the case. �What is happening is not good and it has nothing to do with the relationship with our leaders,� he opined.