AN ANTICIPATED happy wedding of Prophet Albert Mensah alias Nana Kofi, Founder of the Jesus Foundation Prayer Ministry at Site 14, Community 1, Tema, rather went sour yesterday morning when a 20-year-old woman with her three-week-old baby boy disrupted the ceremony.
The marriage department of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) became a site of attraction for most staff of the assembly, passersby and traders at the Tema Central Market when the woman, Ms Mabel Patamia, accompanied by her relations and sympathisers, demanded that the registrar halt the solemn ceremony between the prophet and one Joyce Anima Damptey.
Ms Patamia did not even allow the couple to take the vows as she interrupted every pronouncement, prompting the Assistant Marriage Registrar to introduce her to the gathering.
The main reason for her action, she told the marriage official, was that she was engaged to Prophet Nana Kofi and has a child with him and that both were preparing to marry sometime this year.
The expected happy occasion turned sour as well-wishers and witnesses of the couple looked shocked. They began leaving the premises of the assembly with disappointment.
Prophet Nana Kofi was said to have impregnated Ms Patamia when the mother sent her to the church for spiritual healing, as she was alleged to be suffering from spiritual attack.
Isaac Ashai Odamtten, Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Tema, who overheard Mabel’s persistent screams, quickly intervened to hold a crunch meeting with both parties and the marriage department.
After close to 30 minutes, it was concluded that the assembly would withhold the marriage certificate of the couple till Ms Patamia was dully compensated. The pastor was also to sign an undertaking at the Social Welfare Department that he would cater for the child.
Prophet Nana Kofi was later whisked away in a car together with his would-be wife amidst jeers and boos from the crowd.
Cynthia Patamia, mother of the dejected lady, narrated to Daily Guide that her daughter entered into a relationship with Prophet Nana Kofi when she sent her for prayers as she was suffering from ‘high fever.’
She became pregnant and Prophet Nana Kofi was made to perform the initial customary rites to the family.
“However, after coming for the list, I never heard from him again until I heard that he had impregnated another member of the church. I confronted him and he told me that he impregnated the woman who she was getting married to,” she stated.
Cynthia Patamia said to her surprise, she was in the house at Site 5, Community 1, Tema, when news got to her that Prophet Nana Kofi was getting marriage to another woman who was also pregnant for him.
According to her, “I quickly called my daughter, some friends and relatives and we went to the assembly to stop them from getting marriage since he cannot take my daughter and me for a ride.”
Mabel Patamia told Daily Guide that although she was demanding that the marriage should be halted, she had no problem with Prophet Nana Kofi getting married; but was only concerned with the clandestine way he was going about it.
Meanwhile, the marriage department of the assembly is said to be in a fix and could face possible legal action if it failed to issue the marriage certificate to them.
This is because the couple were said to have gone through all the processes as their names were pasted on the marriage notice board for the expected 21 days and even had additional five days which elapsed before they were booked to come for the solemnisation.
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