Occult in Hilltop Mansion: Rev Patrick Edet sets Akwa Ibom ablaze
The Founder of Grace Family Ministry, Uyo, Rev Patrick Edet, has dabbled into a delicate and controversial issue that has set Akwa Ibom State on fire ahead of the 2023 Governorship election.
Preaching in one of services, Rev Patrick Edet made wide ranging allegations about occult in the Hilltop Mansion, Akwa Ibom State Government House, alleging that those in the government headed by a Christian are into occult.
According to the controversial former Catholic Priest, under the watch of a Christian governor, many people have been initiated into Freemason in Akwa Ibom State more any other state in Nigeria.
Although Rev Patrick Edet never accused Governor Udom Emmanuel of being a member, he posited that membership in occultic groups, particularly Freemason, has become a prerequisite for people to obtain favour from the “system.”
Rev Edet also backlashed religious leaders in the state whom he said romance with the governor for selfish gains.
Although the state government is yet to respond to this weighty allegation, the development has, expectedly, illicited mixed reactions from the populace, particularly from the members and Government supporters.
While a number of people believe the preaching is embedded ambiguity, others posited that the message is simple and clear – occultists in government are as dangerous as cultists.
A handful of commentators have called for the arrest and interogation of Rev Patrick Edet for his blank allegations, many insisted that there nothing in his statement that deserves calling for his head.
“The problem is that we celebrate every nonsense provided it’s against those we don’t support. Rev. Henry Edet just dance to the tune of those seeking power by all means. They said it’s speaking truth to power, but I say it’s speaking nonsense for politics.
“It is either Rev. Edet is scared or he is not spirit feel. If God has truly shown him the occultic activities in the state, he should be bold enough to mention names of those in government who have joined occult and shame them.
“Instead of using religion to demonize people, he should be ashamed of his failure. He should not try to make the public see those in government as evil, he should understand the import of his message and the aftermath effect on his followers and the state.
“When he said people in government are not naturally generous but with the intent to drag others to their occultic group, does he want us to believe that government now recruits people into occult?
“There are cultists, occultic, and evil people everywhere even in the Grace Family Ministry he presides over. He should rather look deep into his ministry and make Godly christians who will be exemplary while in government. When the church gets it right, government and the society will be better.
“The simple description of Rev. Edet’s message is a clear case of a pot calling kettle black. Pushing every societal failure on government is what a responsible minister of the gospel should not do.
“Are there no occultic and cultists in Grace Family Church? What has he done to stamp out cultism and occult in his church before looking at government? Has he ever called out his member who is a cultist as a Pastor? Now he want Governor Udom Emmanuel to become God and know cultists and occultic people in government.
“Governor Udom Emmanuel is against occult, cultism, and anything satanic. He may not know those in occult and cultists, but the fact is that the whole world knows he will never do or support anything satanic.
“If this is happening under watch of praying governor and a true christian, I wonder what will happen if the one who openly confess cultism and he is very proud of it becomes governor. God forbid bad thing.
“Everybody in government today is a member of a church. It’s the failure of church leaders in their responsibility to raise a Godly generation that has witness this moral backwardness. In all these, churches and ministers of the gospel are to blame for not effectively doing their responsibility,” a journalist and ardent supporter of Governor Udom Emmanuel, Comrade Joseph Okon noted.
But another journalist, Comrade Umoh Etimudo, insisted ‘Governor Udom Emmanuel should be thankful to the man for being bold to tell him the truth.’
“The man said people in the government that is headed by a Christian are into occultism. That is a blanket statement. Very importantly, he never accused the governor of being a member but he said this is a prerequisite for people to obtain favour from the “system.”
“For those of you who attend the man’s programmes, I don’t need to tell you that he is a very intelligent person. Such people hardly say what they cannot substantiate. That man can shock us further if we provoke him. I think we should rather listen to him.
“I think Governor Udom Emmanuel should be thankful to the man for being bold to tell him the truth. Those who praise him even in his blunders do not love him, they love what they gain from him. Also, Akwa Ibom people should hail Rev Edet for saying what eight million people could not say. Governor Emmanuel is our leader, and a leader who exhibits absolutely arbitrariness is heading destruction. God bless Rev Patrick Edet for loving the governor.
“The role of the church is to keep government and society at their toes by serving as the talking drum. You cannot crucify a man who is doing that.
“It is now left for the government or what my troublesome friends call system, to do a self audit and seal leaking areas, clamp wobbly tables.
“If these Godly allegations are true, then the Udom Emmanuel administration should bury face in shame. At a point, they came out with a long list that looked admission of Remedial students into university of Uyo during Professor Akpan Ekpo’s regime, and said these were cult groups that were proscribed! Believing that they succeeded to, then occultism should also be proscribed.
“But it is not entirely in the hands of Governor Udom Emmanuel. The church has a vital role to play, and that also means Rev Patrick q Edet is an “accomplice” in the failure, alongside his sing along colleagues in the ministry.
“So, Governor Udom Emmanuel should watch out for those men of God Rev Edet has alleged that they flock around the governor for selfish gains. There could be truth in it. He should weed them off or eat with them with a long spoon so that they won’t come and spoil his good name. He needs to leave power and continue to be powerful. A bad name will not give him that.
“So, let the war not be for ONLY CULT, but also on occultism!”
In his reply, a Don, Herbert Batta, reasoned that “these fellows are found everywhere”.
“Etimudo, save your breath. Government, politics, business, and religion are bedfellows with cults and the occult. The greatest thinkers and historical personages have and are still members of secret societies, freemasonry, grand lodges, orders, and fraternities. The problem began when small boys who hardly know how to clean their butts in schools introduced axe, machetes, and gun fights with bloodlettings over naughty girls!
“Rev Patrick Edet knows that even where he came out from, and where he has come to join, known members of cult groups and the occult pervade. We like to play ostrich a lot. These fellows are found everywhere just like gay, lesbian, and the rest of them queer people: schools, churches, mosques, govt, corporations, armed forces! They are insecure people or psychologically unbalanced people who look from outside themselves for validation. Talking particularly about the brand of cults and the occult that relish in fights, violence, and killing rituals.”
