By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Native doctors in Anambra State say they have started compiling the names of those they tagged fake pastors who come to them to obtain spiritual powers to fast-track the growth of their churches.

This is coming on the heels of the recent protest by native doctors in the state led by High Priest Ikele, who accused the Anambra State Government under the watch of Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo of harassing their members, arguing that their constitutional right to freedom of religion was being violated.

As a follow-up to that protest, another prominent native doctor in the state, Mazi Chukwuka Nwankwo, has announced that they have started compiling a list of fake pastors in the state as they have failed to come to the defence of the native doctors.

He alleged that the fake pastors frequently visit their shrines seeking spiritual assistance to increase their flocks.

Said Nwankwo: ?Our governor is preaching ecumenism, which means the union of all religions. We ask, is traditional religion not part of ecumenism?

?What are we talking about here? Those people who hold night vigils and perform miracles are fake, and they come to us to obtain spiritual powers to increase the size of their congregations. We have always turned them down because it is against our religion to defraud innocent people.

?There are some who even go as far as other parts of the country to obtain powers and so-called holy oil that they use to push people down in the name of anointing.?

?Governor Charles Soludo should send Agunechemba to those crusades and night vigils to observe what they do in their churches. They rip off innocent people by compelling them to buy holy water, holy oil, and holy handkerchiefs, promising that people?s businesses will flourish. People pay huge sums of money for these items, yet they are not paying taxes or levies to the state government.?

News Express learnt that the move by the native doctors has created tension among pastors as some of them are said to be making frantic efforts to contact security operatives, urging them not to visit their churches.

Meanwhile, some native doctors have begun visiting the suspected churches, issuing warnings that they would be exposed since they pastors had failed to speak out in their defense after seeking their help to increase their congregations.

According to Nwankwo, ?The Anambra State Government should direct its focus to these new generation churches because they are the worst kind of swindlers.

?They should also convince us, as well as the public, that they are not out to witch-hunt us, the native doctors.?

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