The Founder and Leader of the Prophetic Hill Church, Prophet Nigel Gaisie, has clarified that his controversial reference to the so-called “Republic of Umuofia” during previous 31st December Watch Night services was a coded way of speaking about Ghana.
In an exclusive interview with Ghana Weekend on Thursday May 22, the outspoken cleric explained that he adopted the fictional name in response to a directive from the Ghana Police Service under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, which barred prophets from publicly declaring doom prophecies, especially during the highly anticipated Watch Night services.
At the time, Prophet Gaisie described his prophetic revelations as relating to the “Republic of Umuofia,” a term borrowed from Chinua Achebe’s classic novel Things Fall Apart, a move many interpreted as an attempt to sidestep police scrutiny while still delivering his message.
Now, the prophet has openly admitted that “Umuofia” was simply a veiled reference to Ghana.
“Ghana is Umuofia,” he said. “I am a prophet of God and when you meet a leadership that is like Herod, I am not John the Baptist, you have to walk in wisdom. The Bible admonishes us to walk in wisdom. The intent and the purpose of the message was carried and that is all I wanted to put across.”
Prophet Gaisie’s statement highlights the tension between religious freedom and public order, as well as the creative ways some pastors have responded to state restrictions on prophetic declarations.
Read also
