An Accra based ‘Man of God’, Prophet Oscar Arthur, on Thursday, April 21, 2005, failed to show up at a family tribunal at the Kaneshie District Magistrate Court, where his estranged wife has sued him to demand for her pound of flesh.
But when the case was called at the Kaneshie District Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, April 21 the prophet was absent.
The wife of the prophet, Mrs. Abigail Arthur, accuses the Man of God of ‘irresponsibility and immorality’. Mrs. Arthur told Public Agenda that she went to the family tribunal as a last resort, when her husband (the prophet), who initially reported her at WAJU rather failed to turn up to the hearing.
Prophet Arthur is the head and founder of the Covenant Home Chapel International located at North Kaneshie. After proceedings, the court decided it would serve him with a bench warrant on April 27 to compel him to appear on Thursday April 28.
Mrs. Arthur alleges that her husband has for some time now been engaged in extramarital affairs with a number of ladies in their church.
Narrating her story to the Public Agenda, Mrs. Arthur said they have been married for the past six years and before they wedded the prophet told her the Holy Spirit had asked him to marry her and they entered into courtship. ‘‘At the time I met him, he was sleeping in somebody’s provision kiosk, in fact he always had to wait for the person to finish selling before he went to bed’, she said.
She alleged that during their three-year courtship, she eloped with the prophet to Senya-Breku in the Central Region to begin their ministry, even though her mother wanted her to learn a vocation as she had just completed school.
Mrs. Arthur said her mother who had been searching for her, for a long time upon a tip off, went to their hiding place but they managed to convince her that they were doing the work of the lord. She recalled that things were very difficult for them as they sometimes fed on raw gari without sugar.
She said through the support of her mother and an uncle who is abroad they managed to relocate at their current place in Accra.
She said three years after their wedding about six years ago, Prophet Oscar’s attitude changed towards her. Mrs. Arthur said three weeks after the birth of their first-born, Prophet Oscar suggested they move out of her mothers house to an apartment offered by a church member who was supposedly traveling abroad. But she said three months after their stay; the Good Samaritan (a lady) was still around.
According to her their new landlady could just enter their bedroom without knocking, even when the prophet was only in his brief. ‘‘The lady was always the person prophet asked of anytime he came back from town and the prophet could go to the lady’s room at any time for long hours claiming to be having a discussion with her, ‘she stated.
She alleged that the prophet subjected her to severe beatings anytime she complained, resulting in a miscarriage on one occasion. She said the prophet did not change his attitude but always denied anytime she reported him to some pastors and elders of the church, as well as some renowned men of God like Bishop Charles Agyin-Asare, General Overseer of the Word Miracle Church International. Mrs. Arthur said the prophet could go out for a whole week without informing her and only came back claiming he went to seek the face of God.
She said that when she conceived their second born the Prophet refused to cater for her because he said he was not expecting any pregnancy. Even three years after the baby girl was born, the Prophet has refused to take responsibility claiming that the baby is an albino whiles she is not.
She said she once discovered under his car seat socks and tissue soaked with sperms. ‘But when I confronted him, he said he had spiritual attacks while waiting on the lord’ and therefore discharged’, she said. She said her husband, the prophet, promoted one of his lover’s from an ordinary church member to an usher and to later his personal secretary and for the past three and half years now the prophet has never eaten at home.
She regretted that most of the elders who supported her whenever she complained about the behaviour of the prophet to them were sacked, while most of the pioneers have left the church. ‘Things have been very difficult for me so much so that there are times when I have had to sew my torn panties and under wears over and over again before I could wear them, while my husband I’ve toiled with, enjoys with some ladies in the church’ she said.
She said somewhere last year, the prophet informed some elders of the church about his intentions to divorce her by August last 2004 because she was growing lean.
However the prophet failed to pursue the matter but took his wife to the Women and Juvenile Unit of the Police Service, (WAJU), to ban her from going to his house. She said she has since been receiving money for food and upkeep of the last child through WAJU.
Then the surprise! She said she decided to go to his house one day when the money was no longer forthcoming. ‘When I got to the house I found a lover of the prophet known as Joyce, lying on the prophet’s bed in only her pants.” It resulted in a fight and the lady lodged a complaint at WAJU claiming I attempted to murder her when prophet invited her to cater for his first child who is living with him’ she explained. But the prophet and his alleged lover have since failed to show up after his wife was invited to WAJU.
An elder of the Church, who has been with the church for over three years, confirmed the story by Mrs. Abigail Arthur but pleaded anonymity. According to the elder, he traveled outside the country and only came back to hear rumours of immorality about the prophet. He said he decided to conduct his own investigatioins into the matter especially when he realized that the Prophet’s wife, Mrs. Arthur was growing lean.
The elder said his suspicion was confirmed when one evening at about 9 pm he saw the pastor in the company of a lady at his office, only for the prophet to give an explanation that the lady was giving him computer lessons. He said the church executives called the prophet to a meeting when they received information about his decision to leave his wife. But he said the prophet refused to give his side of the story at the meeting.
This, the elder said compelled the executives to direct him to pay a compensation of ¢2 million to his wife but he refused. The elder stated that the activities of the prophet have compelled almost all the old members of the church to leave for other churches, leaving only new members.
Mrs. Abigail Arthur is currently perching with a friend because the prophet went to their landlord and collected the remaining rent advance on their former apartment.
Public Agenda has gathered that Prophet Oscar Arthur has on two occasions collapsed while delivering a sermon and had to cut short what is usually a long sermon.
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