President of Royal Queens of Niger Delta Initiative, Evangelist Josephine Diete-Spiff, has urged media practitioners to change the narrative of classifying native doctors and criminals causing mayhem in the country as pastors.
Josephine, who is the wife of the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass Kingdom in Bayelsa State and former Military Governor of Rivers State, King Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff, lamented over the situation where native doctors and criminals now hide in churches in the name of being pastors.
Speaking while receiving an award as the “Symbol of Hope for the Girl Child, Women and the Elderly” by the Bayelsa Media Network Award in Yenagoa on Monday, Diete-Spiff said pastors ordained by God would never be found in any criminal acts, adding that the trend where native doctors and criminals move into churches is becoming worrisome.
She said native doctors and criminals should be given the right nomenclature as criminals and not pastors.
“I realise these days that when there is crime, a pastor is always mentioned. It is becoming the norm when crime is committed; the person is referred to as pastor. I am a pastor and I like to say that since the native doctors have moved to churches, we should actually classify them properly and stop calling them pastor somebody.
“We should say either native doctor or a criminal has committed an offense because a child of God will not be found in such acts. I like the press to put out there that we Christians are not criminals, especially when we are titled ‘pastor’.
“Pastors are ordained by God and will not be found wanting. So if criminals or native doctors have moved into the church and begin to cause mayhem, pastors should not be classified with them. They should give them the right nomenclature as criminals,” she said.
Commending the Bayelsa Media Network for conferring on her an award of excellence as the “Symbol of Hope for the Girl Child, Women and the Elderly, Queen Josephine said it is her passion to care for the girl child and women especially the widows and the elderly through her foundation.
She regretted that some men, who have huge amount of money in the bank as well as properties, unexpectedly die intestate without disclosing to their wife and children about their wealth, saying that it is one of the reasons why widows who are not supposed to suffer are suffering.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council and Amayanabo of Twon-Brass Kingdom, HRM King Alfred Diete-Spiff, appreciated his wife for the award of recognition given to her by the media practitioners.
Daily Trust