‎"Crooks Calling Themselves Prophets": Otabil, Owusu Bempah and the Fight Over Ghana's Prophetic Ministry

Ghana's pulpits are in a public row. Pastor Mensa Otabil's blunt words about self-styled prophets drew a furious response from Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah, and The Archives splashed it on its front page.

What Otabil said
Speaking during a church service, the ICGC founder said many people calling themselves prophets in Ghana lack Christian character and spiritual integrity. He argued that genuine prophets should call out the crooks, because they are spoiling the work, and he accused many of them of misconduct and lying. He named no one.

The retort
Owusu Bempah took offence. He claimed Otabil had said about 90 per cent of Ghana's prophets were fake, and told his congregation Otabil "is fooling and misbehaving and needs to be put in his place."

He also warned that he would expose what he claimed to know about Otabil if the comments continued. Those claims are serious but unproven: he did not provide evidence for them.

A more measured voice
Prophet Nigel Gaisie took a gentler line. He said he respected Otabil but disagreed with the assessment, argued that imperfection exists across all ministry, and appeared to appeal for more openness between established church leaders and prophets.

Why it matters beyond the pulpit
Accountability. Otabil's own challenge was that genuine prophets should speak against fraud. That is a call for self-policing in a sector with no clear regulator.

Blanket labels versus named cases. Critics have asked why he does not name names. Owusu Bempah's earlier complaint was less about fakes existing than about being lumped in with them: "there may be some fake prophets but the same way there are fake bible teachers too." Both generalisations and unnamed accusations leave the public unable to judge specific claims.

An old feud. The two have clashed repeatedly, over whether prophets elevate their altar above Jesus, and over whether God chooses national leaders. Followers should read each round in that history.

Followers' money and trust. The stakes are real for congregants who give offerings in the hope of breakthroughs, which is why verified claims matter more than insults.

The bottom line
Insults and threats of exposure do not help believers. If prophets and pastors want credibility, they should answer the public with transparency: how ministries are funded, how prophecies are tested, and how complaints are handled. Allegations against anyone, Otabil included, belong in front of evidence and, where criminal, the courts.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,

International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. (USIP)

[email protected]
+233555275880

References
GhanaWeb, "'There are a lot of crooks calling themselves pastors' – Otabil's comments that have angered prophets": https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/There-are-a-lot-of-crooks-calling-themselves-pastors-Otabil-s-comments-that-have-angered-prophets-2059409

GhanaWeb, "Rev Owusu Bempah 'attacks' Pastor Mensa Otabil over comments on prophetic ministry," 2 Nov 2026: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Rev-Owusu-Bempah-attacks-Pastor-Mensa-Otabil-over-comments-on-prophetic-ministry-2059407

GhanaWeb, on Owusu Bempah's allegations: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Rituals-UK-Infidelity-and-BBC-Expos-The-allegations-Owusu-Bempah-made-against-Mensa-Otabil-2059475

Ghanamma, "'Majority of people who call themselves prophets in Ghana crooks' – Pastor Mensa Otabil," 2 Nov 2026: https://www.ghanamma.com/2026/11/02/majority-of-people-who-call-themselves-prophets-in-ghana-crooks-pastor-mensa-otabil/

Ghanamma, 1 Nov 2026, Owusu Bempah's warning: https://www.ghanamma.com/2026/11/01/if-you-mess-with-us-well-mess-you-up-owusu-bempah-sends-warning-to-otabil/

GhanaWeb, 17 Mar 2025, earlier clash: https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/I-will-expose-you-Rev-Owusu-Bempah-throws-shots-at-Mensa-Otabil-1975872

GhanaWeb, 15 Oct 2024: https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/I-would-ve-been-jailed-if-I-were-Mensa-Otabil-who-supervised-Capital-Bank-s-collapse-Rev-Owusu-Bempah-1955398

Happy Ghana, 2017 clash: https://www.happyghana.com/owusu-bempah-dares-mensa-otabil-apologise-to-prophets-or-face-my-wrath/

The Archives, Tue 3 - Wed 4 Nov 2026, front page (pages 2-5)