Note: The views and opinions expressed in blog/editorial posts are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of Misbar.
The emergence of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic literally brought the medical world to its knees as it scrambled to understand each new and deadly wave. The battle to contain the virus can be described on two fronts: on the one hand, it was the spirited efforts to understand how to stop the spread of the virus itself, while on the other hand, it was a battle to contain the spread of false information and conspiracy theories.
False information thrives in an environment where information is new and concepts are based on limited understanding. The early days of the coronavirus pandemic saw quite a deluge of false information and conspiracy theories as the world tried to understand exactly what it was facing.
One man whose name regularly pops up surrounding conspiracy theories and issues of false COVID-19 claims is Chris Oyakhilome, the Senior Pastor and Founder of the Believers Loveworld Ministries also known as Christ Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria.
On March 31st, UK’s official broadcast regulatory body, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) announced that it was placing a fine of £125,000 (N65.6m) on Loveworld Incorporated for what it termed a breach of the country’s broadcasting code. In a statement on its official Twitter page, Ofcom said the station was fined because it was found to be consistently in the habit of spreading false information on COVID-19, citing the station’s 29-hour programme called the Global Day of Prayer. According to the agency, “these claims included the notion that the outbreak was planned, that the ‘sinister’ vaccine can be used to implant ‘nanochips’ that can control and cause harm to members of the public, and that the virus was somehow caused by 5G.” The agency said it was unfortunate that the station could continue to spread such information despite previous warnings.
This is not the first time the station’s Proprietor, Pastor Chris, has made such outlandish claims about coronavirus. On April 8th, 2020, during a live telecast on Youtube with about 12,000 viewers across the globe, Pastor Chris told his listeners that the COVID-19 outbreak was caused by the introduction of 5G technology. He also alleged that the COVID-19 vaccine will be used to enthrone a new world order which will be led by the anti-Christ.
Claims about 5G have been widely debunked in various articles such as this and this. It is also worth noting that a number of other Nigerian clergymen added their voice in debunking this claim, among whom are notably Pastor Sam Adeyemi and Rev Mathew Ashimolowo.
About a month after his first 5G claim, Pastor Chris again raised eyebrows when during his live ministry he said that wearing face masks was an embarrassment. He said it is dangerous to our health and thus urged his listeners to disregard the wearing of face masks. This is clearly contrary to the advice given by the CDC which recommended the wearing of face masks or “cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), — especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.” His advice also ran contrary to the public advisory statement issued by the Nigerian National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) on the use of facemasks.
In yet another telecast tagged Global Communion Service held on January 3rd and broadcasted live on his Facebook page, Pastor Chris called on African leaders to wake up asking if they indeed expected the Western world to produce a drug for them. The live telecast saw more than 7k comments and 6k reactions, an indication of how far the words of such a notable cleric can go and the potential damage it can wreck.
The continuous spread of misinformation by Pastor Chris ought to be curtailed as it does much harm to the health of the general populace and can have a ripple effect on gullible individuals who in-turn spread the misinformation further.
For many, the words of such “revered men of God” are almost sacrosanct and as such individuals like him ought to know that with great power comes great responsibility. They owe it to their followers to give only information that is true and accurate.
Photo by Olukayode Jaiyeola/NurPhoto via Getty Images
