By Bizna Brand Analyst
When you think of the mega-wealthy who rake in millions each year and live ridiculously lavish lifestyles, you probably don’t think about preachers.
But as you’re about to find out, spreading the gospel has become a very profitable business for several well-known bishops and ‘prophets’, affording them the opportunity to live in mansions, own fuel guzzlers, take exotic trips, relax in hotel rooms that cost thousands per night, and even own second and third homes.
Take Prophet Owuor for example, the man that makes people wash roads for him. What value does he give the public in return? None at all. Owuor is simply a well-packaged scam. Let us examine the ways in which Owuor is similar to a fraudulent business.
Getting clients/followers through threats
Prophet Owuor has managed to build his allure as a prophet by issuing threats of rapture and other disasters. “If you don’t repent, earthquakes will pass through here,” he says. And then he holds a prayer meeting titled ‘Holiness and Repentance’ where the said earthquake is bound to take place. People turn up in large numbers where they witness stage-managed miracles and just like that, they find themselves part of the Owuor fanbase. When no earthquake happens, he says it’s because the people repented at his crusade, whereas the true sinners never even bothered to show up. It’s all mind games meant to take advantage of the gullible. It’s all sophisticated psychological manipulation.
Owuor is like a business which convinces you to use their product or service by telling you how badly off you will be if you don’t. It’s like those herbal toothpaste brands that tell you, “If you don’t buy our toothpaste, you will get gum disease. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Modern toothpastes are bad for you. They are full of chemicals.” And just like that, you start using unhealthy toothpaste that has been concocted at a room in Dandora.
No evidence of value given
Ever heard of anyone who was healed by Prophet Owuor? Me neither. Last year, he went to Nigeria, failed to perform any miracles and got trolled. The so called prophet also doesn’t allow outside verification of the claims that he performs miracles. It’s like a medicine company that has no proof of everyone being healed by its drug but still keeps on selling it.
Owuor’s claims have been exposed as falsehoods many times. But after each accusation dies down, he seems to bounce back, launching new crusades and finding new victims. If anything about Prophet Owuor is truly miraculous, it’s his resilience. No matter how many times his claims are debunked, he seems to bounce back with another version of the same old scam.
Promises of glory
How does fraud in business work? You are promised great returns if you make certain ‘little’ investments. It’s only later on that you realize you have been played. In that case, It’s not surprising, really, that people buy into Owuor’s schemes. There’s a definite pattern of people who are operating from an ‘unhappy’ state of mind to be more vulnerable to the suspension of critical thinking and doing anything that makes them feel better. Being addicted to the emotion of hope is a killer, so when the prophet tells them to make sure he is living well and reminds them of the promise of everlasting life, a mansion in the sky and being reunited with loved ones, it sure sounds pretty good.
Undocumented assets
Prophet Owuor has a fleet of cars and homes that he claims are gifts from the congregation. He also insists that he gets funding from international organizations. He apparently doesn’t take offerings too, something which has helped him sell his brand further. So who are these people that fund his lifestyle? Who are these people that enable him to ride in Limousines and Range Rovers. No one knows them.
Owuor insists that he needs the flashy cars to be able to access his followers easily. This has got to be one of the biggest shams ever, and there’s so much delusion it’s hard to even figure out where to begin.
Continue reading on Page 2 …
