Nsukka: Herbalist with 48 wives, 200 children in trouble By Chinenyeh Ozor

byNnaemeka Ali, O.M.I
-April 8, 2012

NSUKKA- The arrow of God is no longer at ease and things have fallen
apart in the household of an Enugu herbalist who is married to 48 wives
and blessed with about 200 children some of whom are born again
Christians.

His children have insisted he must repent and give up the business
but to no avail. The 66-year-old herbalist, Chief Simon Odo (a.k.a
Onuwa, Africa Solomon or Satan is sleeping) who hails from Aji, Igbo-Eze
North Local Government Area, Enugu State, and started his herbal
business at the age of 15 told Crime Guard that until recently, peace,
order and tranquility reigned in his household as he ensured that he
meet up their demands.

Crime Guard, learnt that over time, seven of his children were
ordained pastors at the Lord’s Chosen Pentecostal Church. Hitherto, some
of them attended Catholic and Anglican churches while many of them took
after their father in his business.

However, the ordination of the pastors brought about a radical
Christian awakening in the extra-large family of Chief Simon Odo. A
reliable family source told Crime Guard that since the past two years,
there had been a simmering misunderstanding between the pastors and
their father regarding his herbal practice.

The pastors were said to be mounting heavy pressure on him to repent
and turn to Jesus, a demand the herbalist spurned. Odo, said to have
lost one of his wives last February, had arranged for the burial
programme, which his pastor sons rejected and rather organized a prayer
programme for her burial.

In the confusion that ensued, the pastors and some others of his
children allegedly manhandled their father and tore his clothes to
shreds. The herbalist was said to have petitioned the police Area
Command, Nsukka, on the development.

*Onuwa

Crime Guard who met with the herbalist at the Area Command, Nsukka in
a “Jumper” which he claimed was torn by his born-again children,
said, “ the beating is unacceptable and I cannot tolerate it and that
was why I sought police intervention to prosecute them.”

Odo’s trouble started two years ago when he allegedly discovered that
one of the so-called pastors had carnal relationship with one of his
wives (name withheld), explaining that when he (Odo) accosted him, the
boy reacted by mobilizing others to rebel against him.

He said that his children-pastors alleged that he is evil and must
abandon his herbal practice and join them to preach the gospel. The
herbalist stressed that there is freedom of worship in Nigeria. “Let
those of my children who preferred Pentecostal practice go on with that
and allow me to practics my own belief ”.

He said he had before now promised to sponsor their religious
programme, including one week long crusade but they turned it down, only
to point at him as a devil. According to him, “If I am devil, all of
them are children of devil.”

Odo pointed out that if his pastor sons’ repentance was to be making
love to their father’s wife, then such repentance is evil before the
creator of heaven and earth and man. He vowed to take his children to
court for threatening his life and beating him. The herbalist claimed
that his children are lazy, looking for his wives to sleep with.

“I have the wherewithal to care for the 200 children comfortably.
Those who want to be useful can still make it with me. One of my
daughters is a graduate and a two-term councillor at Igbo-Eze North
Local Government Council and another one Amara, who is looking ahead of
others, will be traveling to London to further her studies.

The so-called pastors are looking for a scapegoat.” However one of
the seven pastors who preferred anonymity claimed that their father
does not want to take care of his children, saying that he only gave
birth to them and abandoned them to their fate. He alleged that their
father does not provide for them, but spends his money on frivolities,
buying cars for others outside his immediate household.”