A clergy in Liberia Bishop Steve Kooker is demanding President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to repent and reconcile with God for attending an Islamic prayer service before attending a Christian service.
Liberian presidents past and present have traditionally attended Thanksgiving services on Fridays at the Mosque and Sundays at the Church in the week leading to their inauguration or during Independence Day celebration, among others.
Mr. Boakai and his transitional team observed this tradition ahead of his inauguration. After being sworn into office on 22 January 2024, President Boakai attended a dedicatory prayer service at the Benson Street Mosque in Monrovia before attending a dedicatory Church Service at Effort Baptist.
But Bishop Steve Kooker, General Overseer of the Bible Faith Church of God Mission International (Mount Zion Ministries) on the Old Road, has frowned against President Boakai for visiting the Mosque before the Church.
Speaking Saturday, 27 January 2024 at the Church Edifice on the Old Road, Bishop Kooker cautioned President Boakai and his Unity Party (UP)-led the Administration to go and repent and reconcile with God.
He said this will enable the UP regime to succeed in making Liberia a better and successful nation.
The clergy argued that Boakai and his UP had defaulted on the founding principles of the country, terming it a huge mistake by going to seek Islam first, rather than God's divine interventions of wisdom to carry them through with success.
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"Weah made the same mistakes, and now is President Joseph Boakai doing the same. You don't go to [the] Mosque before going to the Church," said Bishop Kooker.
"It is the wisdom of God from the Church you carry everywhere you go. That blessing must be upon you and your leader," he added.
"It is that wisdom that guides you through and heals you from errors in leading the nation," Bishop Kooker said further.
He warned President Boakai and his cabinet to repent and reconcile with God or face the wrath of the calamity of being unsuccessful.
He said they have broken the principles of wisdom to deliver Liberia into a better and successful nation because visiting a Mosque first before a Church is a mockery to God.
Bishop Kooker urged the Unity Party leadership, especially through its Chairman Rev. Luther Tarpeh, and its religious advisors to ensure that they hold a service asking God for forgiveness.
"President Boakai's election was significant, I didn't vote for him but we have to wish him success for the good of our country," said Bishop Kooker.
He said the Boakai government must have time to repent and ask God for forgiveness for going to the Mosque first before going to the Church because this is forbidden for the nation.
"This Country was placed in God's hands, and at first our people, those past leaders who had succeeded had taken their intercessory prayers and every divine intervention, goals, and plans for this nation to God," said Bishop Kooker.
"They had always attended the Providence Baptist Church which gave them God's wisdom to lead, and it is this wisdom they took into office and everywhere they go, as they succeed," he intoned.
