By Grace Zigah
President John Dramani Mahama has hosted a group of Christian religious leaders, including the outspoken televangelist Prophet Jedidiah Henry Kore, popularly known as Fire Oja, at his private residence in Accra.
The meeting comes just days after Fire Oja stirred public debate with a prophecy predicting the death of a president before the end of the year.
The encounter, which took place on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, was part of President Mahama’s newly announced initiative to create a formal channel for religious leaders to share potentially sensitive prophecies with national authorities before making them public.
The initiative was introduced in the wake of the August 6 helicopter crash that killed Ghana’s Minister of Defence and seven others — an incident several prophets claimed they had foreseen but were ignored by authorities.
In photos shared by Fire Oja on social media, the founder of The Holiness of Christ church was seen warmly shaking hands with President Mahama.
The meeting also brought together other notable clergy, including Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson, as well as Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the president’s newly appointed Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations.
President Mahama’s move to engage religious leaders follows growing calls for better coordination between spiritual authorities and the state on matters of national security.
The programme aims to encourage pastors and prophets to submit specific prophecies — particularly those involving threats to life, major disasters, or national stability — for urgent review before public disclosure.
Fire Oja’s presence at the meeting was especially notable given his recent prediction that Ghana would bury one of its presidents within the year, specifying that it could be the sitting president or a former head of state.
It remains unclear whether he formally communicated this prophecy to Afriyie Ankrah’s office in accordance with the new procedure.
The prophet has also been vocal about the logistical challenges facing men of God in delivering their warnings.
Speaking earlier this month, he defended calls for the government to provide financial and transportation support to prophets tasked with conveying urgent national messages, citing the fact that he does not own a vehicle and many others face similar constraints.
The engagement between President Mahama and Fire Oja is being interpreted in different ways — some see it as a positive step toward bridging the gap between spiritual insight and national policy, while others view it as a potential validation of controversial “doom prophecies” that have often sparked fear and political tension.
