Gospel sensation and songwriter Mercy Twum- Ampofo, who is popularly kown as Ohemaa Mercy, has recounted how she nearly committed suicide by stabbing herself but for the timely intervention of a Christian brother.
According to the hit-maker of ‘wubeye kese’, she tried committing suicide after she was caught for lying to extort money in the name of a prophetess she lived with in Koforidua, the capital of Eastern Region where she spent most of her life growing up.
“I remember I was once living in a house where the landlady was a prophetess and I used her name to solicit for funds from her friend whilst she was unaware. So one day, it happened that the woman I went to take the money from came for prayers from the prophetess and this is what happened,” Ohemaa Mercy narrated in an interview with a Kumasi-based radio station.
“I had already told the woman that my landlady was ejecting me from the house, but then I had a serious issue to settle and I didn’t know what to tell the woman for her to give the money to me so I had to lie at that particular time at the expense of the prophetess I lived with. When she came to meet her she asked ‘Mercy is it this woman whom you said was mistreating you? If I had known I would have spoken to her to allow you stay’”.
She said it was a Sunday after church when, she was called in the presence of elders and pastors of the church and she was reprimanded because she had lied to solicit money without the consent of the prophetess.
According to her, it was an embarrassing spectacle. She went on to mention that, she could not stand the humiliation and at that point, she wanted to commit suicide.
“At the time I wished the earth could swallow me. I run into my room, took a knife and decided to kill myself though I could hear my child calling me, I didn’t mind because Satan is always stronger when he wants you to do things to hurt yourself,” she confessed.
In a short statement, she also thanked the Christian Brother that had intervened in the unpleasant situation.
“God being so good, there was this brother who broke into my room to save me. I remember he told me that I shouldn’t kill myself, because this is not the end of my life and that God has so much for me. In fact I thank God for that particular brother that saved my life”.
Ohemaa Mercy released her first album in the latter part of November 2004. Entitled Adamfo Papa, the album, enjoyed massive airplay after its release and brought Ohemaa into the limelight.
She won seven nominations for the 2006 Ghana Music Awards but did not win any of the awards. She later won the Discovery of the year for the Gospel Music Awards the same year.
In 2010 Ohemaa released her another album, Wobeye Kese, which again was the highest selling album and topped all the major chat shows in the country. Four months after its release, this album again won her four nominations at the 2014 Ghana Music Awards.
She won the Gospel Artiste of the year and in Canada the same year was Gospel Artiste of the Year-Canada. She was nominated the Best Female Artiste West Africa the same year for the Africa Gospel Music awards in London.
She has shared the stage with renowned international artistes such as Kirk Franklin.
With her latest album Aforebo, Ohemaa Mercy has six successful albums to her credit.
