•Differences settled as CAN Lagos, Oyo, Ogun attend burial
•PFN shun week-long ceremony
AFTER a week-long funeral rites, the remains of popular televangelist and philanthropist, Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, better known as Prophet TB Joshua, was buried on Friday at the premises of his sprawling church, The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Ikotun, Lagos, with thousands of mourners who attended the burial service describing him as a man who lived for God and humanity.
Guests which include Governors Rotimi Akeredolu and Dapo Abiodun of Ondo and Ogun states respectively; foreign delegates and community members in Ikotun-Egbe where the church is located, came out in numbers to witness the interment of remains of the late Prophet, who is famously described as ‘the man in the Synagogue’.
Others included Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Home Affairs, Anofiu Elegushi; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, represented by his wife, Olori Silekunola Naomi; remowned world gospel singers Shirley Murdock and Byron Cage, among a cast of dignitaries.
The mourners came from across the world including the Caribbean, South Africa, Ghana, Israel, Ecuador, among others. Though most of the international guests are not members of his church but said they were impacted by his philanthropy activities and businesses created through SCOAN. This is a reflection of T.B Joshua’s followership that stretched across several continents of the world.
In his tribute to the Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo state-born preacher, who rose to prominence in the 1990s, Akeredolu described Joshua as a special breed who attracted thousands of worshippers to his mega-church. The governor said that the mammoth crowd that attended his burial eclipsed what was recorded during the funeral of South Africa’s foremost freedom fighter, Nelson Mandela.
He said, “I’m not too sure we’ve had the world so congregated in this number from different countries in many such services, maybe, that of Nelson Mandela but the world is more represented here than when Nelson Mandela was buried.”
Governor Akeredolu described Joshua’s death as a loss to humanity, adding that the cleric was noted and credited with predicting some global events. “Indeed, it was and is being globally acknowledged today by all of us.”
Akeredolu revealed that the traditional ruler of Joshua’s hometown in Arigidi Akoko, Akoko North Local Government Area, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, had mobilised him for Joshua’s remains to be buried in the town.
“Joshua remains the only person who died and market men and women closed their shops for one week in his home town. Kabiesi mobilised me for the body of Joshua to be buried in his home town because he was convinced that we should bring the body to Arigidi. And I said to Kabiesi that our late prophet has a family and where his remains will lie is for the family to decide not for him.
Speaking of T.B Joshua’s impact in the State, the governor said, “When I was first elected as the Governor, Prophet T.B Joshua gave my family huge amount of money and paid up the electricity bills of four local council who were in darkness for years.
“Aside helping the less privileged in the state, he began plans to set up a university for the state before his death. His demise is not only a loss to Ondo state or to the world, but to humanity.”
In his tribute Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who was represented by his Commissioner for Home Affairs, Anofiu Elegushi, said Joshua’s charitable deeds and love for humanity should open the eyes of Nigerians to possibility of a world where all would live in peace irrespective of ethnic, cultural and religious differences,
Sanwo-Olu urged Christians to adopt Joshua’s spirit of dedication, love and sacrifice, which endeared him to his members, adding that his life should encourage people to renew their hope in Christ, love for others and faith in Nigeria.
“We must be determined to make Nigeria a pride among other nations in unity, peace and progress as our watchword,” he said.
Olori Silekunola Naomi, representing Ooni Ogunwusi, said: “I looked at his life and I wonder if I will be able to kill flesh as more as he has. And it is my prayer that the lessons his life has taught us will also bring out good seeds in everyone of us.”
Joshua died on June 5, few days before his 58th birthday anniversary after a prayer meeting with his partners at SCOAN Prayer Mountain also known as Faith Resort in Agodo, Egbe, Lagos.
Meanwhile, the differences between the televangelist and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the umbrella organisation of Christian denominations in Nigeria, seems to have been settled as the Lagos, Oyo, Ogun chapters of the body attended the burial ceremony.
CAN, which hitherto had a frosty relationship with the late T.B Joshua, sent a delegation to the burial, but Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, the umbrella body of all Pentecostal churches in the country did not, as the leadership of the body did not send any representative, whilst popular revered pastors in the circle shunned the burial ceremony, thus affirming the cold relationship they had with the cleric.
CAN President, his eminence, Rev. Shupo Ayokunle, who was represented by the Assistant General Secretary, Apostle Abiodun Sanyanolu, chairman, Lagos State chapter, Rev. Stephen Adegbite, Ogun and Oyo chairman respectively, grace the interment of the late Prophet T.B Joshua.
As the world awaits the official announcement of the successor of the late prophet, some disciples of the church have reiterated that nothing will affect the legacy of the cleric as it lives on, adding that his pastoral works would continue.
However, there have been speculations that his wife, Evelyn Joshua, has been chosen to reign as the general superintendent of the church. Her choice as a successor, a source in the church, claims, follows a series of meetings by SCOAN elders.
According to the source, the decision was part of the resolution reached at the Friday, June 11 meeting held between the immediate and the extended family members, and the church elders.
“Someone must take charge immediately and give spiritual direction on the mode of service continuity. So it was agreed that mama Evelyn should take up the mantle of leadership of the church, as she has been there with papa from the beginning.
“So much spiritual and financial effort went into building the SCOAN and it cannot just be wasted away. Apart from being a preacher, mama Evelyn also offers counseling to the church members,” the source said.
With the busy Synagogue attracting more weekly attendees than the combined number of visitors to Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, the monarch of Joshua’s hometown had said that if the charismatic pastor was buried in Arigid-Akoko, it would spur development in the town, as followers will regularly visit his gravesite to pay tribute to him.
Widely known across Africa, America, Europe and Latin America, the late T.B Joshua had a large social media presence with over 6,000,000 followers on Facebook. His Emmanuel TV on YouTube had over 1,800,000 subscribers and 400 million views before it was suspended in April this year for alleged hate speech. Prior to the suspension, it was regarded as the most-viewed Christian ministry on the platform.
The church has been described as Nigeria’s biggest tourist attraction and the most visited destination with thousands of foreigners flocking to attend the church’s weekly services.
According to figures released by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), six out of every 10 foreign travellers coming into Nigeria are SCOAN bound, a fact discussed in the Zimbabwean parliament while addressing the economic potentials of religious tourism.
Also, ThisDay newspaper reported that about two million local and inbound tourists visit SCOAN annually, while the church’s popularity has led to an increase in flight routes to Lagos from several African countries.
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