The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SCOAN

  • Synagogue’s hate statement on The Nation’s reporter

    Synagogue’s hate statement on The Nation’s reporter

     When a building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) collapsed last month, The Nation’s Precious Igbonwelundu was one of the first set of reporters to get to the site. For days after the collapse, she was at the site to get on-the-spot reports. This did not go down with the church. In a statement by the church but credited to a so-called freelance journalist John Haward, Igbowelundu was identified as the arrowhead of the media opposition against the church. A group photogragh in which the reporter appeared at the site was used to illustrate the hate statement, as if to draw attention of the church’s members to her for possible attack. Below is the hate statement strictly in context: 

    T. B. Joshua has been predicting a lot of accurate prophecies regarding world events, politics, to mention but a few, from the SCOAN Nigeria and broadcasted on Emmanuel.TV that has all come to pass. This has raised questions such “If they can run around prophesying about world events elsewhere, how dare they fail to see that their own buildings were collapsing right in front of them?” referring to TB Joshua.

    The fact is TB Joshua on the Sunday 31st August 2014 said a “Big shot” would be attacked in Nigeria which would spark up political crises. “Big shot” to me is a prominent person and we all know TB Joshua is prominent person in Nigeria and all over the world, though some may disagree. We also know that for him not to cause panic he does not mention certain Countries or names in his prophecies, however, what he might have prophesied about has come to pass, that is, cornering the collapsed building and matter arising.

    Some individuals and some Engineers have suggested that the addition of extra floors on top of the existing building for foreign followers of the church overloaded the structure, causing the fatal collapse. The fact is that, the building was designed to be a 10 storey building and NOT 3 floors as some reporters have published.

    “NEMA” claimed they were NOT allowing them access onto the site to carry out evacuation and that the church argued with them for hours before allowing them to offer help. NEMA actually arrived on the site after 3 hours of the tragic incident and wanted to start climbing the collapsed building to start evacuation so the SCOAN staff refused them explaining that “we know where people may be in the building at the time it collapsed, so now that you are here with your equipment, let’s make holes in the beams. 1. it would allow air to go in and 2. People trapped inside can crawl out from the hole” It took over 1 hour for NEMA to agree that there is sense in what they were saying” At this point the staff and NEMA started drilling holes in the beams. A structural engineer on site said “it’s unusual for such a building to collapse like this” so I asked why did you say so? His reply was “the strength of the concrete is above standard and the correct size irons were used” Please note many others have told me the same.

    To confirm that the pillars and the decking was above standard in strength, Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory team were there to test the quality and the strength of several pillars the decking and found them all to be satisfactory. They also tested the soil which was also found to be satisfactory. One could tell their anger when they could NOT find anything to incriminate TB Joshua with. They move into the main Church auditorium to test over 120 other pillars which they also found to be satisfactory.

    What one finds very distressing and intriguing is the fact that many of TB Joshua’s critics intentionally overlooked the appearance of the strange jet that hovered over the building on 4 occasions before it collapsed. In their analysis of this tragedy and rather than call for investigation as to what this fighter jet was doing around the building four times and how it got there and who was manning it, they are busy clamoring for the arrest of TB Joshua. The Nigerian Air Force, need to explain where their missing Jet was that morning. It was after the SCOAN televised the CCTV footage of the incident, the Nigerian Air Force came out to say their Jet had disappeared that Friday morning. This clearly makes them number one suspect therefore must be made to answer some questions.

     

    Nigerian Press

     

    The role of a journalist is to disseminate information correctly and not to peddle falsehood. A lady journalist by the name Precious from the “Nations News Paper” was at the scene for 6 days instigating other press men to publish stories against SCOAN and have succeeded in doing so. Her mission is to embarrass Prophet TB Joshua, discourage people from coming to see him, end his ministry and silence him forever but all will come to naught. NO ONE FIGHTS GODS ANOINTED AND WINS; NO ONE.

    “It is very sad that inaccurate reports are coming from some quarters that SCOAN are not cooperating with the rescue teams and other agencies in collating information and providing assistance on the incident. In my interview with SCOAN personnel categorically state that the church has provided assistance when and where required and continues to do so – good Christians are good citizens.”

    The church views this tragedy as part of an attack on The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations and in particular, Prophet T.B. Joshua. In due course, God will reveal the perpetrators of this unfortunate tragedy, they said.

     

    Nigerian Air Force

     

    The Alpha jet belonging NAF went missing on Friday 12th Sept, 2014 while on an operation against insurgents in Adamawa State in north-eastern Nigeria, the day of the incident at SCOAN. Why, was it NOT reported the same day?

    Amosu told journalists after briefing Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on the missing jet on Monday 15th Sept, 2014, 3 days after the incident in Abuja that the two crew members might still be alive since an ejection was contemplated.

    “One of our Alpha Jets went on routine operation in the north-east. On its return, the pilots lost contact with the control towers and that made us to immediately initiate a search.

    It was when the CCTV footage of the incident was released on Sunday, 14th, Sept, 2014, NAF decided to make a report to cover their tracks.

  • Synagogue: Coroner seeks South Africa’s support for DNA tests

    Synagogue: Coroner seeks South Africa’s support for DNA tests

    •Court to visit site Thursday

    •‘Disabled’ persons protest in court

    The Lagoscoroner investigating the collapse of a guest house at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Ikotun has appealed to the South African government to allow relatives of the victims to come to Nigeria for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests.

    Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe spoke yesterday at the Lagos High Court in Ikeja at the inaugural sitting of the inquest into the cause of the incident.

    The magistrate noted that the DNA examination, which is a major aspect of the inquest, would not be done if relatives were not available to identify the deceased.

    He said the relatives would donate blood for the tests to enable the pathologists identify the bodies and release them for burial.

    One hundred and fifteen bodies, mainly South Africans, were recovered from the debris of the building.

    Komolafe said the investigation should not be misconstrued for prosecution, adding that the parties should give accurate facts on the incident to prevent a recurrence.

    He said: “I empathise with the families of the victims but I want to seize this opportunity to state the importance of the DNA to this inquest. Relatives of the victims should avail themselves and donate blood to enable the pathologists identify the bodies.

    “The medical team and pathologists are working because the court has directed them to carry out the activities and report back.

    “It is important for the South African Embassy to ensure that relatives of the victims come forward for the pathologist to get the needed samples to compare with the bodies. Those bodies have to be properly identified, and when that is done and the process completed, the bodies will be released to the South African government; they can take them home, if they want them taken home.

    “We all have to work together. We should not allow anything to cause a misunderstanding. Nigeria and South Africa are one; at least, we are blacks.

    “Please, let us work together to make this process a success.”

    Komolafe said the court was not a prosecuting court, adding that it would not indict anybody.

    He averred that the court would not be rigid in its rules  except where it becomes necessary.

    But where a witness, who is listed to appear before the coroner failed to do so, Komolafe said the court might be compelled to issue a summons against such a person.

    Counsel to the church Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) asked the court for more time to enable the defence upload documents and other evidence at the court registry.

    Fagbemi said the defence also needed time to prepare its witnesses for the inquest. The officer in charge of Legal Matters, Lagos State Police Command, Chukwu Agwu, backed Fagbemi’s request.

    Agwu told the coroner that he got the summons to appear before the court at the close of business last Friday.

    The police officer said he would need time to get documents ready and prepare some deputy commissioners for the inquest.

    The court adjourned for 15 minutes for the counsel to agree on a date for the next sitting.

    When the court resumed, the coroner fixed Thursday for a visit to the “locus” (site of the collapsed building).

    Komolafe urged those who failed to appear at the inaugural sitting to appear before the court at the next adjournment.

    The magistrate listed such parties as the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Office of the Lagos State Surveyor General and Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), among others.

    He directed the counsel to upload the documents and evidence they intend to file and for responses to be made before October 24.

    There was drama on the court premises yesterday when scores of physically -challenged persons, who said they were beneficiaries of the church’s goodwill, staged a peaceful protest.

    Some of them were on wheel chairs.

     

     

    The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions demanding a thorough investigation into the incident.

    Some of the inscriptions read: “Who is the owner of the private jet that flew close to the building?”; “CCTV footage can’t tell lies. Please, investigate”; “Tell us the truth: structural defect or a controlled blast”; “Why target foreigners”; “It is demolition, not structural failure”; “Tell us the truth: what collapsed the building”; “Awareness matters, don’t give way to terrorists”.

    Another drama ensued when Fagbemi tried to convince the court to fix the site visit for Friday (October 17), instead of Thursday (October 16).

    Reacting to Fagbemi’s question on whether or not the court would ask questions at the site and what such questions would be, Komolafe said: “Counsel, with due respect, this is a locus for the court to see. Of course, we will ask questions. This court will ask questions like: is this where the building is located? Or, can we not ask such questions?

    “Is it not that the locus will speak for itself? If I said now: ‘let us move to the site’, what happens? Nothing!

    “Except, learned SAN, you want to draw up questions for me like: Ókay, Coroner, these are the questions you ask when you get there.”

    There was laughter in the courtroom.

    The magistrate added: “You don’t ask me to tell you the questions I want to ask… We are going to see it together. Is that not so? In fact, I expect that it is the owner of the premises that will host us and show us round the place.

    “We will look at it and seek explanation where necessary and we will come back. That is why I said we should not look at this situation as a criminal matter. What we want are facts as they are.”

     

     

     

  • Raising the alarm

    Raising the alarm

    •Dilapidated buildings in barracks and religious institutions are exposed

    In the light of the recent collapse of a six-storey building under construction at The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), it is welcome to see that the Lagos State Government has decided to make pre-emptive action its watchword by raising the alarm on structures that it deems unsafe.

    In pursuance of this objective, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Dr. Abimbola Animashaun, last week alerted the nation to the difficulties it had been encountering in enforcing town-planning laws in police and army barracks, and religious institutions based in the state.

    It appears that the agency’s operatives are disallowed from inspecting or evaluating buildings in these zones and are often physically assaulted if they attempt to do so. According to Animashaun, several barracks have buildings which are clearly unfit for human habitation, given the huge cracks, crumbling balconies, blown-off roofs and other signs of profound disrepair. The police barracks located in the Iponri and Ikeja areas of the state were singled out for dishonourable mention.

    LASBCA’s assertions can easily be verified merely by glancing at many of these barracks from the outside. Such is the filth and disrepair that characterise them that it has long been a wonder that human beings of any kind, to say nothing of security operatives, can live in such insalubrious circumstances. Instead of the elevated levels of cleanliness that are ostensibly an inherent aspect of military discipline and religious faith, what is often encountered are unpainted buildings, fetid and overflowing gutters, piles of trash, abandoned cars and general disorder.

    It was indeed the sorry state of the barracks at the Police College, Ikeja (PCI) that compelled the scoop by a television station in January 2013 revealing an in-depth portrayal of its wretched situation as a prelude to remedial action. However, rather than respond accordingly, the police hierarchy and the Federal Government chose to focus on what they regarded as a concerted attempt to “embarrass” them. Given such attitudes, it is no surprise that the squalor of places like the PCI has taken a turn for the worse.

    The SCOAN disaster is a costly reminder of the terrible consequences that ensue when laws are flouted and benign neglect takes the place of regular and comprehensive maintenance. It is especially disheartening that police and military barracks as well as religious institutions would be so opposed to the enforcement of building regulations. All three bodies are supposed to be embodiments of discipline, self-control and respect for constituted authority, and cannot regard themselves as being above laws that apply to everyone else.

    The police and the armed forces are especially notorious when it comes to the lack of subordination to civil authorities. When members of both organisations are caught in the commission of offences, it is extremely difficult to apprehend them. Religious institutions seem to have picked up this bad habit as well; members of SCOAN infamously obstructed first-responders from approaching the collapsed building for almost 72 hours after the tragedy struck.

    This situation can no longer be tolerated. The Lagos State Government must work with the police, military and religious authorities to ensure that they understand the rationale behind the enforcement of town-planning laws and building regulations. It might require that a code of conduct be drawn up for all corporate bodies to sign up. Those who refuse to adhere to the law should be taken to court and legally sanctioned.

    Agencies like LASBCA must build upon the proactive stance of the state government. No construction should be embarked upon without their written permission. A comprehensive regimen of continual inspections and repeated checks should be established to ensure that unscrupulous individuals and organisations are not allowed to get away with short-cuts. Defaulters must be made to face the full weight of the law.

     

  • South African media hit Joshua, Nigeria hard

    South African media hit Joshua, Nigeria hard

    Since its compatriots died at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), the South African media have come hard on the church, the federal and state governments as well as the rescue agencies, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

    From Guardian & Mail to Sowetan and Sunday Times, South African newspapers have come hard on the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), its pastor, Prophet T.B. Joshua, the federal and state governments and the rescue agencies.  As far as they are concerned, the tragedy was handled with levity.

    The Sunday Times, in a report titled ‘Blood on their hands’ said the management of the tragedy has been characterised by chaos, incompetence and lies.

    “As the first full picture of the horror of the Nigerian church collapse surfaces, South Africans are left wondering how many lives could have been saved if Pastor TB Joshua’s church and Nigerian authorities had co-operated fully in rescue attempts,” the newspaper said.

    South African Minister Jeff Radebe yesterday urged the Federal Government to investigate the “tragedy”. Radebe said 84 South Africans who were part of visiting church groups had died in the September 12 incident. He was speaking at an air force base north of Johannesburg where 25 South Africans who were injured returned for treatment.

    Other newspapers, such as The City Press, also carpeted the Synagogue church for not co-operating with rescue agencies.

    Mail & Guardian on Sunday, however, said the rescue efforts later improved, but it was too late.

    Said the newspaper:  “Nigerian authorities and church members have made a U-turn on co-operating with South Africans at the collapsed guesthouse tragedy, following a diplomatic skirmish, which saw an entire week fritter away while vital efforts to save lives were blocked.

    “A diplomatic source from South Africa confirmed that the Nigerian authorities have proven to be far more co-operative since Friday, a week after the devastating collapse that has seen the largest number of South Africans killed outside of the country since even the downing of the Helderberg airliner in 1987 which killed 71 South Africans.

    “The stress on scarce skills in the field followed the shock decision by Nigerian authorities to turn down help from South Africa earlier in the week, including one of the continent’s best search and rescue teams.

    “Search and Rescue South Africa was placed on standby by the department of international relations, Sunday Times reported, but by Sunday last week it was too late.

    “Gift of the givers, a South African-based Islamic relief organisation, were initially blocked in their efforts to access mortuaries and hospitals in Lagos to find South African hurt and deceased South Africans.

    “In addition, the crucial 24 hours after the collapse, when survivors could have been found in the rubble, was missed as information about the collapse was at a black-out with Nigerian authorities failing to communicate with their South African counterparts in time, and church staff and goers proving downright hostile.”

    The paper said building collapses happen repeatedly in Nigeria “because of the use of substandard material and flouted construction regulations”.

    Mail & Guardian added: “It is believed that the building was in the process of having additional stories added without first securing the foundations, although Joshua has blamed it on a mysterious attack, citing the appearance of an aircraft above the building shortly before the collapse.”

    The South African Press Association, the country’s news agency, also did an unflattering profile of Prophet Joshua, which were run by some of the local newspapers. The profile said Joshua claims he has power to cure anything, from AIDS to cancer.

    The papers also made a mince meat of Joshua’s wealth, quoting the Forbes’ list as their proof that he had made so much money from his work as a pastor. A report sought out a past visitor and got her to reveal that each person who came on her team of 150 paid R20,000 each to make the trip. The papers were, however, fair enough to   give space to people who also had good words to say about Joshua and the church.

    One of such is opposition leader Julius Malema. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader said: “I am in touch with the elders of the church. They are doing everything in their power to ensure that every individual that was there is accounted for and that the rescue mission continues.”

    Malema said despite what happened, Joshua remains a great man, who should continue to inspire hope. He said he was at Synagogue for seven days, adding that at the time, no less than 16 000 people were in attendance at the church “and 50 per cent of those were from outside Africa”.

    He said: “Yes, I was there to create friendship and take lessons from the prophet. He is my brother, we talk now and then. I also received spiritual guidance from him. The church is very big, he has a lot of followers. He receives people from all corners of the world, both rich and poor. They go there for different reasons and they all want to be blessed by the man of God.

    “When I was there, I was treated very well. The hospitality is so amazing. The people who looked after us there did it with passion. They love what they are doing and they respect people. We also would like to say to the prophet that he should find strength during this difficult time. This is a testing time for him.

    “He is a very good man. He inspires hope in hopeless people. We hope he will not be discouraged. He must continue to inspire hope and feed the children of God. When I went to his church, he never asked for a cent from me. TB Joshua never preached about money and he never insisted on having contributions for the church.”

    Another report queried the theory by Joshua that the building came down after an attack by Boko Haram, saying that the collapse was most likely caused by not following the standard.

    The papers also focused on South African prominent citizens who have visited Joshua for one reason or the other. The legendary Ms Winnie Madikizela-Mandela ranks among South African powerful figures who have bowed before Joshua. She was interviewed on Joshua’s Emmanuel Tv in 2011 after her visit and she had nice words for the church.  Others include Springbok rugby players Joost van der Westhuizen, Ruben Kruger and Wium Basson, who died at his Pretoria home on April 21, 2001. He was 25. Basson, who played for the Blue Bulls, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Doctors could not do anything to help him and gave him a few weeks to live. He flew to Lagos, to consult Joshua. But, for some reason, he could not see Joshua after waiting for hours on a queue. He returned home and died almost immediately.

    Kruger, who had a brain tumour, died in Pretoria in January 2010, after battling brain cancer for 10 years. His visit to Joshua could not save him.

    An article by Jacques Pauw in City Press literally tore Joshua to pieces. Pauw had visited Synagogue once to do a documentary on the church and its pastor’s miracles. His findings did not support Joshua’s claims.

    His words: “Ruben Kruger, a veteran of 36 tests in the green and gold, returned after a week in Nigeria and declared that a Pentecostal preacher he called the Prophet had healed his brain cancer.

    “Temitope Balogun “TB” Joshua prayed for him in the Synagogue Church of All Nations compound while thousands of people sang, danced and wailed, Kruger said.

    “As Joshua bent over him and implored the demon to be gone from his body, Kruger felt the tumour leaving him. He was cured, Joshua declared, handing him oil to rub on his head.

    “I no longer have to drink my chemo pills,” Kruger said on his return. “You cannot describe the feeling to anyone who has not experienced it. It was an unbelievable – or should I say believable – experience.”

    “The floodgates opened and the Prophet’s newest converts were white, mostly Afrikaans and relatively conservative. They swopped the NG and Hervormde churches for a Nigerian “turn-or-burn” approach to redemption.

    “It took me some time to understand why the ­Afrikaner psyche found Joshua so irresistible. Why were they prepared to seek salvation in a ­country they perceived to be drowning in greed, ­political rot and economic decay?

    “Christianity Nigerian-style was worlds apart from the chains and shackles of Calvinism. Joshua unchained them. He allowed them to worship with a gusto and fervour previously thought unseemly.

    “That the new messiah was black and his church in Africa’s biggest and maddest metropolis only added to the allure.

    “A year or two after Kruger returned from Lagos, I made the same journey. On the plane was another Springbok rugby ­player, 25-year-old lock Wium Basson, who was dying of liver cancer. He was accompanied by his mother, Cloeté Geldenhuys, and had to get special permission from SAA to make the journey.

    “I was making a TV documentary and my challenge to Joshua was straightforward: allow me to film how you heal Basson. If you succeed, I promise I will show it to the world.

    “When we arrived at Joshua’s compound, the TV team and I were in effect incarcerated. For two weeks, we were forbidden to leave the grounds.

    “We were told we could not drink or smoke, and had to attend services and events with the pilgrims. While I stayed in a dormitory with other pilgrims, Wium and Cloeté set up camp in a private room.

    “The church took away the young man’s morphine and pain pills. During our first interview, a softly spoken, affable Joshua said it would be easy to heal Wium because he had nothing but a “little sore” on his liver.

    “At Sunday sermons, the afflicted lined up with placards stating what condition they needed healed. There were lines of people seeking a cure for HIV/Aids, ­cancer and heart conditions, business failures, wandering spouses and dull brains.

    “A festive, almost joyous atmosphere filled the compound as churchgoers sang, clapped and danced. Evil spirits were cast out and those set free by the Prophet writhed in the dirt while vomiting out the demons.

    “Joshua prayed for every person in the line and declared them all healed. He ordered them to stop using any medication and trust in God.

    “Among the pilgrims was Capetonian John Rindel, who was suffering from full-blown Aids and already had dementia.

    “He had arrived at the church several weeks before we did, was prayed for by Joshua and declared completely healed.

    “He had stopped taking his medicine and showed remarkable improvement. Scientists refer to this as the “placebo effect” of faith healing. A patient can experience genuine pain relief and other ­symptomatic alleviation after being prayed for.

    “The relief is short-lived and the patient soon returns to his original condition. The internet is filled with reports from organisations like the American Cancer Society and the British Medical Journal that found no evidence faith healing can cure physical ailments.

    “On my request, Rindel agreed to go for two independent HIV/Aids tests when he returned to South Africa. Both showed he was still positive. He died a short while later.

    “The BBC recently investigated the London branch of the church and reported that three women had died after being “healed” and told to stop taking their HIV/Aids medication.

    “I challenged the pilgrims to provide me with medical proof that they had been healed. None did. Ruben Kruger died in 2010 just before his 40th birthday.

    “And Wium Basson? Joshua never prayed for him. He said God had not sent him a message to do so. The young man left the church broken, disillusioned and at death’s door. He died a few days after returning to South Africa.

    “Before I left the church, Joshua handed me, and the camera and sound people, thick envelopes full of hundred dollar notes. He wanted to be sure we’d produce a positive programme. We gave the envelopes back.

    “A year or so after the programme aired – and generated a massive response from people who called us accusing Joshua of all sorts of misdeeds – the preacher produced a video of a 76-year-old South African man named Moses he said he’d brought back from the dead.

    “Moses was among a group of South African pilgrims in Lagos when he had a heart attack in the dining room. Videos distributed around the world showed three pilgrims, one a doctor from Bloemfontein, trying to resuscitate Moses.

    “They failed, the videos reported, and Moses was carried into another room. Joshua walked in, bent over him and commanded: “In the name of Jesus, rise!”

    “Moses opened his eyes. It later emerged that Moses had been both alive and ­breathing when he was carried from the dining hall. He’d been resuscitated, not resurrected, and clever editing created a fake miracle.

    “I understand the despair of terminally ill people and why they grasp at final straws. My father died of lung cancer and might well have made the journey to Lagos.

    “I am just glad he is not here any more to become a victim of a ravenous tick that feasts on the blood of the ignorant, ­gullible and desperate.”

    The South African media also granted space to many who have critical questions to ask about the tragedy. One of such is President of the Rhema Family Church and the co-chairman of the National Religious Leaders Council, Ray McCauley, who queried why information took late in coming.

    He said: “We are in mourning and would not like to start pointing fingers. Be that as it may, we urge both our government and the Nigerian government to get to the bottom of this unfortunate incident so as to assist the families to bring closure to their pain by at least understanding what happened.”

    Founder of Gift of Givers Imtiaz Sooliman also queried what he described as “the refusal of help by Nigeria”. He said his men were chased away from Synagogue when they tried to help. He said it was too late by the time officials started opening up to help from South Africa.

    In all, the general opinion in South Africa, as portrayed by their media, is that the root of the matter should be determined. They obviously will be watching to see whether or not the matter will be swept under the carpet, like they claim Nigeria is used to.

    With these loads of negative reports, what kind of reception awaits Joshua when he visits South Africa? He sure still has a large following, but the media will be waiting to pounce on him

  • The Synagogue tragedy

    The Synagogue tragedy

    With 80 people dead in a single incident, maybe govt will now do something on building collapse

    Prophet T.B. Joshua of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), is many things to many people. To some, particularly his faithful abroad, he is a powerful man of God. The rate at which people troop to his church from all parts of the world, including the civilised world, has made some people to liken him to a prophet who is without honour in his own country. This conclusion derives from the fact that many Nigerians do not see Prophet Joshua as a spectacular man of God; that is if they even believe he is one at all. Even many Christian leaders avoid him like the plague, whether they are of the orthodox churches or the Pentecostal ones. So, in a sense, Prophet Joshua is in a world of his own.

    A good example of this is the seizure of Nigeria’s $9.3m in South Africa, meant for an arms deal which the Federal Government claimed was genuine transaction. While the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been vocal in defending its president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who owns the plane in which the arms money was transported to South Africa, its voice is yet to be heard on the Synagogue tragedy. I guess this is because Prophet Joshua is not a CAN member. But what happened transcends membership of association; it was all about human lives, a reason for which I thought CAN should have at least commiserated with the families of the departed. I guess that, in spite of their professed Christianity, they would be saying in their hearts, ‘serves him right. Why didn’t he foresee the disaster or avert it’? This should not be the spirit. Anyway, it is for this reason of ‘my Christianity is holier than yours’ that I have always shied away from writing about Prophet Joshua and his Synagogue. For me, faith is a personal thing and people should have the right to believe what they want to believe.

    That was my position, at least until Friday, September 12, when the guest house that was under construction for the church’s foreign guests collapsed in Lagos. With the kind of casualties recorded from the disaster, about 80 people dead and over a hundred injured, it would amount to criminal silence not to comment on the way some of our religious houses do things . Quite expectedly, when such disasters occur, people blame them on everything and everyone else, but themselves. That was why Prophet Joshua missed the point when he blamed the collapse of the guest house on a strange aircraft that had hovered over the place shortly before the building collapsed. Even if we are to believe his theory, that would not be the starting point to address the issue. It is not even a question of whether the materials used on the site were of good quality, or sub-standard. The most appropriate place to start is whether he had permission to build the kind of edifice he was constructing before disaster struck.

    Perhaps the first time I would have commented on The Synagogue was a few weeks back when it was reported that some Ebola victims from outside the country might be considering going there for healing. As a matter of fact, some accounts had it that Patrick Sawyer, the man who brought the disease into Nigeria on July 20, had Prophet Joshua on his mind for healing and was probably Synagogue-bound. It was good that the Lagos State government saw the looming catastrophe if such visits had been encouraged and promptly intervened to persuade Prophet Joshua against receiving such visitors. Mercifully, the prophet saw reason with the government and announced to Ebola victims who might be contemplating visiting The Synagogue that he would rather come to their respective countries to pray for, or with them. I am ready to work with you. I love my country and I will be ready to work with you. Even if it is a rumour, there is need to secure our environment to ensure that it is safe, he had told the government delegation. What a big relief to those of us with little faith and of this perverse generation! Isn’t our generation perverse indeed?

    But Prophet Joshua’s Synagogue is not alone in this impunity of building without permit. Many of the Pentecostal churches are probably culpable of the same lawlessness, or some other kinds. Last year, some of the workers in a Pentecostal church attacked some Ogun State tax officials who had gone to the premises of a nursery school located within their church premises to demand that the school pay its tax obligation of less than N2million. The school is a commercial venture but, rather than pay the tax, which was years in arrears, some of the overzealous workers pounced on the tax officials, beat them black and blue and even detained some of them. The matter was apparently swept under the carpet when the founder and leader of the church apologised to the state government.

    One does not know where these church leaders got their example from. Jesus Christ, our model as Christians even paid tax. “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s”, he had preached. But most of these churches, in spite of their being stupendously rich, do not want to pay anything into government’s coffers. And many governments do not want to confront them apparently for fear of political or whatever backlash. The same reason Prophet Joshua’s church was still opened for service the Sunday after the incident, in spite of the calamity caused by a building he never obtained permission to build. It is surprising that most of these church leaders see themselves as being above the law. Otherwise, why would men of God embark on construction works without relevant permit? Prophet Joshua even tried; at least he got approval to build a three-storey building, the problem was that he unilaterally changed his mind to make it six! Some of his colleagues would not even tell government that they are embarking on any building project, not to talk of obtaining the requisite papers for it.

    Unfortunately for us, The Synagogue disaster has been internationalised because many South Africans were victims and that country, quite unlike Nigeria, cares for its citizens. As a matter of fact, in spite of the cordial relations between both countries, there is disagreement on the number of South Africans killed in that tragedy. The belated claim by the Lagos State government about the collapsed building, and even the main church auditorium not having the requisite papers would be a big embarrassment to the outside world that in Nigeria, anything goes. This is the same government that would mark for demolition kiosks and small buildings not having the requisite papers, even in the remotest parts of the state, such that one would be wondering whether the state’s officials are omnipresent. So, no official of the state government saw that Prophet Joshua was biting more than he was legally permitted to chew until tragedy struck on September 12?

    Obviously, the matter boils down to the point I have consistently made in the last three or so weeks, that we do so many wrong things for political expediency. It’s like many of our governments are ready to stoop to the base standards of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for political reasons. An ordinary phone call to Nigeria from South Africa if the story of the $9.3million arms deal had been otherwise, was enough to kill the matter. Afterall, how many arms deals had been swept under the carpet in the country? This would be difficult in South Africa because of the relatively high level of development of structures in that country. It is therefore good news that Zuma, in spite of our fears that he is not any shade better than our own rulers here, did not allow his country’s laws to be trampled upon by a lawless ‘giant’. Even if the South Africans release the money eventually, the point has been made and Nigeria has been sufficiently embarrassed as a lawless country. This would not be new to the outside world though; but it would have reinforced that belief.

    All said, buildings have been collapsing in the country killing one person, 10 or 16 people, etc. After the initial threats by the governments, the matter dies down only for the same process to repeat itself when the next building comes down. Maybe now that at least 80 have died in a singular incident, 80 lives gone would spur our governments to view the matter with the seriousness that it deserves. My heart goes out to the relatives of the dead. I wish the injured quick recovery and pray that the dead rest in peace.

    Nigeria sure needs martyrs, but those who died in a collapsed building that did not have a valid building plan cannot qualify for martyrs as The Synagogue and Prophet Joshua would want us to believe. That is akin to Boko Haram insurgents committing murder and encouraging others to do same in order to make Al-Jannah.

  • Synagogue: Sniffer dogs deployed as death toll rises to 49

    Synagogue: Sniffer dogs deployed as death toll rises to 49

    Many foreigners are among the dead and injured in last weekend’s collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), it emerged yesterday.

    The death toll, which was initially 17, rose to 44 on Sunday and  climbed to 49 by 6pm yesterday.

    Rescue efforts continued as police sniffer dogs were brought in to locate possible areas where people could still be trapped.

    More than 130 people have  been retrieved from the rubble. They are receiving treatment in hospitals in Lagos.

    National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed the casualty figure.

    He said: “The Commissioner of Police has ordered the release of five dogs after a collective decision to use the dogs by responding agencies.

    “NEMA has asked the Police’ Disaster Management Unit to facilitate and manage the dogs immediately. We are still working, we cannot say at what percentage we are now. We are looking at strategic areas were we can recover trapped persons.”

    On the chances of survival of the injured, Farinloye said those rescued early  have over 80 per cent survival rate.

    Farinloye said: “It is not possible for the church to have any list. Nobody is praying for a disaster. At present, we have no challenges, we have synergised the differences and we are moving forward.

    “I just received a call from the Australian Embassy and they made enquiries on their nationals involved. South Africa and other countries including France and Germany, have been calling.

    “They are not specific whether any of their nationals are involved or not. We contact the church when anybody sends in any request so that they can check and tell us from their head count.”

    The church still has not spoken on the number of people in the building, when it collapsed.

    Some foreign nationals have been going around looking for their relatives.

    A woman, who had a white paper containing the details of a Zimbabwean, Greenwich Ndanga, said the church had refused to tell her his whereabouts.

    She alleged that he was among the occupants of the foreign guest house, adding that they had not been able to get across to him since the incident occurred.

    “No one is talking to us. I have been here since Friday, looking for him but no one is saying anything. Please help me because I do not know what to do again,” she said.

    Relatives of Mr. Dayo Abbas, a carpenter who was said to have been working in the building, brought a coffin to the church premises, demanding for his body.

    The casket, which was inside a “danfo bus”, was not allowed to drive in and security personnel stopped reporters from taking shots of the scene.

    A Television Continental (TVC) cameraman who tried taking visuals of the coffin was beaten up by a policeman who threatened to damage his camera.

    There was a fire as excavation work continued. The Fire Service personnel put it out within 20 minutes.

    The fire, which emanated from the rubble, was said to have been caused by combustible materials which must have reacted to excessive heat. It started around 8:55am.

    “There are lots of combustive materials in the rubble, especially household items. So, the possibility of it causing the fire cannot be ruled out,” said Mike Sonekan, head, Operations, State Fire Service.

    As excavation continued, sympathisers and family members of victims continued to search for their loved ones.

    Among those who visited the site yesterday were South African Ambassador to Nigeria Lulu Louis Mnguni; Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone two, Lagos, Umar Manko; Nigerian Air Force officials and a team from the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB).

    The Nation observed that despite directives from Governor Babatunde Fashola that church members who were not emergency management personnel be sent out of the scene, the collapsed site was still crowded.

    It was also observed that the stench from the scene was more severe than on Sunday, which made some of the workers suspect that many more bodies were still trapped underneath the debris.

    One of the survivors, Ola, a Togolese, said he was working in the building before it collapsed.

    He said: “We were 11 (Togolese) working in the building. I was doing tiles work with my brothers. I left them to get something.

    “I was on my way out when the building collapsed. I did not know how I managed to come out.

    “As you can see, I am fine. But I am not happy because I do not know where my brothers are. I have only seen Augustine (pointing at a young man with plaster and bruises on his face).

    “I have been asking where my other brothers are, they only told me that they are in different hospitals.

    “How can I be happy when I do not know where they are. Yes, I thank God I am alive, but it is not just about me. What of them??”

    The Medical Director of the hospital, Lanre Soyinka,  confirmed that some of the injured “in their twenties” have been brought to the  hospital since the building collapsed on Friday.

    He said most of them were brought in critical condition but have been stabilised, adding that many had been discharged.

    “I can tell you that the church has been adequately taking care of the patients. They have provided everything we need to treat them and members of the church have been here running shifts to look after the patients.

    “Most of them are foreigners and it appears they were working on the building when the incident occurred. So, for now, those who have family members around have been coming but those who do not, the church has been a family to them all.

    “I can also tell you that most of the patients, over 60 per cent, are fit to be discharged at the moment. No one died here.”

     

  • Ebola sensitization campaign

    Ebola sensitization campaign