Titbits
TB JOSHUA: PROPHET NEVER HONOURED AT HOME!
FROM EAST AND WEST THEY COME: Let me confess upfront that I am one of those Nigerians who doesn’t honour this prophet. But let me also state that I don’t count one bit. His mega church in the dingy Ikotun-Egbe suburb of Lagos mainland is always filled to the brim anyways – most times with more foreigners and whites in attendance than Nigerians.
Temitope Balogun Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, (SCOAN) has his mass of followers mainly from South America, South Africa, East and Central Africa. You would think he cast a spell on them.
He also has in utter thralldom many presidents of African countries who probably believe he’s the awaited messiah. They include presidents of Liberia, Tanzania, Malawi, among others. Many of them worship in SCOAN’s headquarters in Lagos.
When a wing of the posh guest house in the Synagogue collapsed in 2014, over 80 South Africans were among the 115 fatalities. But that hasn’t made a dent on TB or the sprawling holy ground of the Synagogue.
SCOAN AS NIGERIA’S MECCA: On a trip to China two years ago, a group of about 50 passengers were members of the Synagogue. How did I know? They were in uniform and they all had on their chest, the badge bearing the head of the Prophet in the Synagogue.
They where from Tanzania perhaps and they acted as if they were from a pilgrimage to heaven. They kind of looked at us Nigerians in the plane with a mixture of pity and disdain. These fellas don’t know what they have, they ought to be living in the Synagogue if they knew what is good for them. They disembarked in Ethiopia.
On my return journey, another batch of over 50, perhaps from Malawi this time, connected from Ethiopia to Lagos. Badges, uniform and all the appurtenance of the Synagogue, including the we-are-heaven-bound attitude.
I was to learn later that Prophet Joshua is probably responsible for over 50% of the tourism business in Nigeria. The much imposing SCOAN headquarters had become a global religious monument. SCOAN has also lifted it’s seedy Ikotun neighbourhood into an economic hub. Hotels have sprung up and many houses in its vicinity have been upgraded and converted to lodges.
One would expect that the Lagos State Government would be moved by the surge of foreign visitors to fix the roads and give the Ikotun-Egbe some face lift. But our leadership of this age is much too dim…
THE BOY FROM MANCHESTER UNITED: Apart from the fact that Prophet TB was 57 years on June 12, my interest in him has been kindled once again by the recent report of the visit to the Synagogue by a teenager from Manchester.
According to the report (see illustration), 16-year-old Angel Gomez, a recently promoted first team player of Manchester United (yes, same Man. U), was at Ikotun-Egbe home of Synagogue.
The young lad who was captain of the junior team said in a video that he had been struggling with injuries, that was what brought him to see the prophet. His parents had been followers of The Prophet so they advised him to seek the healing touch of the man in the Synagogue.
But Synagogue had for long, actually been the playground of numerous top footballers and other celebrities.
Kanu Nwankwo was there; Ogenyi Onazi was there, among others. The visit of the young Manchester boy may open a floodgates of Premier League players repairing to the holy land in Ikotun.
WHAT MAKES THIS PROPHET TICK?: As editor of NEWAGE newspaper thereabouts 2004 I had interviewed TB Joshua in his Ikotun coven before he turned it into the gilted haven it is now.
My reporter and I were on edge, being taken through the labyrinthine tunnels of Synagogue to TB Joshua’s office.
It was then a small clustered office that was barely enough to sit the three of us. At a time when his fame was on the upward spiral and he was feuding with many Nigerian televangelists who accused him of being full of vile and much sorcery, he appeared simple and very ordinary. His words were mundane and his bearing plebeian. He was just constructing the monstrously large headquarters and guesthouses. He took us on site tour. He told us that he had in mind a five-star lodge for his foreign guests. They wouldn’t need to lodge in Sheraton and have to shuttle, he explained. He had a bakery, water factory, press and recording studio in situ in the facility.
He handed us numerous tapes; he made us sit through a deliverance session. So many South Americans were in the huge crowd even then. People felled wholeheartedly as if they were being electrocuted. They were being rid of dark, malevolent spirits. I didn’t see, I wasn’t moved, but they insisted the spirit was moving in their midst.
His detractors said he got his powers from the bracken-filled stream that separates Ikotun from Ejigbo where he started in a dank shed. His chief opponent, Pastor Chris Okotie insisted TB was of the devil.
A MAN OF PEACE, CONFOUNDING HIS DETRACTORS: But the man in the Synagogue has confounded his detractors. He continues to win follower, especially from abroad; his crusades would fill the biggest stadium in South America; he is said to be worth over $10 billion, and he is indeed, far larger than Nigerians could ever imagine.
One point to note though is that he seems a man of immense peace. He appears to have much too much to do than to have time for anything else. He simply faces his front, not minding his critics or even the government. His critics must have been weary of trying to call him out.
Just as in early 2000 when I chatted with him, I still have no opinion either way than to say that the ways of God are most confounding!
Steve Osuji – Editorial Board, The Nation Newspaper, Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Business
Breaking: Kellysbookstore opens for business, to push boundaries….
Kellysbookstore, an online bookstore has opened its online store for avid readers all over the world and the CEO of the company ,Miss Opemipo Fabiyi has opened up on why she joined other firms selling books online.
Kellysbookstore, an online bookstore based in Lagos has now officially opened its store and the firm promises to change the way online bookstore operates in Nigeria and other parts of the world. The bookstore according to its President and CEO, Miss Opemipo Fabiyi stocks books from different genres viz; Children, icton,business,religous,non-fiction,biography,classics and so on.
Opemipo whilst speaking to CityNews Newspaper states that Kellysbookstore ”is out to become the number one marketplace for books in Nigeria. Our customers and would-be customers alike can search for a book by title or author using their web browser, add it to their shopping cart, and then purchase it using a debit or credit card transaction. According to Opemeipo ‘we deliver a unique experience to our customers as we have put in place structures that support book lovers who wish to patronise us.We are out to do things differently in our sub-sector”.
Customers can reach on using our different social media handles.
Titbits
Man’s Inhumanity to A Teenage Girl – Olori Janet Afolabi
Labake is a mentally challenged teenager. Two years ago someone took advantage of her condition, impregnated and abandoned her. She was begging for food and money to survive.
The first time l saw her was in October 2020 when she strayed into my event. She was being dragged out by security men when she caught the attention of Kafayat Oyetola, Osun state , First Lady,who was my guest.
The First Lady took Labake to Oshogbo,rehabilited, took care of her till she delivered. Then she brought Labake back to Apomu,headquarters of Isokan local government area of Osun state.
This year again,2022, an unknown man whose name according to Labake is “Operator” impregnated her and disappeared.
On Thursday November 3, l was told Labake was at the Palace gate.I thought it was her usual visit for support. I asked my staff to take some things to her.He came back with a paper and said Labake was crying profusely.
The paper was the Scan result which showed among other things that she had been due since October 24 and the baby’s breech position in her womb posed great danger to her life.The baby’s head was up instead of down.The ideal position for birth is head down.
I asked the security to let her in. When l saw her, l didn’t need to be told that she was in great pain.l called Julius Edet and Moses Bello (both members of the Medical team l set up for my project “Initiative To Stop Teenage Pregnancy,) to come to the Palace .
They took her to the Health Center. After payment was made for registration and tests, the officials said there was no doctor to attend to her.
She was taken to another Health centre.The Matron spoke to me.She said Labake’s condition was beyond them.She advised that Labake be taken to a private hospital or General hospital Oluyoro in Ibadan because the only way she could give birth was through operation.
For me Ibadan was not an option at all because of distance and gridlock.Labake may not have have survived the stress in the condition that she was.
I decided to call Goke Odetunde, Chairman of our local government .He responded immediately.l told him the situation on ground.He said Labake should to be taken to a private hospital in a neighbouring community.
He also paid the bill.
To the glory of Almighty God,the operation was successful.She delivered a baby boy.Mother and child are alive.
But the journey to save Labake has not ended.I would like to rehabilitate and provide a secured shelter for her.She can then acquire a skill or start a trade.
I want to thank the Chairman for the rapid response and kind gesture.Julius and Moses for devoting their time and attention to be with Labake throughout her agonising hours.
I want to appeal to the men who keep talking advantage of Labake’s mental condition to sexually harrass/ abuse/ impregnate her, to desist. If she were your sister or daughter l do not think you will be happy if someone does that to her.
Most likely, you would describe such action as man’s inhumanity to a vulnerable teenager girl.
Olori Janet Afolabi is a CNN Award Winning Journalist, Author and Queen of Apomu Land.
Titbits
What You Should Know About King Charles III
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history recently died at the age of 96, according to a statement by Buckingham Palace.
Following the demise of the queen, she is expected to be succeeded by Prince Charles, the eldest of her four children with her late husband, Prince Philip.
Prince Charles III also known as Charles Philip Arthur George was born on 14 November 1948 and was heir and Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay from 1952. As the oldest and the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, he has since held the title from July 1958.
Early life
As the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, he was born in Buckingham Palace and attended Cheam and Gordonstoun schools, just like his father, Prince Phillip before furthering at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia.
He became the Prince of Wales in 1969, among other royal titles, after he had spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, where he learned to speak Welsh. Two years later, Charles took his seat in the House of Lords, the upper house of the parliament of the United Kingdom.
Upon earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976.
Family and personal life
In 1981, Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, who became the Princess of Wales and together, they had two sons, William and Harry, who are second and sixth in line to the throne.
In 1992, the couple agreed to separate in late 1992, and their marriage was dissolved about four years later.
In 2005, Charles married Camilla, who became known as the Duchess of Cornwall and the couple lived together in Clarence House, a British royal residence on The Mall in London. However, they are expected to move into Buckingham Palace now that he is king.
Charles has five grandchildren from both of his sons.
Special interests
With a particular focus on global sustainability, he has spearheaded a number of initiatives and charitable work over the years.
In 2007, he started an initiative called Mosaic, which offers mentoring programs to young people growing up in deprived communities.
In 2010, he also launched the Campaign for Wool to promote awareness of the environmental benefits of wool and expand the market for British sheep farmers who are struggling to make ends meet.
Charles and Camilla, 75, are also expected to be coronated side-by-side, per Elizabeth’s request that Camilla becomes queen consort – the title given to the wife of a reigning king.
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