Touching lives, changing nations: The Man in the Synagogue

When a few months, residents of Akoko area of Ondo State, had a life transforming experience as a result of the provision of electricity to them, many did not believe this. For many years, the communities that made up the area had lived without stable electricity and this contributed in no small measure in hampering growth in such places. But when Prophet T.B. Joshua came along with his heart of gold and sense of magnanimity, the fortunes of the people grew. The founder and senior pastor of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet T.B. Joshua gave a huge amount of money to help restore electricity there.

Residents of Ondo State especially from four local government areas of Akoko district of the state have commended the General Overseer of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet Temitope Joshua for contributing about N31million to restore electricity in the area.

The council areas of Akoko South-West, Akoko South- East, Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West had no electricity supply for four years before the intervention of some notable indigenes of the areas including Pastor TB Joshua.

It was gathered that o ensure that Prophet T.B. Joshua paid N8.1million owed Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC). It was also gathered that he donated another N8.1million for transformer replacement and other necessary accessories.

The youths of the area under the aegis of Akoko Youths were so glad of this that they described the benevolence of Prophet Joshua as unusual and exceptional.

The National President of the group, Babatunde Momoh, stated that the people of Akoko region were indeed glad for this. “We are indeed grateful to Pastor Temitope Joshua as he has demonstrated that he is a true son of Akoko,” he said.

For many, both within Nigeria and outside the country, one of the few persons of Nigerian descent who have not stopped touching the lives of a huge following is the man in the Synangogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), otherwise referred to as Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua.

The immense contributions of Prophet Joshua go beyond the shores of Nigeria. Ecuador will not forget the benevolence of the prophet when the area was hit by earthquake. It was reported that Prophet T.B. Joshua and partners of Emmanuel TV chartered a cargo plane which carried 20 tonnes of emergency relief. These were taken to distressed areas affected by the damage caused by the earthquake. Aside this, he ensured the rebuilding of a school and other major constructions.

Ecuador was not the only nation who benefited from the magnanimity of the prophet. It will be recalled that following the earthquake which devastated Haiti in 2010, Prophet Joshua established a field hospital there when he sent a team of humanitarian workers and medical personnel there. Even in places like the Ghana, the Philippines and India have benefited from the humanitarian gesture of the cleric after they witnessed one harrowing disaster or the other.

Each passing year brings an increment in the humanitarian efforts of Prophet Joshua. A Forbes blogger once put a rough estimate of the humanitarian efforts of Prophet Joshua at USD 20 million. It is no longer news that the church of the cleric continues to donate huge amounts of money to the upkeep of widows, orphans, the elderly, the destitute and the physically challenged.

He took this further by providing rehabilitation programs for Niger Delta militants, sex workers who sought the church’s help spiritually and repentant robbers.

Today, Ghana, Colombia and many communities in Nigeria have gotten aid in times of distress from the prophet. Quite obvious is the provision of electrical accessories following the provision of this in many of the aforementioned communities in such countries. The police force of these countries benefited tremendously from the generosity of the church.

It was however not surprising when a national honour by Nigeria’s government was given to Prophet Joshua in 2008 in recognition of his immense contributions to humanity. The United Nations equally appreciated his sterling contributions when it gave him a letter to that effect. Even the predominantly Muslim Nigerian organisation, Arewa Youth Forum, honoured the man of God by labelling him an Ambassador of Peace. Many awards too numerous to mention have accompanied the efforts of the man in the Synagogue.

Students are not left out in the scheme of things as their academic needs are catered to under the scholarship program of the church. Year in, year out, students who are indigent have their school fees and similar needs met. It was gathered that few years back, the man of God gave scholarship to a young Motswana to study at the Harvard Law School in America. He equally gave a PhD scholarship to a Nigerian student at the Oxford University.

For illegal migrants who were brought disgracefully back to Nigeria and who had nothing in their pockets or clothes on their backs, the challenge of beginning again is always harrowing. But many of them after they were brought back to Nigeria find succour in the Synagogue Church of Nations as Prophet Joshua help them in settling down to begin again.

The list is endless and his contributions to global peace keep soaring. Many broken homes are weekly rebuilt by the prophet during church programs particularly on Sundays. Hope is being restored to homes, communities and countries. His crusades in other nations of the world have brought a rekindling of hope to those countries.

Oyetimi writes from Ibadan.