TB Joshua: Mourners, beneficiaries lament loss of a great father and humanist

Beneficiaries of the limitless acts of philanthropy by late founder of Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN), Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, have besieged the church to mourn a great benefactor.

The scene of weeping men and women, young and old was emotional even for the stone-hearted. They were all unanimous in their description of the maverick cleric as a great father and helper who would be missed.

Joshua died on Saturday night, few days to his 58th birthday, on June 12.

He was born in 1963, in Arigidi-Akoko, Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Following the news of his death, church members and sympathisers thronged the church looking dejected and in tears to either confirm the news of his demise or to come and express their grief and sadness.

Most of those who spoke said the death of the prophet was “unbelievable and shocking”.

Many more described the clergyman as an epitome of humility, a true man of God, a philanthropist, amongst others.

They said that Joshua would be greatly missed by his followers and those seeking miracles for their challenges from all over the world.

A mourner, Mary Inyang, who is an elder in the church, described him as a man filled with the Holy Spirit. She said that God has only called him home to rest and that she would not cry; but celebrate his life.

“The man is resting at the bosom of Abraham”, she said.

On who takes over as the leader of the church, she said: “God has enough people to do his work. Nobody knows who that will be, but time will tell.”

For Lucky Inaba, another member of the church said he was perplexed and dumbfounded when he heard the news of the prophet’s passing, and that the void he has left behind would be very difficult to fill by another person.

“The man of God was a philanthropist and a great man. Whatever business you see people doing around this environment is because of the input of the man of God. He made this community not to feel the impact of COVID-19 by providing for everyone to the best of his ability. He also maintained decorum and respected the government’s directives while doing so.

“We are very sad as a church and as a community. We didn’t see this coming. But if it is the will of God to take him from us, we have no choice but to accept our fate. We have lost a great man. Not just the Bolorunpelu community, Alimosho local government, or Lagos; people all over the world are in great pains from this huge loss”, he said.

A resident of the community where the church is located spoke in glowing terms of the late man of God. For him, the late TB Joshua was Jesus in human form.

“When our electric transformer blew up due to too much load on it, he got two brand new ones for us the next day without asking for anything in return.

“When we went to appreciate his kind gesture, he gave us four trailer loads of rice and N500,000. He fed us well during COVID-19 and gave us money so that we won’t go hungry. ‘Jesus of Alimosho’ is gone. President and Governors in Nigeria cannot do half of what he did for us single handedly.

“When the Baale of Bolorunpelu community died, he donated one million for his burial this month. He was a great human being and a man of the people. We love him, but God loves him most. So we will take solace in that.”

Another sympathiser, Jackson Ovie-Johnson, would describe him as ‘a practical Jesus’.

“The late prophet was my mentor and spiritual father. He knows my face spiritually and physically. It was he who reconciled me with my wife when my marriage collapsed after 21 years.

“My father has gone to heaven, just like Elijah, and I am not surprised because he always preached in parables. Just yesterday, I was watching him perform miracles and then he said there is time for everything but people didn’t understand him.

“I just want to hear his voice. He is an example, a practical Jesus Christ in the physical for my generation.”