Wednesday, December 3, 2014

TB Joshua Forced To Release Statement After Kenyan Murder-Suicide Linked To Church

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T.B Joshua has been forced to release a statement after Kenyan media reported that police were investigating whether the earlier reported murder-suicide was connected to his Church. It was alleged that the man's family had said that belonging to a religious cult led to their brother mutilating his wife and probably also killing all his children. One child's body has been found while two boys remain missing. [Read here].

Magu's mother Kezziah Wambui said she believes the deaths were as a result of religion and spirituality. She said her efforts to convince Magu to ditch the church fell on deaf ears. She said her son had accumulated a lot of wealth while working as a lawyer but had disposed of a lot of his property to fund the 'work of God'.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Grieving Husband Cries Out For Missing Wife After Collapse of Synagogue Church Building

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The collapse of the SCOAN building claimed about 115 lives, but while many are mourning their dead, a few are still searching for their loved ones. Among them is a Nigerian from Kogi State who has yet to find his wife of 18 years, Veronica (39). A worker in the laundry department of the Synagogue church, he pleaded anonymity because th church had warned members not to disclose any information on the tragedy to the public.

He said he waits by the phone with his five children everyday expecting a call that would say her body had been found after many days of searching 16 hospitals. He showed a list containing the 16 hospitals he had visited with each one ticked with a pen to indicate he had been there and found nothing.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

How Real are TB Joshua’s Miracles? Most People Say They're Fake

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TB Joshua has released an official statement on his church's Facebook page saying Saturday Vanguard should be investigated for the building collapse at SCOAN. Reason, the paper published a report titled, “How Real are TB Joshua’s Miracles?” and found that respondents said the miracles were not authentic.

OK, I'm still scratching my own head. These people are definitely not for real! How can they even think that somehow, the paper must have planned the collapse since they report that TB Joshua is fake. Ehm...am I missing something? I guess TB Joshua is not happy about the money he dished out, hehehe...

Read the church statement, and the Vanguard report from their investigation below...

Thursday, September 25, 2014

South Africans Intend To Sue TB Joshua For Neglecting Building Collapse Casualties

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South Africans who lost relatives when a church hostel in Lagos collapsed have said they intend to sue Nigerian evangelist TB Joshua.

According to this BBC report, two men, who both lost sisters in the collapse, are appealing for more families to come together in bringing a case against the preacher. At least 115 people, including 84 South Africans, died when the multi-storey building fell down earlier this month. The authorities say it had more floors than its foundation could hold.

On Sunday, Mr Joshua, who is one of Nigeria's best-known evangelists and is popular across Africa, announced plans to travel to South Africa to visit the families of the deceased.

Emergency workers allege they were prevented from participating in the rescue, only gaining full access to the site on Sunday afternoon - accusations denied by Pastor Joshua's Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN).

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

SA Journalist Slams TB Joshua - He "Feasts on the Blood of the Ignorant, ­Gullible and Desperate”

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Following a building collapse at the church that claimed the lives of 115 South Africans, it is clear that South Africans have a huge following for TB Joshua and his SCOAN church, with many of them coming to Nigeria for healing. But does he grant them the honesty and respect they deserve?

Nicholas Ibekwe leaked an audio recording from a meeting between TB Joshua and Nigerian journalists where the prophet is heard offering N50,000 the reporters, and then asking them to write reports that will protect the reputation of the church above those that lost their lives.

Now, another investigative journalist, a renowned South African documentary maker, Jacques Pauw has come forward with claims that Joshua also tried to bribe him.

Pauw says Joshua gave him and his camera crew thick envelopes full of hundred dollar notes. They had been at Joshua’s Synagogue Church Of All Nations to produce a TV documentary featuring the Prophet and his reported miraculous healing of terminally South Africans. Pauws alleges the “brown envelopes” were to ensure a positive programme was produced.

Read his article for City Press SA below:

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Nicholas Ibekwe On Why He Released Audio Of TB Joshua Offerring Bribe Money To Reporters

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Nicholas Ibekwe is the journalist who published the audio recording of T.B Joshua offering N50k to journalists. Click here to read the full transcript.

The money was tagged transport money, but the pastor also ensured the reporters understood they were to give the Synagogue Church a favorable coverage, and make it look like a guest house building collapsing on their premises was no big deal. It was finally from the SA President that we found out that the incident had claimed over 115 South Africans. See my own opinion here.

Nicholas has just written a blog post that explains why he decided to become a whistleblower and release the audio. He also argues strongly on why he believes the money offered was a bribe.

Read below,

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Full Transcript of TB Joshua Offering 50K Each to Reporters - A Clear Case Of Bribery

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I've been getting a lot of pushback from my blog readers on FB after my blog post [here] about TB Joshua giving blood money to reporters to influence their reports of a building that collapsed in his chrch premises.

To be clear, I listened to the audio and was appalled that instead of making a statement on the collapse, or sending sympathies to those that lost loved ones, TB Joshua badgered the journalists with the promise of money until they accepted his own accounts. A former journalist wrote to me;

Myne,really he did not offer them bribe at all. Back home as a reporter, each time we attend a press briefing,we get a brown envelope with money inside for lunch or for gas. He is not doing anything others have not done. Journalist back home counts on such goodwill each time they attend any press briefing. No one influences how a journalist writes a report,its totally up to the journalist to present a report the best way that tells the accuracy of a story.

My response is this - that it's done does not make it right. TB Joshua specifically told the reporters where to focus and what to leave out. And let's be clear that this is not an ordinary press briefing for a product launch or brand activation. We are talking about a catastrophe in which more than 80 people died! In the end, all TB Joshua could ask was, "so what will you write?"

For those who were not able to listen to the audio, please read the full transcript that Emeh Achanga has transcribed and then let's start having honest conversations.

Audio Proof - TB Joshua Offers Blood Money To Reporters With Bribe of N50,000 Each

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There is an audio recording by investigative reporter Nicholas Ibekwe who was among the reporters sent to cover the synagogue church building that collapsed last week. According to him, and as heard on the audio, TB Joshua coaches the reporters on how to frame the news story after he had told them they would each be getting N50,000.

Nicholas Ibekwe says he was the only journalist who turned down the bribe while all the others in the meeting took the money. So you can imagine that most of the news reports you have read/ heard/ watched about the incident has been tainted by blood money, and spun to suit the tastes of TB Joshua.

Read my commentary on TB Joshua and his official statement on the collapsed church building, here.

That Nigerian journalists collect "transport money" or "brown envelope" at press conferences and events is not hidden, I've had to turn away or give in to some of their requests myself. But that they would do it over the deaths of almost 100 people?

How low has our press gone to that they collected this blood money? What else have they collected bribe for and misinformed the masses? We may decry the work of bloggers, but can we at all trust the Nigerian fourth estate?

Check out Nicholas Ibekwe's tweets and listen to the audio below. Read the full transcript here.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

They Are Not Matyrs! TB Joshua And SCOAN Should Accept Responsibility For Building Collapse

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TB Joshua and his Synagogue Church of all Nations have released an official statement via their Facebook page on the collapsed building within the church premises. The incident happened on Friday September 12th, and has so far claimed over 77 lives.

The statement insists they are co-operating with investigations and rescue, but takes no responsibility for the collapse. They say it was an attack on the church and particularly, on T.B Joshua, and vow to witch hunt the planes that could just be incidental to the collapse.

The worst part is that while commiserating with the bereaved families, they called the dead matyrs. Matyrs are those who give up their life for their faith. Are those who lost their lives in this instance matyrs really, or innocent victims of the church's greed and incompetence?

Who are the engineers and project managers in charge of raising that building to unapproved heights? They are the ones responsible for this loss, reaching all the way to TB Joshua's desk! I hope that with all this platitude, they find a way to compensate the families of those dead.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

South African President Announce 67 SA Citizens Dead in Collapsed Synagogue Church Building

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South African president, Jacob Zuma has announced that 67 SA citizens perished when a Synagogue church building collapsed last week. The building approval for the collapsed SCOAN structure is still missing, and NEMA has said that only about 50 bodies have been recovered so far.

The guest house is under the management of TB Joshua and the Synagogue Church and had collapsed on September 12th while construction was going on to raise it from 3 stories to 5 without approval from the state or local government.

The South Africans who were lodged there were in Nigeria to seek spiritual help from TB Joshua, and while some have been pulled alive from the rubble, it is clear now that more lives than we thought were lost.

Below is the full statement by South African president, Jacob Zuma.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

8 Ways T.B. Joshua Is Completely Wrong On His Prediction Of Malaysian Airlines MH17 Crash!

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TB Joshua through Emmanuel TV, the Youtube Channel of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), yesterday released a video where he supposedly predicts the Malaysian Airlines crash. Flight MH17 crashed in Eastern Ukraine with the almost 300 passengers and crew dead.

The video is dated February 16, 2014 and the narrator claims that TB's prophesy about Russia in the clip is actually referring to the tragic crash. TB Joshua says;

“I was telling you about Russia that you should pray for the young man, a very charismatic leader, that he should take note of his airspace. Because when I was saying I want to see where this attack is coming from…airspace.It could be in form of aircraft crash or whatever.