Why TB Joshua may never hold a crusade in Nigeria

Had you ever wondered why international Prophet, healer and uncommon philanthropist, Nigeria’s own Prophet T.B. Joshua do not hold crusades in his home country?

The yearning by Nigerians in different states for founder of the Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN) to hold his popular crusade in states and impoverished rural areas prompted this investigation to establish why this phenomenal man of God had not once held a crusade in any of the 36 states of the federation. Our state correspondents spoke to people in the know and present hard facts why TB Joshua has avoided holding crusades within Nigeria.

Apostle Jude Chijioke, founder and General Overseer of the Victorious Rock Christian Center, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, was one of few Pentecostal GOs who agreed to be part of this discourse. He points at “highly connected” caucuses driven by political interests within the national Christian body as the players controlling religious growth in the country.

“I want you to understand first that people who run the business of God are human, same as people managing or, let me use the word “manipulating” the political and other business affairs in any country. The matter of Prophet TB Joshua cannot be divorced from that of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome if you are talking about miracles of signs and wonders in our churches today.

“At the time Oyakhilome began the television broadcast of his deliverance sessions, a former President of CAN raised objection but he did not gather enough support to stop it. But when the ministry of TB Joshua came to the notice of CAN, there was apprehension everywhere that this man will upset the stability and growth of other churches if his kind of deliverance is allowed to be aired on television.”

The Apostle confided that a task force was set up in CAN to work through the Presidency to have Oyakhilome’s crusades and TB Joshua’s deliverance programmes barred from national and private television stations.

“Everyone used their connection and the ban was made official; even radio stations were disallowed to broadcast testimonies from TB Joshua’s Synagogue,” the Apostle said and added:

“You understand that TB Joshua is surrounded by General Overseers, Bishops and Founders of very successful mega Churches, and all of them fear that just one TB Joshua crusade in their territory will see their respective churches empty the next day and you know that would be bad for business, like a total crash in the stock market,” he concluded.

Another insider who spoke in confidence pointed out that the ban is not only in the transmission of TB Joshua’s crusades and healing sessions at the SCOAN, publishers of key national newspapers are in league with government to blacklist TBJ from tabloids.

“Just consider that a Nigerian recently chartered a cargo plane and loaded 20 tonnes of humanitarian relief goods, paid for logistics, personnel and flight to victims of earthquake in far away Equador without a #SaveOurSoul appeal from that country’s government – and it did not make headlines and breaking news in Nigerian news medias. Why? Because the sacrifice was from Prophet TB Joshua. All his godly activities and testimonies from his ministry are blacklisted from the Nigerian media.

“If a politician had done a quarter of that, all television stations, newspapers and radio reporters would be there uninvited and he would be subject of special interviews for many weeks.”

The only breaking news publishers and television owners would delight to see, our source said, “is disaster related or scandalous news, but as is clearly evident, nothing of such is happening. A good seed does not yield forth bad fruits.”

Outside the CAN’s powerfully connected General Overseers, the General Superintendent of the most dominant Church in Ilesha, Oshun state in Southwest Nigeria, Apostle/Supt. Sunday Ilesanmi boasted that the Southwest has raised the most prolific men of God since the ancient times.

Speaking in Yoruba dialect to our correspondent, Baba Agba, as he is called, acknowledged TBJ’s ministry, but regrets that his crusade may not be favourably welcome in the Southwest. He explains:

“I don’t dispute divine healing and miracles because Jesus thought us to do greater works than He did, but you know that our people are vulnerable and impatient; they will not want to wait for God’s time. If TB Joshua comes here, the churches that have been managing the faith of these people will lose all the men of God have laboured for: that is why it is not advisable that he should come to our state.”

When it was pointed out that TB Joshua encourages people to return to their own churches after they receive deliverance, the old Apostle shook his head and said, “That is very wise of him, but people will want to stay where they have received their miracles; they will transfer their allegiance to that church and all their tithes and offerings will go there. That is where their faith will remain. It is human.”

The Islamic factor

Our reporters in Northeast Nigeria report that TBJ has a large followership in Yola (Adamawa state), Kaduna Maiduguri, Kano and in all the major towns and cities through the worldwide broadcast of Emmanuel.tv.

Our correspondent in Yola, Adamawa State, Tom Garba states the Boko Haram tormented and impoverished Northeast Nigeria where families secretly follow healing and deliverance services on their TV screens. This claim was corroborated by our Kaduna, Bauchi and Bornu state correspondents.

“If TB Joshua should come and do what they see on Emmanuel television in any part of the North, hundreds of thousands of our Muslim population who follow him on the screen will face persecution if they attend his crusade,” writes Tom Garba.

“The people may not be able to restrain themselves, and if Muslims troop out to TBJ’s crusade ground, it could result in mass slaughter of by Muslim extremists for those who attend a Christian crusade, and that would be a big problem.

“And for obvious reasons, governments and Emirs of our Northern states, would not want to embrace Prophet TB Joshua openly as other governments of the world are doing.”

Gbubemi God’s Covenant Snr