A Young T B Joshua |
I
genuinely grieve for my nation, Nigeria. A people so enriched with natural
talent, a country so bequeathed with bountiful resources, a land so engraved
with a remarkable history. Yet what headlines ring out across the globe today?
Death, decadence and disaster! A nation ravaged by Islamic fundamentalists who
chew sticks and cut throats with alarmingly fiendish frequency! A nation filled
with power-hungry politicians who put personal aspirations above national
interests! A nation polluted by the venomous fumes of corruption which have
crept like a cankerworm into almost every facet of our society! With the 2015
elections around the corner, tensions rising and violent words being meted out
by both militants and ministers of God alike, I wonder what lies next for the
supposed giant of Africa.
My
insipid musings were suddenly broken by a tap on the shoulder. My neighbour for
the next several hours on a flight from Lagos to New York had belatedly
arrived, takeoff fast approaching. After pleasantries were exchanged, my morbid
national reflections continued. However, they were about to be somewhat
lightened by a peculiar revelation my companion shared with me mid-flight.
After introducing myself as a writer, I pondered if I could publish his tale.
He reluctantly agreed on the premise that I should shield his identity.
After
our discussion had danced across topics from Buhari to Babangida to Bakare, I
bitterly told him that it was nigh on impossible to point to a Nigerian icon
today that has genuinely put his country ahead of his own personal pursuits.
“Selfless patriotism can still be found,” he defiantly retorted. “Do you know
Temitope Joshua?” Who doesn’t? The bearded Nigerian pastor has become
increasingly famous (or infamous?) within Nigeria of late. “Let me tell you
something about that man. My tight friend knew him almost 30 years ago. He
taught his children for evening classes.” My interest was kindled. I had
visited Joshua’s SCOAN once and was quite taken by the unique brand of
spirituality at work in Ikotun. Apparently, a young and sprightly Joshua was in
the tutoring career before delving into God’s work. “My friend and his children
loved the guy so much; he practically became part of their family,” the
unassuming gentleman continued.
But here comes the bombshell! “Would you believe he
actually offered to pay for T.B. Joshua to travel with the family to America
when they wanted to relocate?” What! So Africa’s most contentious pastor could
have travelled abroad with a well-endowed family in his early 20s before he
achieved any form of clerical reputation? “What stopped him,” I frowned,
expecting to hear that perhaps his visa was denied or he had a sharp fall out
with the family in question.
“He
refused,” my new friend muttered. “He told them that God said he should stay in
Nigeria until ‘it was the right time.’ ” The answer given by the famous
preacher several decades ago left me astounded. Which other young, fledgling
Nigerian could have made such a decision and not be crowned a raving lunatic by
friends and family alike, I wondered. Especially considering Joshua’s poverty-stricken
background in Ondo State.
However,
upon some reflection, I can’t say that I am so surprised. Today, 30 years down
the line, Pastor Joshua continues to tread the path of the unusual that has
earned him the reputation of being both unconventional and unpredictable! While
his counterparts (who have at one point in time vilified him) are embroiled in
various political controversies via associations or damning statements, he has
remained a consistent beacon of morality and magnanimity, choosing to let
actions speak louder than words.
I
genuinely admire the fact that Pastor T.B. Joshua chose to remain within
Nigeria, especially considering the economical impact his decision to stay has
had on our nation. Oil aside, it is a well known fact that the nation’s main
tourism revenue comes from religious pilgrims, the majority of whom make their
way to The Synagogue for some form of solace. And evidently they find it, given
the fact that the foreign influx has consistently increased as time has
progressed. Despite unending controversies, The SCOAN has continued to wax
stronger, its founder standing in the forefront of a positive message being
spread concerning Nigeria to counter the negativity projected by the likes of
Boko Haram and Niger Delta militants. I hope it will not take the arrival of
‘the right time’ for Joshua to set his tents abroad before Nigerians wake up to
value the abounding potential that lies within an unusual church compound in a
rundown Lagos environ.
It
is stories like this that help fan even the faintest embers of hope within me
for my motherland. The very faintest…
Samuel Olaleye is a young novelist currently in Port
Harcourt, Nigeria
Tags
Opinion