This was published in 'Tribune' Newspaper today... this is getting hotter!

A STATEMENT FROM THE O'ODUA NATIONALIST COALITION (ONAC) ABOUT THE VERDICT OF THE INQUEST INTO THE COLLAPSE OF A BUILDING AT THE SYNAGOGUE, CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS (SCOAN)

On behalf of the Pan Yoruba Groups, representing 35 Pan Yoruba Groups, we hereby make the following observations following the report of the findings on the collapsed building at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN).

An end has NOT come to the serious issues raised by the church that the building's collapse was orchestrated by a third, evil party. It is in the interest of the people of the South West to get to the root of this matter for the wellbeing and peace of our homeland.

It is important to carry out a more thorough investigation given the fact that conscious attempts have historically been made to give the Yoruba people a false sense of security that the South West is free of Boko Haram. This suspicion is further fuelled by attempts to cover up the explosions in Apapa last year which, though evidence clearly pointed to a bomb, was claimed by authorities to be nothing more than mere speculations. The facts raised through the evidence presented before the court including the way and manner the building fell in one fell swoop, which indicated 'controlled demolition', continue to linger.

Before the collapsed building, there had been series of threats issued by Boko Haram that it would attack worship places across the country. The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) have, in particular, been threatened by terrorist groups in the past. The pastor of the church, Pastor T.B. Joshua, on several occasions, had intimated the Nigerian public and all the relevant security agencies. This appears to have been neglected by the authorities.

The essence of the coroner inquest is to do a thorough job that usually lasts for several months. We hope it was not a case of the magistrate already making up his mind ab initio. We are aware that The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations is and has been a victim of faith-based bias given the unhealthy rivalry among Christians in Nigeria. We only hope this will not affect the judgment of individuals and the relevant authorities.

Even though the collapsed building has foreign nationals, and also many Nigerians died, the relevant judicial authority did not obtain clear and evidence-based information from the members of the International Community, especially the South African government whose nationals were also involved.

There were no attempts to seek the assistance of international police or any relevant international agency in the probe of the collapsed building given the far reaching global implications of the incident. There should be enough evidence obtained from the Nigerian Society of Engineers who should have been invited to provide relevant evidence on the instituted probe.

No matter what happened, 116 people died. There are widespread thoughts that the Lagos State Government should have sent emissaries to the church and families of the victims to commiserate with them, giving the possibly wrong impression that some government officials are biased from the beginning. ONAC fears a clear attempt to demonize the whole episode without a clear-cut evidence based approach, for reasons best known to the forces behind the veil.

What is going on at The Synagogue Church should interest state authorities in the South-West. It is said that SCOAN receives about one million visitors from America, Asia, Latin America and Europe every year, employing over 50,000 workers - more than the population of some state's civil servants in the South West. We think that the Lagos State government should explore the potential areas of cooperation irrespective of the bad blood that the incident of the collapsed building may have caused.

One of the major sources of Saudi Arabia's and Israeli wealth is faith tourism. In Asia, herbalists in the Chiang Mai region contribute to the national economy of Thailand through its millions of visitors, not to talk of a Christian church which global reputation remains one of the rare sources of inspiration to millions of Christians all over the world, against the background of the sordid image of Nigeria. In many countries all over the world, the drug and scam images of Nigeria disappear at the mention of the name Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN). This is a monument that the Yoruba nation and Nigeria will destroy to our own eternal peril.

All over the world, religion has become a compelling passion and progressive governments realise this by tapping into its thrill and the gripping impact on the sociology of the state and its people. We also observe that the decrepit state of the road from Isolo to Ikotun where the church is situated leaves an extremely bad taste on the lips of the millions of visitors who throng the church about the potentials of foreign investment in Lagos State and even the entire South West States.

After the collapsed building, no South West governor visited to commiserate - even one year after the incident. This raises questions about what could have been responsible for this absence of empathy, even though local and international agencies visited the church, at least to show sympathy for the departed souls. We have confidence that the Lagos State governor, His Excellency Akinwunmi Ambode, given his pedigree, will correct this negative impression soon.

.which faceless and hopeless group come be dis one again? must we tribalise everything in this country? An accident that claimed the lives of over 50 people is been treated as a tribal affair.To me TB Joshua should be prosecuted, he is not above the law.

Jorussia remove dat dot

Hmmm

I am not Yoruba, but I condemn that witch hunt verdict.
Due to the inferior building materials that the FG has allowed to flood our local market, from Dangote cement to fake rods, the incidence of buildings collapse has risen astronomically. I wonder what other magic a builder can use to decipher the fake from original rods in the market. TB Joshua should not be singled out for exploitation simply because he is a popular figure they think they can exploit

Nosa77:
One of the major sources of Saudi Arabia's and Israeli wealth is faith tourism. In Asia, herbalists in the Chiang Mai region contribute to the national economy of Thailand through its millions of visitors, not to talk of a Christian church which global reputation remains one of the rare sources of inspiration to millions of Christians all over the world, against the background of the sordid image of Nigeria. In many countries all over the world, the drug and scam images of Nigeria disappear at the mention of the name Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN). This is a monument that the Yoruba nation and Nigeria will destroy to our own eternal peril.

I can affirm this truth 100%. TB Joshua is Nigeria's most well-known international brand and has done a huge deal to help rebrand its image internationally...