THE SYNAGOGUE GUEST HOUSE COLLAPSE: OF INSINUATIONS AND RECENT REVELATIONS. On the 12th day of September 2014, the Nigerian nation, nay the African continent, was greeted with a calamity; the collapse of the guest house within the premises of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun Egbe, Lagos, leaving 115 persons dead and injuring over 131. This incident became an immediate news item because The Man In The Synagogue, as the general overseer of SCOAN is popularly called, is a man viewed by many from different telescope. Perhaps, the general overseer, prophet T.B. Joshua can be rated as the most talked about religious dignitary in Africa today because of the quantum of spiritual powers and prophetic manifestations demonstrated in his ministry. To a category of onlookers, prophet T.B. Joshua is a genuine man of God, an uncommon gift to the African continent and indeed our generation. While to another category, he is a sorcerer, displaying magic in the name of miracles. Little wonder why his name generates so much controversy whenever his matter comes to the fore. The teeming crowd of his admirers and haters are quick to stand for and against him in the public domain. The recent collapse of the guest house was thus another opportunity for a fresh debate on the person and ministry of the prophet. To the first category of onlookers, his staunch admirers, the man of God was not at fault as he is known to give attention to details and very meticulous in executing whatever project he handles, bringing to bear international best practices. To the second category of onlookers however, his haters, the cup of this man is filled and has just overflowed. He should thus be made to face the full weight of the law for running fowl of the building codes. In fact, this was the nail to his coffin! Following the unfortunate incidence, various reasons were adduced as being responsible for the collapse of the building. The most prominent of these was that the building came down as a result of structural defect. It was severally alluded that the guest house was originally approved by the Lagos state government to be a two-storey building, but that the church illegally added four more floors to it. Hence, the building collapsed because the foundation could not carry the excess load which was not provided for ab initio in the substructure. This generally upheld postulation indeed irked a good number of analysts who felt that indeed, the man of God erred on this one and that the law should be no respecter of anyone irrespective of societal status, more so going by the number of lives lost. However, on Monday the 29th of September 2014, a member of the SCOAN and partner of the Emmanuel television, Mr Ken Emeakayi appeared on Sunrise Daily, the breakfast current affairs program on Channels television, with four revelations which runs at variance with the popularly upheld information hitherto. Revelation 1: Mr Ken Emeakayi said that the church indeed had an approval for a 12-storey building for the guest house and that the relevant agencies of the Lagos state government were there to supervise the foundation when it was under construction. This is in dire contradiction to the earlier disturbing information that the church had an approval for a 2-storey structure which was being illegally taken to 6 storeys. Revelation 2: Mr Ken further revealed that the structural works of the building had already been completed and the last floor had been roofed. The first two floors were already being inhabited, while finishing works and interior decorations were just all that was being done in the upper floors. Again, this runs contrary to the popularly upheld news that the building was yet UNDER CONSTRUCTION as at the time of its demise. Revelation 3: The Sunrise Daily guest also made reference to the CCTV footage of the collapsed building which showed how it came down UNIFORMLY in one piece, like a pack of cards! According to him, this was characteristic of controlled demolition from within or without as a naturally collapsed structure would not come down in that fashion, without leaving some portions standing or gaping aside. Revelation 4: He also provided a CCTV footage of a particular strange aircraft which repeatedly flew four times over the building within a space of 30 minutes, at very low altitude, shortly preceding the incident. The church believes that this aircraft has a link with the collapse of the building. These latest set of information has indeed changed the face of this unfortunate incidence. While the loss of lives is indeed regrettable, it is my opinion that all the angles herein sited by the church should be properly investigated so that inferences, when eventually made are based on facts and not on sentiments. Dr. Thomas-Wilson Ikubese Akure.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 07:49:17 +0000
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