Prophecy, Miracle & Tragedy The Afterlife of T.B. Joshua’s Ministry and the Nigerian State

Asonzeh Ukah

University of Cape Town

ACLARS Conference: “Religious Freedom and Religious Pluralism in Africa: Prospects and Limitations”

University of Namibia, Windhoek

17-19 May 2015

The Promise of Salvation

• “Religions promise to ward off misfortune, to help cope with crisis, and to provide salvation. Religions are less about ‘the holy’ than about blessings, salvation, and protection from misfortune, as well as about the providers and mediators of salvation.”

Producing Miracles and Prophecy

• T.B. Joshua’s popularity: • Political Prophecy

• Healing/Miracles

• Media industry/Philanthropy

• 12 September 2014: Collapse of a six-storey Guesthouse

• 116 deaths (84 S. African nationals), 131 rescued alive

• Hundreds injured

Miracles/ Healing

Media/Philanthropy

Prophecy

The Man

• The T. B. Joshua Saga • Born: 12 June 1963

• Attended St. Stephen‘s Anglican Primary School

• Dropped out 1st year of secondary school

• Founder-CEO of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN,1987)

Religious Credentials

• A member of the Anglican Church; active in many church events

• Three times chairman, Children’s Harvest/Thanksgiving ceremony

• Leader of Student Christian Fellowship (“during my primary school days at St. Stephen’s Primary school”)

• Without formal bible training (but taught colleagues/teachers scriptures)

• “In my dream[s], I was always taught the scriptures”

Construction of his Authority

• In a trance for 3 consecutive days (ca. 1986):

• A mysterious “hand pointed a bigger bible to my heart and the bible entered my heart and my former heart seemed to immerse the bible immediately”

• Saw self in the midst of Peter, Paul, Moses, Elijah “their names were boldly written on their chests”

• Heard a voice: “I am your God; I am giving you a divine commission to go and carry out the work of the Heavenly Father… I would show you wonderful ways I would reveal myself through you, in teaching, preaching, miracles, signs and wonders for the salvation of souls”

Managing Disaster

• Secrecy: For three days, followers and church members physically barred the National Emergency Management Authority from the site of the collapse

•Alleged mysterious aircraft hovering above the collapsed hostel (CH130 Hercules/Nig. Air Force plane)

•Alleged assassination attempt against Joshua by Boko Haram militants: “Don’t be afraid; I am the target” (Joshua)

Controlling the Narrative

•Hiring of a South African Lawyer, Bally Chuene, as SCOAN spokesperson

•Victims rechristened “martyrs of faith” (insinuation of a new religion?)

•Offered N50,000 (US$250) bribes to journalists

Threat to Curse Accusers & Critics • “Don’t allow yourself to be used by Satan [in] spreading lies and

falsehoods” in relation to the accident.

• “God’s wrath” would fall on detractors: “our God will get back to them.[…] I pray the satanic agents should be the only ones to suffer this. Warn your family and brothers about their talk… God is a God of vengeance – anybody can go for it,”.

• “If your brother is involved, unless he can resurrect the people who died, he will join them”.

• Detractors who “disturb my spirit, […] may likely join them [the victims]. —T. B. Joshua, 1 Oct. 2014

State Reactions: Governor’s Visit

• Visit by Lagos State Governor to the site of hostel collapse (14.09)

• Purpose: to access extent of damage and rescue work Collapsed building had no

approved government permit

Extension from 2 to 6-storey illegal

-- Toyin Ayinde (Lagos State commissioner for Physical Planning)

State Reactions: Presidential Visit

• Visit by President Jonathan to Joshua (20.09)

• “I came to … express my personal condolence and that of the Federal Gov’t to the church, to the founder … and especially to the bereaved families … especially S. A. I spoke with the President of S. A. on Thursday to express my personal condolence and that of the Federal Government”.

Inquest into Sudden Death of “unknown Persons”

• Setting up an Inquest (Lagos State Coroner’s Law no. 7 of 2007) into the Collapsed building (13 Oct ‘14) • To determine cause and manner of

the tragedy

• Inter-governmental commission of inquiry • Joshua instituted a prohibition suit

against the coroner • Joshua refused to testify

Joshua’s Prohibition Suit (ID/188MJR/2014)

• i) to restrict the coroner to “ascertaining the cause and manner of death … of unknown persons“;

• ii) to prevent Joshua from testifying at the coroner's court, and

• iii) to remove the judge in charge of the investigation

• iv) prohibit the coroner from conducting further inquest/proceedings relating to the construction of the collapsed building

• v) To quash the proceedings of the Coroner’s court.

Court Verdict: Suit Lacked merit

Managing Religion

•Bryan Turner (2007): religious complexity creates new burdens that demand new strategies for the management of religion: •Upgrading: sponsoring religious education • Enclavement: spontaneous or involuntary social

closures

•Co-optation: the capture of religious institutions for governance purposes

The Afterlife of T. B. Joshua

•When Prophecy Fails: Religious followers never abandon belief •More power: arguably the most powerful prophet

in Africa •Brand visibility: Controversy builds demand and

visibility •Media reinforcement

Conclusion

•From “Victims” to “Martyrs of faith”

•From “villain” & “person of interest” to “Victim” •The power of persuasion

•The limits of the law in fragile states