*South Sudan honors Joshua with Key to the republic of South Sudan
As part of activities for the burial for late Prophet T.B. Joshua, traditional Yoruba leader, Aare Ona Kakanfo, Gani Adams, former minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode, political office holders and other international partners have paid tributes to the late televangelist Prophet at The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun Lagos on Tuesday.
The tribute service which commenced at about 11am on Tuesday at the church premises witnessed presence of leader of Yoruba land, Aare Ona Kakanfo, Gani Adams, former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, President Committee for Defence Human Rights, Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, Malawi traditional ruler, HRM King Willard Mswati Gomani, Nollywood actors and other international dignitaries.
Speaking of Joshua’s impact, wife of the televangelist, Evelyn Joshua, said his presence in her life made her who she is and his death would be felt across the world.
According to Joshua’s children, Sarah, Promise and Heart, Joshua lived a life that would be missed by the church, world and the family as his he laid a prayerful life till his death.
In Sarah’s tribute to her late father, she said: “I will truly miss your wisdom, knowledge, your mystery and your humour. you have lived a life of unwavering commitment to passion and service I have no reservations to say that my dad have the biggest heart that I know of and he was a true humanitarian to this nation. What a feat you have left for all of us to live up to.”
She said she believed that while he was alive even when he was not ready for death he was fully prepared for the life after death.
Promise Joshua, the second daughter of the late prophet said as devastating as it was to hear the news of her father’s death, she can’t say she was completely unprepared for it as T.B. Joshua will always remind her that he is on a mission on Earth.
“Growing up as a biological daughter of prophet T.B. Joshua my dad made me to understand that he is on to this world.
For him life on Earth was a spiritual warfare and not a place to get too comfortable like it was home. He spent each day like it was his last with most of his time spent at his prayer mountain focusing on executing an assignment only him seems to be in the know of what the instructions were,”
” Since I became more socially aware and more inquisitive about my dad’s life I realised that the implications of such life style was that once he was done accomplishing what he was sent for he would be called back home to the one who sent him,” she said.
She added that her father taught her about Christian and compassion for humanity and that she will greatly miss him.
In Heart’s tribute message to Joshua, the youngest daughter of the televangelist stated that she does not have enough words to express the passing away of her father because she will greatly miss him.
She said: “From a tender age dad showed that the love he had for me is unmeasurable and I will forever love him for that. In a world when men were seeking game my father have a dedicated group of men, women, girls and boys who love the very ground he walked on.”
Yoruba leader, Aare Ona Kakanfo, Gani Adams while addressing the press at the church noted that the country has lost one of the greatest man in Africa.
He said: “I believe we have lost one of the greatest Nigerian in Africa. He is a pastor to be reckon with globally. It is very sad that we lost him at early age but we love him, his Creator love him. I am using this opportunity to console his wife, Evelyn I told her while leaving that I will be in touch with the family no matter the situation.”
While calling on clerics to fulfill the mandate they are destined to do, he urged religious leaders not to focus on evangelism alone but also consider charity in its service to humanity like the life the late prophet lived.
The former a minister of Aviation during his address at the tribute service, he said his first encounter was in 2016 during his imprisonment in Like, Abuja when Joshua reached out to him through a phone and revealed date of his release.
He said: “There I was in 2016, I was in the cell after I was detained by the government for political reasons. It was not just an ordinary cell, I was kept in a facility in which only Boko Haram members were kept. I was kept there to break me and make me to bow. I was in the facility for about three months when I started praying to God if I have wrong him in anyway. The following day, a warder came in with a cell phone and said Prophet T.B. Joshua wants to speak with me. He told me I will be released bin three days and on the third day, I was released from the cell.”
Meanwhile, the president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, has handed over the key to the Republic of South Sudan to the Joshua’s family as a tribute to the memory of the prophet and for his contribution to fostering peace in the region.
The representative of the president, Pastor Peter Aueai who presented the key said, Joshua’s visit to South Sudan restored peace to the country since 2013.
He added that prior to Joshua’s visit, multiple reconciliatory efforts had been made to restore peace in South Sudan and that Joshua’s visit and the popularity of his Christian television network Emmanuel TV. wields huge levels of influence in the country.
Son-in-law, Brian Moshi, representative of president to the republic of South Sudan, Pastor Peter Aueai, Daughter of T.B. Joshua, Sarah Joshua during the presentation of Key to South Sudan to Sarah the daughter of Prophet T.B. Joshua at the tribute service on Tuesday.