The General Overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet Temitope Joshua has suspended his church healing programme for the time being in view of the Ebola disease that is ravaging West African Coast.
Prophet Joshua made the disclosure on Sunday when the Lagos State Government and some federal delegates paid a visit to the church to sensitize its members on the menace of the deadly Ebola virus.
The church is noted for its miracle service, and many of its members are from neighbouring countries. Thousands of non-members too often attend the service with their ailing relations hoping they would get cured.
Immediately, Cote d’Ivoire Football National Team was edged out of the 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa, football star, Didier Drogba flew to Nigeria in a private jet with his aged parents to attend one of the healing programmes.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who led the delegation, said it was also to make sure that no victim of the virus came into the church from any of the affected countries.
Idris said, “We have our strategies that we intend to share with you. Again, we need to know the resources you have here because whether it is one or two cases, if they are allowed to get out, it is a major problem. We are here to work together on how to contain this disease.”
Idris said the delegation decided to pay the visit to the SCOAN because of the recognition that it was an international Christian centre whose congregation comprised people from all over the world, including the countries of the West African sub-Region which had already been infected by the Ebola disease.
Prophet Joshua, in his reaction, promised to work with government.
One of such measures, he said, was to visit any of the countries, rather than allow their residents come into Nigeria.
He also promised to suspend some of his major Church healing programmes for a few weeks adding, “I am ready to work with you. I love my country and I will be ready to work with you. Even if it is a rumour, there is need to secure our environment to ensure that it is safe.”
