SCOAN’s programme of
transformation:
Hope for the afflicted!
EVERY society has its culture and
tradition. No culture except savage behaviour lacking in humanness
can be condemned. Exposing inhuman custom in any community is a
challenge to the Godly, the human rights activists and the civilized
community of intellectuals.
In Africa, particularly among the more mentally backward people,
there is a strong belief in the use of magical powers to affect or
influence people’s fortune, usually for bad; otherwise known as
witchcraft. Civilization has not succeeded in effacing this belief
in witchcraft. Though witchcraft is an esoteric phenomenon, the
consequences of expressing belief in it are real and glaring.
An erroneous perception that witches and wizards do not operate at
distances far and away from members of their own household and
immediate community has caused members of families to believe that
their invisible enemies are members of their families. Usually,
members of families often dread an ageing parent or other ageing
members of the family, especially the women or mothers who they see
as betwitchers who cause them misfortune. Ironically and very funny
as it is, these accusers pray to grow very old before they die.
On several occasions, people have been stoned to death by mob
attacks on the streets on the suspicion and false allegation that
they possess destructive magical powers. In doing so, the
perpetrators of this type of jungle justice are unmindful that they
ought to have their facts, which unlike feelings and insights,
should be open to everyone who cares to investigate them; that if
their facts are challenged, they must be able to vouch for their
accuracy. Also that if their opinions are questioned, they must be
able to defend their validity and develop a sense of responsibility
for everything they do or say.
In an effort to rescue and rehabilitate those violated by believers
in witchcraft, Synagogue, The Church of All Nations (SCOAN) has
started a project called “Programme of Transformation” to reconcile
families turn apart by this erroneous belief.
While expressing views on the reason for the programme, Prophet T.B.
Joshua, Founder and General Overseer of synagogue, The Churcn of All
Nations, said that it is the duty of the Church to recouncile homes.
“The Church is all about reconciling broken homes. Under standing
tne cause of problems brings about breakthroughs,” he stressed.
The experience and lessons learnt during one of the reconciliation
events held on Sunday 24th August 2008 at SCOAN headquarters, Ikotun
Egbe, Lagod could be summarized in a word: Sordid - as reported on
the following victims in their relative degree, though all are
inhuman, very dirty and unpleasant. Prophet Joshua through divine
revelations discovered and delivered the victims, and SOOAN’s
Programme of Transformation is rehabilitating them.
Mr. Dickson Oke, a former Marketing Manager of strabag was said to
be insane for fourteen years. Cause? His wife, Mrs. Theresa Dickson
Oke, according to her confession, had on suspicion that her husband
was having extra-marital affair, especially with his secretary and
was planning to marry a new wife, consulted a witchdoctor who
prepared a spell for her on the instruction that wh3tever she
pronounces on it would happen. Mrs Theresa Oke applied the charm.
Result: Her husband, Dickson Oke, became mad for fourteen years,
wandering in forests in his village, living in squalor and feeding
on rubbish before he was healed. Following her confession, Prophet
T.B. Joshua sent a delegation of evangelists who in company of Mrs
Theresa Dickson Oke went and fetcned her husband from the village,
after a painstaking effort of searching the forests and approaching
a mad man who brandished a sharpened matchet as shown on video
record. He was caught and brought to SCOAN headquarters, still in
his insane state, where he was restored to normal mental state when
Prophet T.B. Joshua prayed for him.
Dickson who was united with his family of a son, three daughters and
two grandchidren on the occasion, described his present state of
mental sanity as a “new life”, noting that in his years of travail,
he felt it was normal life, eating rubbish. His wife while giving
testimony, thanked Prophet Joshua for his intervention and also
thanked her husband for forgiving her. However, she advised couples
to understand each other and avoid leading lifestyles that might
generate suspicion and ill motives in their marital relationship.
The fate of Mr. Dickson Oke appears inconsequential when compared
with what befell Mrs victoria Ugbodaga of Uromi village in Edo
state. Her granddaughter, then nine years old, was influenced by her
peer friend who told her that her grandmother Mrs Victorial Ugbodaga
was a witch. The nine-year old girl spread the accusation and her
mother Christiana and other children of Mrs Victoria Ugbodaga
swallowed the accusation hook, line and sinker. From that day
onward, Mrs Victoria Ugbodaga was seen as the cnuse of bad omen and
trouble, not only in her family but also in the community whose
inhabitants ganged up against her. She was accused of being the
cause of deaths in the community so that whenever someone dies she
was punished. On several occasions, grandma Victoria Ugbodaga was
taken to the Uromi king’s palace, according to what she told the
congregation, pound hands and legs, at times stripped naked, beaten
up, video-recorded and paraded round the village. Her first
daughter, in order to confirm the authenticity of her own daughter’s
allegation, consulted two witchdoctors who told her that Mrs
Victoria Ugbodaga was truly a witch. Based on the witchdoctor’s
confirmation, all Madam Victoria’s children ‘including Mr. Simeon
Ugbodaga, a senior grade school teacher, consigned their mother to a
squalor where she lived ‘vlithout bed among goats and fowls and
other domestic lifestock. On several occasions, they would torture
her, starve her and even removed the door to her hut still, Madam
Victoria was ostracised by the church were she worshipped.
It is sad to note that people are always learning about the truth
but never even know it. Unlike Dickson and his family who were
rejoicing and dancing praises to God for their blessing, Madam
Victoria’s crildren rent the atmosphere of the church’s auditorium
with loud cries when they reflected over their seven years act of
inhumanity to their very mother. Madam Victoria also wept profusely.
When Prophet T.B. Joshua asked why she was crying even now thet she
has been rescued, she retoreed thet whenever she remembers the
degree of torture her children in connicance with the community
meted out to her for seven years, before she was saved, she finds it
difficult to believe that she is still alive today. And the man of
God consoled her. There is hope for the afflicted for “God will wipe
away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor
sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for all former
things have passed away.” (Bible’s Revelation 21: 4).
Saddened by the part a1leged, played by Uromi villagers in this
matter, Prophet T.B. Joshua said that he will visit there to meet
the king of the place and also to hold a conference with the
villagers.
Another fatal xk incident similar to the above story is that
involving Mr. Joseph Osakwe of Edo state who connived with his
daughter Enu Ngozi Lucy and planned to kill the mother of the house,
Mrs Osakwe. Ngozi who lived as a prostitute in Spain where she was
bearing fake name as Mabel Osifo had suspected her mother of being
the cause of her misfortune. She reported to her fabher Mr. Joseph
Osakwe who consulted a witchdoctor that confirmed to him that his
wife is a witch.
Consequently in her confession, Ngozi stated that based on the
information from her father, she sent money home to sponsor hired
killers to eliminate her mother. When that failed, she had to return
to Nigeria in order to carry out the plan. Personally, she fougnt
her motner, stabbed her so that she would die, but her mother did
not die. Worse than Mrs. Victoria Ugbodaga whose leg was broken,
Mrs. Osakwe’s two eyes were successfully destroyed oy her daughter
Ngozi, causing her to become blind. In addition, Ngozi also
confessed planning to kill one of her sisters based on the suspicion
that tne sister and the mother cause bad omens to befall her.
In an expression of sympathy, the SCOAN’s Programme of
Transformation gave two hundred thousand Naira and two bags of rice
to Mrs Osakwe and pleaded with her to forgive members of her family.
Prorhet T.B. Joshua who condemned inhuman acts enjoined people to
disconnect themselves from erronneous beliefs and whatever chain
satan has used to connect them to himself noting: “Satan uses our
situation to distract our attention from God. Don’t allow satan to
use you. He prayed the Almighty God for forgiveness and mercy for
sinners all over the world, and warned against telling lies and
accusing others falese1y.
The SCOAN General Overseer bemoaned the plight and backwardness of
Africa arising from superstitious belief. “In African communities
today, there are issues like these which must be resolved because
they cause generational curses. Many people suffering from similar
Cases should repent and call true ministers of God to rescue the
situation as such false accusations do not allow room for
prosperity,” the cleric emphasized.
According to him, usually children who accuse their parents of
witchcraft receive curses from these aggrieved parents and the
curses linger from generation to generation. He noted that often
much de1age had been done before the accuser realizes the weight and
extent of the danger of the false accusation.
In further expression of view, Prophet T. B. Joshua pointed out that
to free oneself from evil thougrts and deeds, one has to adopt a
positive mental attitude, be Godly-minded and shun eveil motives as
they crop up to tempt one into foolish actions. He also warned that
people should avoid speaking evil against members of their families
,nd others to their friends and peers who might incite them against
their next of kins.
The SCOAN founder warned against craving for and indulgence in
destructive acts, anointing out that it is easy to destroy but
difficult to build. According to him, “We can destroy ourselves but
we cannot save ourselves”.
The foregoing revelation, no doubt, would be a tip of the eceberg of
human rights abuses that are happening in today’s society. There
were several warning prophecies in the Bible regerding these
experiences. For instance, Micah 7:5 states: “Trust ye not in a
friend, put ye not confidence in a guide, keep the doors of thy
mouth from her that lieth in your bosom, for the son dishonoureth
the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man’s enemies are
members of his own house”. Similar to this advice is in 2 Timothy
3:1. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters,
proud, blasphers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal,
despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying
its powers. From such people turn away, for of this sort are those
who creep into households an dmake captives of gullible women loaded
down with sins, led away by various lusts and always learning and
never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Africans had always frowned at he was and manner the colonialists
treated them and Europe’s contribution in under-developing Africa.
In defence of this claim a writer said: “When we ask what is the
matter complained of and unquire into it, is must be born in mind
that it is not worse than what savage tribes practice among
themselves, or towards one another, though by the way, we do not for
a moment defend wanton barbarity on the part of civilized man
towards savages.” The colonislists saw their action as a hopeful
part of the onward march of humanity with some of the advantages
which civilization should in the end be able to bestow on the native
populaton.
A people are in danger if at this state of global civilization, a
high degree of deliberate actions causing harm and damage will for
no acceptable reason be meted out to human beings because of
erroneous traditional believe in witchcraft. Our society has grown
to a level that it will no longer tolerate cruel and violent
behaviour. All lovers of humanity - whether reformists,
transformosts, religionists or human rights activists - should act
now, and fast too, to redeem the human society from this type of
worrisome barbarism.
A network of activists organizations is necessary to protect the
society from all forms of violence and violation of human rights. An
enlightenment campaign should be carried out to educate the public
on how and where to report such brutality when they happen.
Interestingly, development in Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) is making the passing of confidential information
easier without risk to one’s safety and security. Society has to be
corrected and people have to be well informed as quickly as possible
before more damage is done.
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