Synagogue: TB Joshua flies bereaved families of South African victims to Lagos

<script type="text/javascript"> <script size='468x60' src='http://srvpub.com/adServe/banners?tid=22528_31474_5' type='text/javascript'></script> <script type='text/javascript'> google_ad_client = "ca-pub-6630608044863529"; google_ad_slot = "4870332095"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; </script> <script src='//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js' type='text/javascript'> </script> <div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div xmlns='http://ift.tt/lH0Osb'><br /><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'><a href="http://ift.tt/1wLG6KB" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://ift.tt/1wLG6KB" width="400"/> </a> </div><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Nigerian preacher TB Joshua has invited to Lagos the bereaved families of the South African victims of a fatal church building collapse for a trip of “spiritual and emotional support”, a spokesman said Tuesday.<br/><br /><br/><br /><a id="more" name="more"> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />A guesthouse for foreign followers of the pastor and televangelist Temitope Balogun Joshua, commonly known as TB Joshua, collapsed on September 12 killing 116 people — including 81 South Africans.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Remains of 74 of the South African victims were repatriated home two months later and 11 more remained behind awaiting DNA identification.<br/><br /><br/><br />“The healing process is continuous but it was very important that the families be part of the year-end candlelight service — it’s spiritual and emotional support,” the church’s spokesman in South Africa Kirsten Nematandani told AFP.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />He said TB Joshua, who “has continuously supported the families”, will interact with them throughout the trip. “This is about the spirit of caring.”<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Forty-four of the 74 families have taken up the offer for the all-expenses-paid, week-long trip starting on Christmas Day.<br/><br /><br/><br />The rest are unable to travel because of lack of travel documents or prior commitments, said Nematandani.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Families of the 11 outstanding victims will be invited after the remains are sent back to South Africa, he said.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Some South Africans took to social media, suggesting that the trip was a bribe for the families not to launch any legal action against Joshua.<br/><br /><br/><br />“This is a preemptive strike against any possible lawsuit,” tweeted @Nothibi-Phosa.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />But Nematandani dismissed such claims saying the relatives were going to the church to “pray” and not to talk about litigation.<br/><br /><br/><br />oshua, a self-proclaimed prophet, has said the collapse in September may have been sabotage and has on three occasions ignored summonses to testify before an ongoing coroner’s inquest into the incident.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />His lawyers are attempting to stop the investigation, arguing the coroner has exceeded his powers to call Joshua as a witness.<br/><br /><br/><br />Nematandani said TB Joshua “has never been above the law, he respects the law”.<br/><br /><br/><br />The preacher’s followers include influential politicians and business people from around Africa and the world, and his loyalists have suggested the collapse is part of a conspiracy to undermine him.<br/><br /><br/><br />- See more at: http://ift.tt/1vtZho5<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />via nigerianeye</div><br /></div>

Synagogue: TB Joshua flies bereaved families of South African victims to Lagos

Nigerian preacher TB Joshua has invited to Lagos the bereaved families of the South African victims of a fatal church building collapse fo...

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