Monument for T.B Joshua Underway in Ondo
By Justina Okpanku
Ondo State is planning to add more tourist attractions to lure tourists by
building monuments in places like Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State, South West Nigeria. Arigidi-Akoko is
the hometown of
the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), the Prophet T.B. Joshua (late) who passed four years ago.
Can a government-sponsored T.B Joshua’s site/ monument sell in Ondo State, his hometown?
Expectedly, T.B Joshua’s home like Adolph Hitler will lure mass tourism.
Hitler’s Alpine home the “Berghof” welcomed thousands of tourists flocking to see where he had breakfast.
The Berghof home was built on Obersalzberg mountain facing a panorama of craggy peaks and green pastures.
It is the same phenomenon you see in other places where global history was made.
The difference is the lure for T.B. Joshua’s monument won’t be that great as the global figure (T.B. Joshua) actually lived and was buried in Lagos Nigeria not Ondo. T.B Joshua had a sprawling estate housing his religious centre in Ikotun, a Lagos suburb that attracted worshippers and miracle seekers from around the world.
Even Hitler didn’t want tourists in his home. He was reportedly against having tourists there.
He was quoted as saying that he will prefer his Alpine to go up in flames after his death rather than having tourists flocking to see it.
Today, well over 100, 000 tourists visit the site near German border with Austria each year, lured by a lasting fascination with Hitler.
Ondo State Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, didn’t give details about their project. The question on every lips is, would they just sell T.B. Joshua’s books or other souvenirs? Another is what would the tourists who go there be doing?
Aiyediwa just hinted that the state government was ready to partner with SCOAN to build a befitting monument in memory of the late pastor.
Aiyedatiwa was responding to a reporter’s question when members of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) paid him a recent Thank-You visit after the association held it’s Annual General Meeting {AGM) in Akure/ FAM (familiarization) trip of major tourist sites across the state.
Answering a reporter on the efforts made by the state to develop man-made tourist attractions and monuments in honour of notable figures from the state because it could attract tourists.
He said: Ondo State was greatly endowed with a lot of tourist attractions and they are ready to partner with investors to develop the state, and to build such monuments in places like Arigidi-Akoko, the hometown of the late prophet to attract religious tourists.
“Talking about religious tourism to be added to all these natural wonders that nature has given to us, you mentioned Prophet T.B. Joshua in Arigidi Akoko, he is not only the one. We also have the man who started the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. We have another one in my own local government that started the Zion Church.
“Yes, it is something that can be looked at really, but it has to be in collaboration with the institutions they established, like their own church. Maybe by the time the commissioner for culture and tourism comes on board by next week, it is part of the assignment that I will give to him or her.
“Thank you for bringing that up. I know that Prophet T.B. Joshua travelled far and wide across the world and it is a name that is known across the world when it comes to religion. I was there during his burial. I represented the state governor at that time. I know also, going through his profile and sojourn on earth before his demise, that he visited a lot of countries. The Church is in best situation to facilitate that, but we can push them. All the members he has, the countries he visited and touched, they can begin to come and see, apart from going to Synagogue at Ikotun, they can also come to Arigidi-Akoko. I think it is something we can look at,” he said excitedly.
TheConcleveng.com
