New Telegraph

TB JOSHUA; We’ve lost one of our most dedicated promoters of Nigerian tourism –Amachree

Nigeria’s Father of Tourism, Chief Mike Amachree has expressed shock over the death of the Founder and Senior Pastor of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T.B. Joshua. He expressed condolences to the SCOAN family, the late pastor’s family and Nigerians on the great loss, saying that it is a great loss to the Nigerian tourism as he was one of the most dedicated promoters of Nigerian tourism through his religious tourism activities across the world. Speaking on the contributions of the late pastor to the growth of tourism in Nigeria, Amachree said: “Prophet T.B. Joshua single- handedly elevated Nigeria into a religious tourism destination that attracts thousands of inbound religious pilgrims from all over the world, who troop to the SCOAN for worship and also sought spiritual and physical solutions to their problems.’’

He further said that the prophet died at a time when tourism practitioners are putting heads together on how to grow the industry after the COVID-19 pandemic, describing his demise ‘‘as unfortunate and a major setback for the country.” Amachree, who said he was impressed by the activities of the late pastor when he visited Ikotun, pointed out how the late pastor created a tourism economy in Ikotun, a suburb in the city of Lagos, and put it on the world tourism map. He said: “I was sad to hear of the death of Prophet T.B. Joshua because I know what he represented for Nigerian tourism. He was the biggest tourist attraction to Nigeria.

About 80 per cent of non-business tourists coming to Nigeria are visiting his SCOAN Ikotun. ‘‘This has created a tourism economy in that axis, making it possible for people to generate income to take care of themselves and their families. “Visit Ikotun, you will see the number of hotels and other accommodation facilities, eateries, different kinds of vendors who are depending on visitors to Ikotun for their source of livelihood.

The tourism industry in Ikotun is all tied to Prophet T.B. Joshua’s SCOAN. He feeds and clothes thousands of people in that axis. How are they going to survive and generate income without the tourism business? His death is a huge setback for the country. ”In addition to this, the late Prophet T.B. Joshua had built a multi-billion naira worldclass tourism resort, the SCOAN Prayer Mountain Resort. The resort would create thousands of jobs for people to earn livelihood. He really did so much for the industry. That is why his death is a great loss to us in the country.” Amachree then urged tourism industry practitioners not to be discouraged by the loss of Joshua, but should continue to thrive to build the industry and make the country a world-class tourism destination. Prophet Joshua had died on Saturday, July 5.

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