The monarch of Arigidi Akoko in Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, has appealed to the members of the Synagogue Church of All Nations to allow Pastor Temitope Joshua to be buried in Arigidi, his hometown.
Joshua who died in Lagos at the age of 57, was being mourned in Arigidi Akoko since his death was announced.
Oba Olanipekun said the traditional rulers in the four Akoko local governments had decided to give the late pastor a befitting burial and that he must be buried in the town, contrary to the position of church members
He said: “We can handle all his burial arrangements, not only Arigidi but all the Akokos, comprising four local governments. We don’t joke with him, we know what he has done for us.
“Prophet had it in mind that he was coming home, so why would they bury his remains in Lagos? He is from here. Look at these late pastors, Moses Orimolade was brought to Ikare, Ayo Babalola was taken to Ikeji-Arakeji, Pastor Timothy Obadare was taken to Ilesa in Osun State, among others, so why will ours be different?
“Is he from Lagos? So, they shouldn’t get the whole Akoko angry with them because all the Obas in Akoko have been calling me in respect to that.
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“Some places in Ondo State had no light for six years but he solved our problems, bought transformers, fixed everything and paid, so it is not only my battle but the whole Akoko.
“As you can see me, I have not been myself because this is a great loss to me, my family and the whole Akoko and even the world in general.
“The day he died, he visited me at night. I sat down here in this place and asked one of the security men if he could hear the noise of crusaders. But moving some steps, the whole noise stopped. I could not believe his death until a reliable source told me his remains had been deposited in the morgue.
“His visit to me the night of his death signifies that he wants to be buried where he hails from. He had a lot of dreams for the town. He acquired lots of lands here and was building a church and school before he died.
“What he told me was that, after 50 years of age, he was going to come back home. He had it in mind to complete that project as soon as possible, meaning he wanted to move his church to Arigidi Akoko.”
