Mills Storms Lagos church

The embattled National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate, Prof John Evans Atta Mills has made a quick dash to Nigeria to seek spiritual help to overcome his enemies.

Prof Mills, DAILY GUIDE learnt, has taken his case to a church in Nigeria for spiritual cleansing, following revelations that he was under spiritual siege.

He was said to have been accompanied by a bodyguard. The NDC flagbearer was caught on a live television broadcast at the Miracle Service of Synagogue Church of All-Nations (SCOAN) presided over by the controversial "Man of God" Prophet Temitope Balogun (TB) Joshua last Sunday.

The live broadcast was beamed on cable television, Emmanuel Television owned by TB Joshua's church.

Available information suggests that it was not the first time the NDC leader had gone to Nigeria in search of spiritual solutions to his problems.

Prof Mills, who has come under strong criticisms from NDC founder, Jerry John Rawlings, took the next available plane to Lagos after the party's three-day crisis meeting which ended on Friday evening, to see TB Joshua.

He had recently returned from a four-week trip to South Africa where he received medical treatment.

Even though he denied suffering from any major disease, he said he only received treatment for sinusitis and cataract.

Prof Mills, who described himself as former Vice President of Ghana, told the Ebenezer TV station after the church service which ended at 3.00pm that he had heard about the church and was convinced that it was indeed the place to be.

He indicated that what he saw was revealing and was convinced that Prophet T.B. Joshua was indeed a man of God.

The TV station interviewed other people who claimed that they had been healed of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer, among other terminal diseases.

Prof Mills, a Methodist, was said to have been told by a pastor in Accra that he was under a spiritual siege, prompting him to look to Nigeria for a solution.

Recently, pro-NDC newspapers reported about the flagbearer's spiritual problems, with the party's Propaganda Secretary for Central Region, Allotey Jacob accusing the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of unleashing the spiritual attacks on Mills.

The NDC flagbearer was said to have also attended Christ Embassy Church headed by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, another controversial pastor in Nigeria.

Even though opinions were divided over the source of the spiritual powers of T.B. Joshua, who has a branch of his church on the Spintex Road in Accra, he was said to have a large following in both Ghana and Nigeria.

Prof Mills' visit to Nigeria, DAILY GUIDE has gathered, was done in secrecy, known only to a few close aides.

The former law teacher's health has made many rounds on the media landscape for sometime now. The first time it hit town was when he traveled to China for treatment.

His stay in the Asian country was short-lived as he moved to a South African hospital to continue the treatment.

When news about the development was carried by the media, he explained that he moved to South Africa because of the language problems he experienced in China.

At that time, Prof Mills dismissed the story about his health as mere mischief-making by his opponents.

The Prof however removed the lid over his illness when he stated that he was suffering from sinusitis and later added cataract, implying that the ailment was not life-threatening.

An NDC MP caused a stir a few weeks ago when he called for the replacement of the flagbearer on health grounds.

The call did earn him flak from the rank and file of the party, but observers concluded it had the tacit approval of the founder, Jerry John Rawlings.

Even as the Prof is flaunting a clean bill of health, DAILY GUIDE has learnt some party big wigs are gearing themselves up for a possible congress to replace him.

TB Joshua's miracles have been trailed with controversy with speculations that he practices occultism.

Nigeria's celebrated news magazine, Newswatch had this about the man who claimed to have delivered thousands of people from life threatening diseases including AIDS and cancer in its August 5, 2002 edition:

"Another man of God who has continued to hold sway in the miracle arena is Pastor Temitope Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Ikotun Egbe, Lagos . His miracle programmes which are aired on television stations have continued to elicit reactions from church leaders and the public.

Particularly, his genuflection of the hand during every miracle healing process has been widely described as reflection of occultic leanings.

Scathing as the criticisms are, he has remained unperturbed and has continued to dazzle the public with his feats. Located at Ejigbo, the Synagogue has turned out to be Mecca of a sort for miracle seekers. Among them are Europeans and Americans, who flock to his ministry for miracles. It was this same curiosity that compelled President Chiluba of Zambia to visit the Synagogue in 1999.

On June 19, this year, Paul Dhanakran, an Indian but internationally acclaimed evangelist and mentor to world pentecostal leaders such as Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts and Benny Hinn, visited the Synagogue to receive healing for an intractable ailment that defied any cure. Barely four days after, Dhanakran left the Synagogue a new man. He had not been able to walk in the last five years. Joshua has in store, films of his healing powers. One of the films shows that he had also raised a man from the dead. He also claims to heal people of AIDS, cancer and other deadly diseases".