Nigerian-American Journalists Fault Google for Suspending T.B Joshua on YouTube

The Nigerian-American Press Association (NAPA) has faulted Google LLC, an American multinational technology company, for suspending Emmanuel TV, a Christian television network established by Founder of the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Pastor Temitope Joshua on YouTube.

The association rejected SCOAN’s suspension in a resolution its executive members unanimously adopted after an emergency board meeting via conference call from Houston,

Texas, United States yesterday.

NAPA is a major convergence of online editors representing leading mainstream media establishments in the United States of America and Nigeria.

YouTube, an online video platform of Google LLC and the second most-visited website in the world, suspended Emmanuel TV for uploading a video content, which it claimed, allegedly contained hate speech.

In a statement on Friday, SCOAN said: “Our mission is to share the love of God with everyone – irrespective of race or religion – and we strongly oppose all forms of hate speech! We have had a long and fruitful relationship with YouTube and believe this decision was made in haste.”

After its emergency meeting yesterday, NAPA in a resolution by its President, Mr George Otumu, said, “In a unanimous voice, we condemn the position taken by the management of YouTube to suspend the licence of Prophet T.B. Joshua’s media channel.”

It explained that NAPA strongly believed YouTube’s decision was “condemnable, ludicrous, hastily-made, biased and vindictive in its entirety; as there were no correspondence or traceable records from YouTube, earlier warning Synagogue Church of All Nations ministry of its alleged offence; even after it hastily singled out seven videos it tagged ‘hate-speech’.

Also, the association said: “YouTube so decided under the cover of darkness to take one out of the seven videos as a reflection of its ban on T.B. Joshua’s media channel, without allowing the Church in contention an avenue of a rightful channel of reply to deny the allegation.”