Two  hoteliers and guest house operators  around the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) at  Ikotun-Egbe in Alimosho Local Government of  Lagos State,   have  decried non-patronage since the demise of the  church founder, Temitope Joshua, known as TB Joshua on June 5.
The owners of the various  facilities meant for lodging told newsmen in Lagos yesterday that the demise of the SCOAN pastor had subjected them to anxiety.
Mr Alhponus Odioma,  the owner of a 240-room facility in the area, said that his dream of making fortune through the provision of guest rooms and its sundry services to pilgrims to SCOAN had diminished.
Odioma said that close to a month now, his hotel that used to be very busy with checking in and exit of lodgers had become a ghost town.
“I began business in the area since 2007 with a little residential apartment that I acquired but with the upsurge of lodging demands,  I had to get a bigger place.
“Like my  other colleagues,  I hired more personnel alongside constant innovation of services and facilities to retain  and attract more patronage especially from foreigners  that  were coming  to worship at SCOAN.
“We are now running at a deficit as  we are experiencing lull in business. Before now, the revenue  we usually realised in a week was enough to cater for a month’s over head.
“Right  now, we are experiencing lull in our  businesses without one knowing when  it will  end.” he said.
He said  that he would be left with no other option than to retrench some of  his workers if there is no end to the non patronage in sight.
He added that, though the spouse of the founder had been commissioned to take over as the leader of the church, but it is not yet known if she would able to perform in the deliverance ministry like the founder.
He said that it was the deliverance variant of the gospel that was attracting  people from all over the world to the place; that sustained our businesses all those years.
Also, Chief Mathew Ohajiri, another hotelier,  said that his facility and business were hanging  in the balance as the place had been empty since the demise of Pastor TB Joshua.
He said that it was the church activities in the synagogue that were driving  the business with lodgers scrambling for space daily.
Ohajiri, who expressed hope of the return of  the good old  days’ business with the raising of another healer in the synagogue, said that despondency had  become their lot for now.
That pockets of worshippers conducted Sunday service in an open space beside the church auditorium, as the church has remained locked since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.