How Sierra Leone fought Ebola with Prophet TB Joshua's 'anointing water'

When Nigerian 'Prophet' T.B. Joshua controversially claimed in August 2014 that his 'Anointing Water' had the ability to cure the deadly Ebola virus which had ravaged several West African countries, the declaration was met with both doubt and derision.

However, a prominent Sierra Leonean politician has sensationally claimed that the contentious arrival of 4,000 bottles of Joshua's water to her nation was the key to the eventual decline of the incurable disease.

Mrs Fatmata Kargbo, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sierra Leone, gave the startling revelation in Lagos, Nigeria at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) on Sunday 1st November 2015.

"I am very disturbed and have had sleepless nights for not giving this testimony," the civil servant admitted.

"When T.B. Joshua announced his desire to send Anointing Water to the countries affected by Ebola, I immediately contacted the presidency," she explained, adding that after the government accepted his offer, she was appointed to head the team that would receive the blessed 'water' with alleged healing powers.

As was widely reported in mainstream media, the Nigerian cleric paid for a private jet to transport the 'spiritual items' to Sierra Leone, alongside a cash gift of $50,000 to those affected by the outbreak.

"I received the Anointing Water at the airport and submitted the consignment to the President," Kargbo revealed. "However, the devil fought hard and we faced a lot of opposition and obstacles."

According to the civil servant, even after obtaining presidential approval to begin distributing the 'Anointing Water' to the most affected zones, strong opposition from 'internationally renowned medical organisations' severely delayed the allotment.

"Medically, they said there was no scientific proof that it could cure Ebola," she explained, adding that some of the water was even 'confiscated' by medical personnel.

It was only after several weeks of struggling that Kargbo found a senior ranking medical official who was sympathetic to her cause and managed to 'smuggle' in some of Joshua's water to a clinic where Ebola patients resided.

"The patients who received the Anointing Water testified that the symptoms disappeared almost immediately," she sensationally claimed.

"In the South East region where we were finally allowed to minister the Anointing Water, there was no new case of Ebola recorded from September 2014 onwards," she further added.

According to Kargbo, it was only the regions where Joshua's 'holy water' failed to reach that Ebola's spread continued, eventually beginning to decline in early 2015.

She lamented that if not for the strong opposition, Ebola would have been conquered much earlier.  "If we were allowed to use the water as directed by the man of God at that time, Ebola would have been rid from my country within weeks," she asserted.

According to a BBC interview with President Ernest Bai Koroma, if no new cases are recorded, Sierra Leone is expected to be declared Ebola free this week.

T.B. Joshua claims his controversial water, newly branded as 'Morning Water' is anointed by God. "It is not the water that heals but God Himself since the anointing is done in Jesus' name," his website states.

Last week, two survivors of a tragic helicopter crash in Lagos, Nigeria, claimed that it was Joshua's water that rescued them from certain death.

Ihechukwu Njoku is a freelance Nigerian journalist currently based in Lagos, Nigeria