By Gilbert Ekezie
Presiding Bishop and General Overseer of King in Christ Power Ministries, Bishop Dr Jerry Chidi Anthony, has said that the only way to save Nigeria from disintegration is to dialogue with the secession agitators. The President of Pentecostal Ministers Forum (PMF) expressed concern over the level of decay in Nigeria and called on Church leaders to unite to save the country from collapse. He also spoke on other issues.
As a pentecostal bishop, it is expected that you should belong to the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), why then did you form PMF that looks like a parallel group?
Well, as you have rightly said, I belong to PFN and CAN. PMF is not a parallel group. We decided to form it in order to help Churches in Nigeria because the PFN and CAN, which we expected to be of help to us, are not living up to our expectations . They do not carry the member Churches along. Could you believe that if any member has challenges, they will abandon the person to suffer alone. So, we resolved to form PMF to help ourselves, since CAN and PFN cannot help us. They are nothing but pressure groups which cannot affect the lives of individual ministers. That is why if you look at the set up and organisation of PFN, it is to get patronage from the government, but PMF is different.
Are you saying that the leadership of PFN and CAN have compromised?
Yes, of course. There were cases where pastors had problems and PFN and CAN did not intervene. In fact, the so-called Fathers of faith have failed us. If any member is doing something and invite them, they will not come, unless you hold position or your Church is big. They will want to know the strength of your church, tell you to pay their flight tickets to and fro, get an expensive accomodation for them and their entourage, including feeding. So, after looking at all these, you find out that there is no need to invite them, especially if your church is not rich enough to reach their demands. All they are interested in is on the monthly dues we pay. But in PMF, it is compulsory that members should honour every invitation, and we use what we have to get what we want. It is unfortunate that they did not tell us the truth. They are the cause of what the church is going through today in Nigeria.
How are the faith fathers the cause of what the church is going through in Nigeria?
You could look at them having three private jets. Do they think those jets will prevent rapture from taking place? They build schools and children of pastors and the less privileged cannot go there due high rate of fees, yet they claim to be born again. It is so bad that if you do not belong to their cartel, you are not of God. In fact, it is frustrating and unfortunate that the church is fighting itselt. Have you ever seen Imams fighting themselves on the pages of newspapers? Look at one of the pastors who played music for many years , but could not find his destiny, calling the late T. B. Joshua who lived like Christ, a wizard. He is even marrying people’s wives and doing all sorts of unholy things, still claimed to be holy. Tell me how many of the so-called fathers of faith are affecting people’s lives like the late Prohet T.B. Joshua? Have they done any crusade that affected people’s lives? How many countries know them? How many presidents have visited their churches and bowed down? You see , if any president comes to your church and bowed down, it is the entire country that bowed.
Who among the pastors or General Overseers is your religious father?
Religious father? No one. I am a spiritual person, I do not have any religious father and I do not care to have. They claim to be fathers, but cannot give anyone feathers to fly. What is happening among members of PFN and CAN, is uncalled for. The system is not working , and we are not getting the desired results.
I believe it was not like this in the past. At what point did things get so bad in the Christendom? Is PFN and CAN’s non-participation at late T B. Joshua’s burial, part of the problems church leaders you are taking about?
Obviously, you could see what happened during the death and burial of T. B. Joshua. They did not show up or felt concerned. How would one explain that kind of attitude towards someone they should see as one of them? It is so bad and condenmable.
Many things were said for and against late Prophet T.B. Joshua, how would you describe his lifetime?
You see, people can say whatever they like. For me, the late T.B.Joshua was a saint during his lifetime. If am given the opportunity to write about him, that is what I will write. If one wants to know about the life of Jesus Christ, the person should look at T.B. Joshua. He lived Christ-like life and won. I do not want to know where his power came from and whether he served a living God or not, but based on what we saw, he lived like Christ. Now, let me shock you, most pastors said he was a wizard, right? Find out, you will see that many of those who said so have married three wives, and will complete it four very soon. But T. B. Joshua who was labeled a wizard had one wife and lived with her till death. They have mansions and estates, but T.B. Joshua they called a wizard did not have a house in his home town. He had no mansion in Lagos. Was it not in his church in Lagos that he was buried? Have you seen where he gave out things to people? He never bothered whether one is a Christian, Muslim or traditionalist. He carried everybody along and saw all as one. That was the real spirit of a true man of God. Obviously he lived a life of selflessness, generosity and practical example of Christ. He touched lives in many ways, which those who called him names have not done, and will not do. If T.B. Joshua was a wizard, I wish I will know where the wizard is, so that I can join. People are still crying because of his death. Among those who cajoIed him, we will see how many people that will cry when they die. I pray that God should crown him. Even though he was a sinner, God will look at the charity he did and have mercy upon him.
Would you say some pastors were envious of the late T. B. Joshua?
I think so. Otherwise they would not be calling him names he did not deserve.
Talking of state of the nation, what are your views?
We could all see what is happening in almost every part of Nigeria. Each day, we hear of one problem or the other. Hearing the numbers of people killed in various crisis, is nothing to us, unlike in the past, if one or two were killed, Nigerians will shout. What we hear today is; is it only 47 people that were killed? People shed the blood of their fellow humans as if they are animals. In fact, it is a pity that we are in a country that does not value lives of its citizens. I am proud to be an indigene of Imo State, but not proud to be a Nigerian. We should not decieve ourselves, many things have fallen apart in our country. Could you believe that since the COVID-19, I have not travelled to my village in Imo State due to insecurity and crisis everywhere? Though, I have escorts, but I believe that they cannot protect me. It is so bad that the so-called unknown gunmen will kill the escorts and the person they are escorting. My parents are dead, so I have no reason to travel for now until the security situation improves. The economy is bad, there is hunger in the land, and with the way things are going, fuel will be sold for N1,000 very soon. The worst aspect of it is that when someone is doing bad things, you will still see those praising him. Nobody is ready to tell him the truth. Sometimes, I begin to wonder if Buhari knows what is happening in Nigeria.
What do you think is the solution to Nigeria’s problems?
The only thing that will help Nigeria, as a nation, is God’s intervention because human’s wisdom and ideas haven’t. I am praying for thunder to strike those who are destroying the nation, so that better people can come in. The analogue leadership we have at present, should give way to the younger generation.
The agitations for secession by some sections in Nigeria keep increasing, what is your take on that?
Well, I am not comfortable with the way the Federal Government is handling the issue. Arresting Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho is not the best. They should be released. The worst thing that happens is when someone uses gun to fight people with ideology. You see, Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho have penetrate a lot of people. They have many followers. Even a little boy in Nigeria today knows what Biafra is all about. I wish I have my way to talk to President Muhammadu Buhari. I will tell him that dialoguing with the agitators at the round table is the best thing to do. He should not forget that there are millions of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho out there. If anyone doubts it, let him go to the streets. The more you kill them, the more the younger ones come up. As it is, if they like let them use what is more than AK-47 to fight Kanu, one day, Biafra will come to stay. Though, it may not be today or tomorrow.
Are you praying that Nigeria should divide?
I am not praying for that actually, what I want is a better Nigeria. But if we cannot achieve that, why can’t we go our separate ways. I think, that may bring more development and the relative peace we all have been expecting.
You were given an honorary Doctorate Degree by a Theology University in New York, what does that mean to you?
It means a lot to me as a servant of God. At least, it shows we are making progress in the vineyard of God. It will encourage and prepare me for further leadership positions.
As it is, where do you hope to be in the next five to 10 years?
Well, I am aiming and firing higher. I may become the President of Nigeria. I have the plans to contribute to change the political scene for good.