‘Ex-militants also need faith-based counselling’

Through our Youths of Excellence, when we got some militants out of the creeks, we opened a church for them and they are part of the skills acquisition we give to youths in Idu Local Government Area. They are about 150 young boys. We have to put them in camps and train them in the […]

Through our Youths of Excellence, when we got some militants out of the creeks, we opened a church for them and they are part of the skills acquisition we give to youths in Idu Local Government Area. They are about 150 young boys. We have to put them in camps and train them in the word of God. The mind-change through the word of God is the greatest. We cannot live at the mercy of militants. I thank God for their lives. We have them on video clips making confessional statements.

 

I have got about 2, 3 batches of the ex militants to Abuja. I brought them here and for days I sent them to out Benin camp where we have a big auditorium. We also have a stadium there. They were there for two weeks orientation. We gave them skills. Most of them have not seen their parents for 5-7 years. We have to reconcile them to their parents. One day we called their parents to a meeting with them in Warri area and they were shocked to see their children. Sometimes we encourage them to preach to those men who still call them on phone to come and do evil. Those boys today are doing great in church. Some of them when they think about what they did they feel as if they are haunted by what they have done. They tell a story of how one boy can recruit up to 100 boys on the streets who are disobedient to parents and who don’t listen to advice as thugs.

Some clerics have come under scrutiny by the ant-graft agency. What is your take on that?

Somebody will be coming to your church and he is bringing millions and you don’t ask, you don’t know what he does and you are supposed to be watching over his soul. No. that’s very serious. Someone is a member of your congregation and you don’t ask him what he does for a living. Everybody that comes to my church I screen you: what do you do for a living? I am interested in your soul. It is not about money, finance, material things.

When I travel out of Nigeria, my first port of call is our embassy to report that we are here to preach: this is where I will be for the next one week. I share my fliers, you can come and visit me and they come and are excited. Sometimes, they tell me that if they talk about what some Nigerian pastors do, you will be ashamed and scared because you don’t know what they do.

Can you tell us more about that and what prompted your passion as an intercessor?

I am an intercessor by calling. I am also an evangelist and by administration, I am an apostle but my evangelistic call alongside my intercessory call is what moved me into Abuja. This is my fifth year here. I have been an intercessor for the nation since 2003 when God called my attention to do the work of Esther, to pray the nation back to God. I thank God for that assignment. Nigeria has really been at the centre of my heart.

As a former academician who is now a pastor and servant leader of nations, when I travel to nations, I am humbled to cry out for this nation. I am blessed to be a Nigerian. I have preached in every nation and made disciples of every nation but Nigeria is so blessed. For me I am so blessed to be a Nigerian. I love it and my heart cries out for the best for this country and I know that this nation can be the best.

I strongly believe that Nigeria is working towards a state a recovery. In 2011, we will look forward to a birth of a new Nigeria that is truly an egalitarian society, free from corruption. Come April and May, we are going to see patriots across board.