1990 and served in 1991. I worked for sometime. I studied Physics. I did minor teaching and business. At a time, I got into computer consultation on software and troubleshooting, but not for too long before the anointing came on me.
How were you called?
Reverend Chukwuma laid hands on me during a church meeting. It was like an outreach somewhere in Jos, where he was invited as a guest. I went there from Kano. Before then, I already had a devo-tion and lifestyle. I came from a Christian home, and I had been born again. I read a lot of books, but that does not mean I knew I was going to be a full-time pastor. I didn’t know until that hand came upon me. That was in 1993. From that time till now, I haven’t done any other thing than to preach. But I grew progressively. I laid hands on people here, cast demons, trav-elled to preach here and there. Over time, the number started increasing.
At that time you didn’t have a church?
We didn’t have this ministry. The Lo-cust Army hadn’t been born then. Grad-ually, it was unfolding. At the early stage, I was based in Kano. It was a mixture of good and ugly experiences. God teaches so many ways. There are things I learnt the hard way. The ministry started from one room at Sabo Gari and expanded. Growth itself cannot be one-sided. Some were fine; some I don’t want to repeat.
You set out in a Muslim dominated society, Kano. How did you succeed to win souls?
In Kano, there was a restriction to soul winning, so the church was given an area in Sabon Gari, where we could build a church comfortably, and almost all the churches in Kano were located there except a few. It was very difficult to raise a church because there were con-stant attacks on Christians by Muslim radicals. They had different reasons to bring mayhem at different points, and living outside Sabon Gari was unsafe. Sabon Gari was much safer for churches.
At what point did you think it was time to leave Kano and expand?
When I started raising young men, I saw the need for the message of immor-tality to be told in other cities and mobil-ising them to carry the banner to send the message. Today, we have branches across Nigeria and beyond – in places like Gha-na, the UK and South Africa.
How many pastors have you raised?
So many. They are uncountable. Some are outside Nigeria. Some are under me, some were raised indirectly, and they have their own ministries with different sign boards. It depends on how they want to work. Some have dreams to have their ministries around the world. Many of them are doing fine.
Youhaveoneofthebiggestchurchcampsinthe Southeast, located at Umuchu; how long did it take you to develop?
We developed it for about 25 years. Right now, three massive buildings are going on right now. It is one of the few places in Igboland people can visit to pray and lodge, no matter your denomination. We are adding 104 rooms to what was there already.
Your 60th birthday focused on Celebrating the Painful Life of a Eunuch. You also have the vow of poverty. Tell us more about this
The vow is not really my vow. I was born a eunuch. It’s something that I dis-covered. It’s not something that I took. I was born that way. I was born to live with-out a family. I was born to take the oath of poverty. I don’t have anything anywhere, and I will not. We do a lot of charities, pay school fees for students. We support people to start businesses, not on here but many places, to support the poor.
ManypastorsinNigerialiveflamboyantlifestyles, and here you are with the oath of poverty, don’t you think you are short-changing yourself?
Those pastors live what they are and I live what I am. I don’t take anything from the church purse. Anything I have is meant for the church. That’s the way I was born. Maybe I could have lived anoth-er way if I was born like everybody else. I am not trying to blame pastors because I don’t want to introduce them to a life they don’t have. I have lived as a eunuch all through – the painful life of a eunuch. By God’s grace, I have been consecrated by God.
Itisfashionablenowforpreachers toownprivate jets these days, what about you?
How can I own a private jet? Even if somebody dashes me one, I will put it into the use for the church. It doesn’t bear my name as the owner. Like this land, I paid for it, but it doesn’t bear my name as the owner. When I am gone, the church will inherit it.
Is there any advantage of being a eunuch?
First of all, the eunuch’s life is a spirit. There are three types of eunuchs: those born as eunuchs, just like I am, and the eunuch is of the heart; eunuchs that made themselves, and some men made. The best of them is the one who came with the grace from God. Sometimes these other two struggles, because they were made against what they are.
What has life taught you at 60?
A lot of lessons. It has taught me many things at different levels. It has taught me uniqueness – looking at a man and seeing a eunuch and looking at others’ lives. You can see the separation – the secluded life of a eunuch, compared to the freedom of other preachers who can marry and raise children. 99 percent of my pastors are not eunuchs. I am the only one. I encourage my pastors to marry so they cannot go into promiscuity.
So how do you overcome temptations?
The easiest way is to create a network that won’t support it.
Have you been tempted before?
There is no way somebody who is on earth cannot come to it as different points. But you need discipline to nip it on the bud. Don’t forget that people don’t think at the same level.
You are probably Nigeria’s most prolific author, how many books have you written so now?
I have published 463 books, and I am making between thirty and four new ones, which will be published in October. That’s what I do predominantly. I do a lot of writing. It was one of the major parts of my calling. The challenge is basically sitting day and night writing. It has made me a recluse. I wrote on leadership, reve-lation, eschatology, and apocalypsis. Each book has a particular interest.
Which of your books has travelled the most?
The book on Self Discovery and Iden-tity has been reprinted thrice. It has also been translated into many languages. Al-most all of the 463 books I have written are the best selling books. Preaching and writing books solve different problems. Preaching is predominantly for those around, but books can travel; they can get to people who are not part of the church.