The name Prophet Charles Anekwe may not ring a bell but the General Overseer of Jesus Christ  the Healer Church of all Nations, Lekki, Lagos, has been able to find his niche in life through his spiritual pursuit. The businessman turned servant of God aptly describes one who obeyed Christ injunction to forsake all and follow him, owing to his being brought to level zero, in his quest to obey the call.  Looking back as the church clocks 10, the clergyman has no regret , as he reveals in this interview with our EVELYN USMAN, of how God has used him to impact tremendously on both the low, high and mighty within and outside the country, a mission he says he ordinarily would not have accomplished had he acted otherwise to the call. Excerpts…

Prophet Charles Anekwe

Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the church. Looking back, do you have any regret yielding to the call?

Oh not at all. I was a businessman but left everything I was doing when I got the call to go into ministry. I never worked for anybody in ministry. But I must confess that it has not been easy. A millionaire who was reduced to wearing just a shirt and trouser. First thing God does when He calls you is to humble you. When they saw me at Berger, along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, where I was selling cars, people ran away from me, finding it difficult to fathom how a millionaire could be reduced to a beggar? But to the glory of God today, He has used me to touch so many lives, through healing, deliverance and restorat-ion…

Talking about restoration, could you give an example?

God has done so many miracles in this place. But one of the out-standing ones was the victory of a state governor, at the just concluded election petition tribunals at the Supreme Court. God gave me the prophecy of his victory weeks before the separate judgments at the appeal and Supreme courts were delivered. Immediately, I received the message I recorded the prophesy in a CD and gave it to the governor through his permanent secretary.

I was invited  for an open crusade in his state. The governor was engrossed with the impending court case. I cried to God and in a trance God showed me the  victory. I held a private prayer session away from the crusade ground where the governor’s sister and his permanent secretary were invited and I announced the vision to the hearing of all present that the governor would come out victorious.

When I returned to my church in Lagos, I in-formed the congregation of his victory again. But some of my members were double minded and expressed fear over the prophesy, saying people would make mockery of us if it did not come to pass.

To prove that God’s hand was involved, a day before the judgment at the Supreme Court, I called and told one of the governor’s aides to inform his boss that there would be rejoicing in his camp the next day. To the glory of God, the aide called me next day and exclaimed, ‘Prophet you are a true man of God, the Supreme Court has sealed the governor’s victory’.

What impact has the church created in the en-vironment?

Well, it is not right for one to start blowing his trumpet. The environ-ment is feeling our impact. When we came here, this place was water logged but it was through us that God brought develop-ment here. Our records are there to show for it.

What is the way forward for the church?

The way forward is that God has decided to announce us. There has been lots of remarkable miracles here but God said unto me that it was not yet time for you to be announced and that was why people have not been hearing my voice. But recently, he said some-thing was still lacking in my life and when I asked what it was, He said there was need for me to be baptized by immersion. He specifically told me to go to River Jordan, the same river Jesus Christ was baptised.

What is your quota on security and economic stability of the nation?

The solution lies with Nigerians. It is just for Nigerians to repent. The thing that is hindering the country is sin. If only we will return to God, He will prosper us. The nation’s economy will bounce back if we all give our lives to God by doing away with sin. Nigeria is blessed with good weather, rich mineral and human resources to harness the God given wealth. But the question is why are we facing hard times now? It is simply because of sin. Sin is a reproach to a nation. People may call it corruption, but the question is; is corruption not stealing and is stealing not sin? Sin is our problem! Once we all drop sin and turn to God, things will begin to work for our country. We should also pray for God to direct our leaders rather than blame them.

I will also advise that we should not condemn any prophecy because a prophet can give a prophesy, while God can change it. Based on this fact, a prophet of God has to be very careful before giving out pro-phesies. During former President Goodluck Jonathan’s first presid-ential election, God asked me to speak and I announced that he would win with great margins. In his next election, men of God were giving prophesies but God did not ask me to speak even though He has shown me what would happen. God only told me to tell the people to pray that God should give the loser the courage to accept defeat and that was what happened.