Tuesday, April 3, 2007


Rev Walter Nnamdi Okeke is a prosperity preacher based in Europe. He does not believe in poverty even though he says he comes from a poor family background.

When Daily Sun cornered him at Pinnacle Redeemed Mission, Nnewi, where he visited as a guest preacher during his vacation in Nigeria, the flamboyant cleric who said he became a millionaire at the age of eighteen, told the parishioners that poverty is an infectious disease "and so you should not associate with poor people, lest you should contact the disease."

Rev Okeke told Daily Sun that he is the general overseer of Divine Favour Ministries with its headquarters in Italy and two branches in Holland and South Africa, respectively.

Born at Ukpor in Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Okeke said at six, he was already an evangelist until he was ordained reverend about four years ago "and since then, the Lord has been blessing me because if you work for God, God will work for you."

The cleric who moves about town in series of state-of-the-art cars including Hummer jeep, spoke on his job as a man of God and few things about politics:

Divine connection

Being a man of God, God can open money channels so that you can be a blessing to other people. I don’t depend on the ministries, I depend on God and God makes way for me. I started ministering at the age of six. I come from a Christian family. When I was six, I was going from place to place with members of the Anglican communion for crusade. At a point, pentecostal members began to invite me because they liked my preaching. After sometime, I went to Bible school to prepare myself for the task ahead.

Pastoring overseas

It is difficult, but with God, all things are possible. In Italy, people don’t go to church, though the Vatican city is there. But by the grace of God, we are trying. One thing about working as a cleric overseas is that when you talk about money, the whiteman has money. Talk about everything, they have it. But there is something they don’t have that I believe we have. That is anointing. So, when they see it, they believe because seeing is believing.

But there are few of the white men who are anointed especially from America. You can hardly get them in Europe.

Racism

You know racism is everywhere. For me, I can only say something I know about myself, I don’t know about another person. Anywhere I go, people love me. That is why I can mix up fine with the white men. Normally, they don’t mix up with the black maybe they feel they are different. That anointing in me makes them to look for me.

Flamboyance

It is the Lord’s doing. If you take care of God’s business, God will take care of your business. So, I believe I have been taking care of His business and He has been blessing me. Anointing can take you anywhere. With anointing you can be connected to anywhere you want to.

My choice of Europe

Europe is a good place, Nigeria is a good place. I travelled to Europe as a missionary and being a Catholic city or whatever, it is very difficult for us to operate as penticostals.

But like myself, before I was ordained a reverend, I had to get clearance from the Vatican. As a matter of fact, in Italy, I am the only recognized penticostal reverened. I was ordained reverened about four years ago in Italy. I was answering young evangelist before I was ordained.

I come down to Nigeria only when I have preaching engagement. I will do that and return to Europe. I want to face outside (overseas). It has never been my intention to establish in Nigeria. I only come down to Nigeria on invitation and after that I go back.

Politics

I know a lot of politicians in Nigeria. My only prayer is that God will give us a good leader to handle the welfare of the people, not those who are only interested in their pocket.

You see what is happening in Anambra in particular. We need a God-fearing person as governor and not someone who is after money and power.

When we talk about democracy, I have not seen any sign of democracy in this country. Let us have credible elections, free and fair elections not selections.

As for crisis, nobody prays for that. But the important thing is to have free and fair elections. With this there will be no crisis.