CHUKS ANIEBONAM: BREAKTHROUGH ON FAITH IN GOD
Chuks Aniebonam, popularly known as Wow, is a gospel artiste who before he hit limelight has diverse kinds and degree of challenges ranging from financial limitations and lack of acceptance of his style. Joseph Dinwoke of brojid.com uncovers how he experienced breakthrough in God’s time.
His financial constraint was so limiting that he used his NYSC allowance to record many of the tracts in his song. Due to his gift and passion to minister for God in music, he formed a music group, called Voice, in his early day of music ministry. His music group has major limitation financial. They went to different churches ministering through songs even when they don’t get financial appreciation as a result. “I remember we went to sing in church where there are about five to ten people and small churches and they didn’t appreciate us, not even to give us fare.” Wow recollects.
Despite that they were not rewarded financially, they continued their ministration until God visited them with his blessing through Boony Akwue, who provides them with fare. He reveals, “There used to be this guy, Bonny Akwue, He used to provide us with fare; we will go and be a blessing to people then come back and drink our garri, thanking the Lord that people were blessed.”
Despite his financial limitations, Wow, a graduate of mass Communication turned down job offers in Banks and advertising agency “just because God told me that he wanted me to sing and make men worship Him. I also turned advertising agency jobs, just to do this – sing.”
Despite that he is broke, busted and disgusted, God insist that he doesn’t take bank jobs. Today, he has a recording studio, launched an album and apart from being singing is also a music producer with a wife and a proud father. How did his breakthrough happen? He recounts his story:
“Follow God! The earth is the Lords and everything in it. Silver and gold are His. I was broke, busted and disgusted but God said, “Don’t do the bank Job.” So I stayed in my father’s house and asked God what he wants me do and He said, ‘Worship me, that’s what I want you to do that’s your job’.
“I took it literally and started worshiping. So after general morning devotion I stayed back in my room and worshiped for two to three hours and sleep off; wake-up in the afternoon, eat go back to my room and worship. Then in the middle of the night I wake up and worship asking for nothing. Then the next morning I continued.
“It was a routine for me for three weeks and calls started coming in. I had to fly, first, to Calabar just to sing the national anthem and it paid some good money and from there doors began to open and open and open. When God does it you don’t know how He does it. He’s blessed me so much; many things I have asked him for, He has done. He has given me cars. He has given me a beautiful wife, a daughter and a beautiful crew. He has also given me a big house; people live in the house with me. Sometimes I can’t imagine that I feed people. Just few years ago, I couldn’t feed myself. I don’t know how it happened but I knew that He said, ‘Worship me’.”
Today, his recording studio, Wow Studio, located in Enugu, is in its third year of existence and he has been ministering to wider audience ever since.
