“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-24
In 2009, Major Henry Okwudili Onwudi (then a captain) was retired by the Nigerian Army over an incident that occurred while he was part of a Nigerian special mission abroad. When he was questioned, he stated that he knew nothing about what happened. Even after he was retired, he continued to insist that he was innocent. This led him to seek God’s intervention in the matter. After going to several religious houses in search of solution and finding none, he found his way to the Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement, Okoko, Lagos, where he was prayed for, and God intervened. Soon, his retirement was reversed, he was promoted to Major and paid several months of arrears of his salary. Charismatic Signs was in Okoko Parish when he shared his testimony at a recent Sunday Light Fellowship:
“I CAME here today to testify of the goodness of the Lord upon my life. In short, what God did for me is very great. It all started in 2009 when I went for a peace-keeping operation outside the country. There was an incident that happened which did not concern me and which I knew nothing about. But eventually I was brought back to Nigeria and questioned by my superiors. I still maintained that I was innocent.
But on November 19, 2009, a letter was delivered to me informing me that I had been retired from the Nigerian Army. This development took me by surprise and I began to think of what to do. Soon I decided to seek God’s intervention and this led me to so many ‘churches’. My wife also went to some places. At virtually all the places we went to, they demanded for money, saying that if it was paid, they would pray and my job would be restored. This experience discouraged me from going to some of the so-called churches. In one particular place, I was asked to bring N40,000.00 (forty thousand naira) with which to buy some things to make some sacrifices. I gave my wife the last forty thousand naira I had on me and she embarked on a journey from Okoko Bus Stop to Mile 2 giving alms to beggars on the way as we were instructed. Yet nothing came out of this.
I went to those ‘churches’ with the aim of seeking the face of God but I got disappointed because the ministers at the places I went to only preached about prosperity. However, a brother in this Okoko parish of the Watchman had invited me to this church, and had assured me that God was mightily using the pastor here. He told me that if the pastor prayed for me that there will be a turn-around in my situation. I replied that I had been to so many churches already and even named some of them I had attended. But he kept encouraging me to come that God would visit me. I was not convinced because of my experiences at those places I had visited. I was not comfortable with their kind of preaching and demands on me.
I engaged myself in some businesses and even had some foreign business partners who came to see me, but nothing came out of these efforts. I, however, refused to submit the retirement letter I had received, with the belief that God being a God of justice would intervene in my case. But with time, I lost faith in almost everything and stayed in the house for six months without attending any church service. My argument was that if God would not help me what then was the need? That was my frame of mind then until I visited a cyber-café to process some documents. I saw some people laughing and cracking jokes and one of them was saying that his sister had been married for some years but had no issue. But later, she was invited to the Watchman where the pastor prayed for her, and soon she took in and had a set of twins. My attention was drawn to their conversation so I listened to them. But they were just making a jest of the whole thing.
My mind then flashed back and I wondered if it was the same Watchman a brother had been inviting me to that this miracle took place. There and then, I concluded that I would be at the Watchman the following Sunday. I remember that it was the last Sunday in August 2012 that I came here with my wife. I had told her that there was a Church where it was said that the Spirit of God was really moving so we came to have fellowship here that day to witness and confirm what had been said. When I listened to the word of God that day, it was like a heavy burden was lifted off me. The preaching was about salvation, the fear of God and the need for us to strive to make heaven at last. It was not all about prosperity as I heard in the other places. After the message that day, I was transformed and was surprised that there was still a church that preached the true doctrine of God.
Then, in the course of his prayers after the message, the pastor said there was somebody here who had been retired unjustly from his place of work but that if the person would believe, God would restore him to his job. He requested the person to stand up so he could pray for him or her, and several people stood up. Where I was standing the power of God came upon me and my legs were shaking. And I said, God, so it was me You have spoken to directly? After the prayers, I thought it was over. But suddenly, the pastor proceeded to mention my name Okwudili. When he mentioned my name, I felt a strong sensation and almost lost my balance but I held strongly to a chair for support.
Surprisingly, I was in my house one morning when a call came through from the Military Secretariat (MS) (which is in charge of employment and retirement). When I took the call, the person mentioned his name and asked if I was Captain Henry Okwudili Onwudi and I said yes. Then he said: please come and collect your letter of reinstatement at the secretariat! I went to Abuja the next day and collected my letter of reinstatement. It stated that my reinstatement took effect from the day I was retired in 2009. It also stated that my salaries from that period (three years and four months) would be paid, and to cap it all, my promotion to the rank of a major would commence from 2010 meaning also that the arrears of salaries arising from my promotion would be paid from 2010 till date.
When I was invited initially to come to this ministry, I doubted, but when I heard what the people said, I decided to come and see things for myself. Now, I came, I saw and conquered, because God has fought my battle.
Praise the Lord!”
