When veteran actress and evangelist, Eucharia Anunobi, recently announced that she had bagged a PhD, some people opined that it was given to her as a favour. However, she maintained that she got in on merit, adding that her celebrity status had nothing to do with it.
Speaking with Saturday Beats, Anunobi said, “Firstly, I believe in knowledge and as a pastor, one needs to be knowledgeable. One cannot efficiently work for God if one is bereft of knowledge. I have the backing of the Bible, which says, ‘My people perish for lack of knowledge’. As a preacher, if one does not gather knowledge, one cannot efficiently mentor or counsel (people). Sometimes, one’s congregants are even in the Diaspora. Anointing has to do with one acquiring knowledge about the things of God. A preacher has to deal with people from all walks of life. I know that by the grace of God, I would also be preaching to the high and mighty, and one has to be equipped with the right knowledge. I am not limiting myself to what they call ‘an average pastor’. I have to groom myself for the future.
“My doctorate degree is not an honourary one. I paid school fees and I have the certificate to show for it. Mine was not dashed to me at all, neither was it ‘cash and carry’. I have a Bachelor’s degree in English language from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I also have a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Lagos State University. In addition, I have a Post Graduate Diploma in Pastoral Leadership from The Redeemer’s International Leadership Academy and now, a PhD in Christian Education and Ministerial Arts Kingdom Life Bible College. There are people in the entertainment industry who are a combination of beauty and brains. People who know me can attest that I have always been an academically-inclined woman. It was instilled in me from childhood. I am used to proving that whatever I have, I got it on merit. Also, I am not up to 56 years yet but I pray that I would get to that age joyfully. I wonder who wrote it online (that I’m 56 years old). People just falsify information. However, I would not disclose my age because I don’t want it to be a subject of debate.”
Anunobi also maintained that her celebrity status actually made her academic pursuit more strenuous. She added, “My celebrity status made things even more stressful for me in my academic pursuit because my work was criticised more. Even when I was studying for my Master’s degree, I had to be frequent in school. I wrote my exams myself and submitted my assignments. My celebrity status did not help in any way, rather it made things more difficult. However, I love the challenge. I am principled and I can defend myself anytime. I want people to know that one can be a beautiful actress/celebrity and still be a powerful preacher. God can choose anyone from any profession.”
