Veteran Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu, has stirred mixed reactions on social media after declaring that poverty cannot “die by fire.”
In a viral video shared on X (formerly Twitter), the actor said: “Poverty cannot d!e by fire. If you like, pray from now till tomorrow, if you don’t work hard, poverty will deal with you.”
Agu admitted that prayer is important but stressed that anyone who fails to work hard will face hardship. According to him, prayer connects people to success and blessings, but without effort, such prayers will not yield results.
He explained that God rewards diligence, not laziness, noting that divine blessings come only when people are ready to act on their faith. God will open doors of blessing, he said, but it is up to humans to walk through them.
The veteran actor cited the Bible to support his statement, quoting James 2:17: “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
He also referenced Genesis 3:19: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
In conclusion, Agu said that for anyone to prosper, they must be ready to work hard. For one to eat, he or she must labour for it, not just pray, he added.
Watch the video here…
“Poverty cannot d!e by f!re. If you like, pray from now till tomorrow, if you don’t work hard, pøverty will deal with you.”
–Veteran actor, Chiwetalu Agu pic.twitter.com/FPY19Wvcna
— CHUKS 🍥 (@ChuksEricE) October 15, 2025