I have been reading articles on Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) which has empowered the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to monitor the financial spending of the religious bodies in Nigeria. The law from what I can see empowers the CAC to probe the finances of the church and possibly sack trustees found to be fraudulent and appoint interim managers. And the Nigerian pastors are crying wolf over this.
Look, I am a Christian. Political government in the actual sense of the matter has no business in the affairs of the church. The reasons are that it is a spiritual institution which is answerable to God. Again, the government is not contributing anything to the church. And since the Nigerian government is not contributing anything to the church, there is no need pokenosing into the affair of the church.
What is the government going there for? If the money there is stolen, what concerns the government? Is it the government money? So much money of government is being stolen, what has the government done about that? Has it recover all the money from the political fraudsters before stretching the hand into the church?
Rather it is the church that is helping the government. During the COVID-19 lockdown, many churches donated money and other items to the federal government. Some donated to states in their respective domains. If I don’t know any, I think I remember Deeper Life donated N50million to the government. The church is helping the government in many ways. But I cannot pinpoint one thing the government has done for the church in Nigeria that would warrant government screening the account of churches and if found wanting, sack the trustees and appoint interim managers.
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But I must say this, Nigerian pastors have not done too well. Many of them are flaunting wealth acquired from members of their churches. Some are establishing churches specifically for business, just to make money and feed their pockets and families. Some are buying expensive cars, jeeps and cruising the streets of Nigerian cities as politicians do. Some are flying private jets from city to city and from one country to the other. Yes, some are heavily rich as the politicians of this world. While their members are languishing in penury, the pastors are cruising in expensive cars.
Some are even richer than the politicians in the country. It pains my heart to see pastors now competing among themselves to know who is richer than the other. Forbes Magazine is now showing richest pastors in Nigeria, along with politicians and other business moguls. There is now a competition among pastors to outdo the other in terms of wealth and fame. And you think the government is not jealous, you lie. But look at this. Who owns the church money? Is it the pastor or the church? And if it’s the church, why attributing the assets of the church to the pastor?
The house of God being a centre for spiritual rejuvenation, many Nigerian pastors have turned it to business centres and since they have turned it to business centres, the Nigerian government must come in to supervise what the pastors are doing. Do you blame the government? You don’t need it, blame the pastors who are milking members and living larger than the people they are serving. Some people who do not have job in the circular world are turning to become overnight pastors and with their sugarcoated tongues, milk their members and within few years they join the league of rich pastors and the competition continues. Do you blame the government? No, you don’t need it! Blame the pastors. If the pastors were actually doing the will of God and not showing wealth, I do not think the government will think of probing their finances.
What’s wrong with CAMA auditing the account books of religious bodies that made some pastors of some churches to be loosing their heads. It’s unfortunate,it means they have something to hide. Are the churches saying that they’re bigger or greater than Naija?
The government is right because some of these pastors are self-centered.
The government should go ahead with the decision it was during lock down that the Nigeria government found out that the church are making money for a particular church to contribute 50m for covid-19 and their members are dying of hunger and starvation I will like the government to regulate a law that will enable all churches in Nigeria to be paying their members monthly salary to assist the government in the fight against unemployment.
I believe government has the right to audit the accounts of churches . Imagine the extravagant life styles of so call men of God.Instead of taking care of the flocks entrusted them by the Almighty , they are busy competing with the world . May God help us.
Church business most lucrative to attract government.
You have spoken well sir, God bless you.
Nigeria government have no moral justification to dabble into church affairs for the are more guilty of what they intend to correct. At the same time, our christian leaders should watch their ostentatious lifestyle which is painting them black before their mostly poor congregation. There is no board of trustees in most Pentecostal churches which is wrong. Their finances are carried out exceptionally by the Reverend and founder and his wife; which typifies that, the founders see their churches as their personal assets. As a form of control, I suggest that church founders should step aside from anything that has to do with finances and concentrate on the ministration of the word of God. However, the founders and leaders should be well taken care of from 10% of net takings of the church. 1corithians14:40 says ‘Let all things be done decently and in order’. Additionally, we may borrow a leaf from authordox churches’ financial administration.
That’s Nigeria for you.
Were pastors are in competition with other pastors and even politicians.
May God have mercy on us
Is it only church or mosque too
What is behind CAMA ACTS is bigger than eyes can see, now many of you are speaking out of jealousy against the pastors, not knowing that you guys are indirectly handing over the church to devil for control, the Bible says the government of this world shall be upon his shoulder not the head of the church. Thus, it’s a sacrilege for the Nigeria government to regulate the church of God in Nigeria.
Nice
What will this government really be remembered for?Nigeria that is been taken by terrorist, bandits, Killer herdsmen, bokoharam,bad roads, poor electricity , the list goes on, una kon say na church b una problem, government dat cannot do anything about the massacre of its citizens, una say na church be una problem, and some idiotic mentally retarded citizens dey applaud una, hmmm
Alot of churches founded by men for business in Nigeria need to be close down. Most of these churches call themselves pentacostal. The government discover that most of these churches are businesses run by fraudstar who called themselves men’s of gods, which is y the government want to regulate them. But I want the government to know that the ancients churches e.g orthodox, Protestant, Anglican Roman Catholic etc are different. They are not business run by these fraudstars. Government should focus on these fraudstars churches and leave the good one alone. Do u ever see a man of God from ECWA, COCIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC, CHURCH OF CHRIST, ANGLICAN, HEKAN, HEKAS, ASSEMBLY OF GOD etc buying a private jet? or buying expensive cars? The answer is no, bcos they are not running business like the so called pentacostal. Infact most of the pentacostal are political churches, they are tools in the hands of policians in other to win election. The founder and G.O of the church is only Yeshua the Christ, how come human being that are suppose to be in the church of Christ worshiping and Workin for the creator are now founders and G.O of their churches? What are they overseeing , their business of corse.
The real church should institute an organisation that can deal with these fraudstar , close down their churches before their wrongdoing affect the good one. Thank u.
Yes, the pastors brought the issue of vendor on their churches due to their worldly flamboyant attitude. Neverthess, the less, with a government deliberately upgrading a part of the country into very sensitive positions, let it not be used to clamp down of churches critical of government and its policies. Nigeria has been downgraded into an inequitable society since the emergence of this government. So there is genuine fear of misuse of the law.
Why is the government on the church alone? What happens to shrines, where many government officials take stolen money to? We also know how guns and other heinous transactions are carry out in mosques all over the nation. But government is doing nothing about it. It’s the finances of the church that government want to check. It’s not fair.
For their information, God’s house is not subject to government. I like what someone just said, that church has done so much for government financially, but reverse has always been the case from the government. There’s something fishy about this law. We reject it outrightly and declare it unacceptable.
If government can clearly spell out how this laws are applicable to the shrines and all mosques in Nigeria, perhaps we might consider it. Until then it will not hold!!!
Nobody have reasons to judge God’s elect, it is only ignorant that can make to think that politicians or govt as claimed have.
Can anybody help God to run His business, how then are sacking workers you never employ.
God has said He will judge.
The so called govt should focus on their mago mago. The way they have been deceiving Nigerians for years among their crooks with different logos Nigerians could not do anything about it.
Nigerian leaders are d most shameless leaders, with all they see , hear or do which continue to bring us embarrassment yet they are not moved, instead they will come after you when you tell them truth.
They hate truth and love lies. They spend billions on lies, non of works last because it’s foundation is always build on lies.
Very soon they will begin to probe God for giving them all the wealth in life but do nothing good with it.
Get informed before you comment publicly. What fact do you have or what court has convicted any pastor for financial misdeed that made you wrote articles that pastors are enriching themselves with church Mone.
The problem of Nigerians is the mentality of poverty, that’s why you’re blind to services church owned universities are providing. Your govt over the years have destroyed education and churches are filling up the needs, yet you called yourselves educated , you can’t see beyond your nose.
Our wealth in the Church is product of an eternal covenant. Take away all the money now, we’ll recreate it back by the same covenant.
Come to It’s, The Winners Chapel spent N650 Million Naira to repair govt owned roads in 2019 alone. Members are given scholarships in to the university you people run your mouths over. The Church has a pay roll of over 45000 people solving problems of unemployment, contractors are numerous.
Do you know how much a professor is paid? The least is N500k. And they’re numerous working in Covenant University. It’s one of the best in Africa. Think!
Lastly, a Boko Haram feeding govt can take over a church, the Registra-General of CAC is Alhaji Garuba Abubakar. Will a right thinking person find it appropriate to have an Alhaji preside over the church, appoint Manager over the Church of Christ?
Mosques don’t have to complain because most of them are not registered, do they have any accounts of the money they collect from their members? How many of your mosques have any records at all?
The Church will continue to prosper, the haters will gnash their teeth and not be able to do anything
God bless you
The Winners Chapel spent N650 Million Naira to repair govt owned roads in 2019 alone. Members are given scholarships in to the university you people run your mouths over. The Church has a pay roll of over 45000 people solving problems of unemployment, contractors are numerous.
Do you know how much a professor is paid? The least is N500k. And they’re numerous working in Covenant University. It’s one of the best in Africa. Think!
Lastly, a Boko Haram feeding govt can take over a church, the Registra-General of CAC is Alhaji Garuba Abubakar. Will a right thinking person find it appropriate to have an Alhaji preside over the church, appoint Manager over the Church of Christ?
Mosques don’t have to complain because most of them are not registered, do they have any accounts of the money they collect from their members? How many of your mosques have any records at all?
The Church will continue to prosper, the haters will gnash their teeth and not be able to do anything
I am just lounging at some carnal Christians, who are backing the witch-hunt apparatus called CAMA, first let me tell boldly that that 70 percent of Christians are already working for devil through enviness, including some pastors many of them are from othodox Churches, because they believed that is normal for Christians to poor, what is the meaning of Christian, ” Christ like” ok if we Christ like, how can you justify that when the Bible says in 2Corithians 8:9, that we may receive the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich but he became poor, so that, through his poverty we may be rich, Christ has been slayed to receive honour, glory, power,and riches, Rev 5:12, Zechariah 1:17 that says out of prosperities my kingdom will spread abroad. If you believe that pastors and Christians are not supposed to be rich, then, all suffering Jesus undergone on the Cross is a” hoax” and you will die poor and or remain at the tutelage of Satan forever.
If Jonathan would have been on throne this would never be suggested or implemented, but reverse is the case to day, and a Christian will back this satanic acts up!!, What a shame.
But as the Lord liveth, that law will not work!!!
Hmmm, I pity Christians in Nigeria. What concerned the government with churches, they refused to solve the problems of insecurities, hunger, unemployment, coro hunger, electricity,bad road etc but face Christians and churches, God will deliver Nigeria with their hidden agenda. God will expose their evil plan.
Federal government please let the laying dog lays.
I’m a Christian and have observed over the years the activities of our Churches in all areas of operations and have tried to place them side by side our Lord Jesus Christ and His early disciples the way they went about spreading the word. Very sorry to say that our today Church owners or Pastors even the ones you say are true to their calling were not originally motivated by winning souls for Christ but for selfish reasons. Why did Christ came to the world to do? (1) He came to save sinners,(2) He came to reveal His Father,God to mankind,(3) To give His life as a ransome.
What did Christ teach the Apostles of Old?
(1) He taught them the Gospel,(2) The Truth,(3) Repentance towards God and(4) Faith in Jesus Christ.
In all the New Testament writings the Apostles never messed themselves up with monetary matters as witnessed today. Persecution of Christians all over the globe never drawn the attention of the Church owners as when money is concerned. Governmental policies affecting others adversely doesn’t matter much to them. Our God is so concerned about the poor, orphanage, homeless,widows and strangers that cannot provide for themselves. The store house mentioned in Malachi 3 is been interpreted to be money instead of food related items that God intended. Money can not be kept in store. Does it mean God does not understand English. He knew from onset that human beings can’t be trusted with money. Those that worship God must do so in Truth and in Spirit. So far, there’s no truth.
You are not a born again Christian, just a church goer
Sir you’ve spoken well. But this must not continue, what government has contributed to the church? many churches is there in northern part of this country that has been distroyed by Boko Haram, what did government do concerning that, how many of the churches government were able to rebuild. So therefore, CAMA is capital No for us.
I stand with the government no more freedom for fraudulent pastors to use the Church money at their whims and Caprice.
I Have nothing to tell all of you supporting this move ,all I will say Is just pray for yourselves because this is the end time they are looking for every means to provoke God ….and when that happens. You should know what next .repent now that you can the next minute might be very late
It a sacrilege for an Alhaji to preside over the Church of God. It is better for our Government to re-trace their steps back. Live religious alone.
you’re a fool for writing this write up. so the pastors should be church rats right?.. you should have said they should be sharing people’s tithes and offerings to you. don’t you know that church’s money is used for maintaining the house of God, paying the pastors and building more churches to spread the gospel further.. and what if dey are flying private jets , didn’t you read in the book of Isaiah 52:13, where God said “He will make His servant very high”.. you’re just concerned abt d govt’s loan promise to business people.. Blame your rotten govt too for all the money dey have embezzled . After borrowing money from China ,no more money, now dey want to creep into churches accounts. why not mosques accounts.. Devils! you will never succeed in Islamising this country in Jesus name amen..
Not good at all, God will not allow that to happen
The end time agenda is playing out, the children of the BONDWOMAN are on duty. THE GATE OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL.Check out your personal life and make amends where necessary to make heaven.
It is shame to the government, members contribute to take care of their pastor who take care of their spiritual, emotional and physical need the the failed government cannot do, yet they want to poke nose into the finances of churches, is there budget for churches or religious bodies as they call it, this is sacrilege, it is satanic, very soon they will be look for how family spend their money, if we allow this to remain on checked, we shall all wake up and those who feel they are God will be forcing all of us to vacate our business, family for government to rule. Have they been able to organize government to give us qyaliy education, housing,employment, good standard of living and a country to be proud of? Have the government loss their senses, every evil decree against the church must fail. Let’s be mindful that when we support evil decree it turn back to hurt us one way or the other, leave pastors those who do evil with church cannot escape God’s judgment. Let’s demand from our government to give us a better country. Let the pot stop call the kettle black. I rest my casr
My opinion is simple,LORD! Let thy will be done. We don’t need to argue over this CAMA issue because I Know the Lord will fight for US and we shall hold our peace, if it’s the Lord’s will, it will stand but if it isn’t, then it won’t see the light of the day, I ASSURE you all.
See, neither the Churches nor the governments are sensible to these nation. Both of them are seriously sick. If you as member in the Church steals money, you will be arrested and handling him or her to police.
Then police (government) will now carry out their stupid mean of exploiting you as law breaker.
My question, why is it that churches can not leave such cases to God to judge, If truely everything belong God?
To Me, Church is a business centers where you as the religious leaders makes your cash. If I take or steal from Church it is from my father, but the leaders in the church will handled you to be persecuted by the government. So, to me both of them are the main problems to humanities.
If you steals from Churches or Government it is your right to take from your own. Because who are the Church or government?
Another questions.
What is government?
Therefore, both of them works together. Just trying to deceives us with some kind of trick, I can not be freaks with their couples of lies.
What is Church?
If you can answer these, then you will know that the two are your rights!
You better repent and run your race,don’t look at what others are doing..
The man has spoken well,even though we do not support the probe of churches, many general overseers are stupendously rich and instead of helping indigent people,they are busy competing among themselves. They will tell you that Jesus is not poor and the gullible ones who never bothered reading the Bible keep falling to their theatric sermon . What doe a pastor need jet for?Their schools are exubitant and unaffordable by the same tithe and offering givers…Any one man church except few are business that is why their children takes over when they die or get too old.