Barrister Olusegun Bamgbose, the National Coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance (CAGG), has advised religious leaders not to donate money to the government to help in its fight against COVID-19.
Bamgbose, who mentioned Pastor William Kumuyi, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Bishop Oyedepo, advised religious leaders to use the money made from tithes and offerings to support Nigerians.
“There is no doubt that the economic effect of the lockdown is highly inconveniencing, especially considering the ugly fact that about half of the population are living in abject poverty,” the Lagos-based legal practitioner said.
”Individuals, companies, banks, have been donating to the government with the hope that it will help to alleviate the sufferings of the masses.
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“One can really look away from individuals, companies and banks donating possibly to gain favour from Government in the nearest future.
“However, it is illogical and improper for religious organizations to be donating to the government when their members are facing untold hardship.
“This negates the teaching of the holy scriptures. One will expect CAN, PFN and Supreme Islamic Affairs to put heads together to know how best they can assist their members in this trying times.
“I don’t expect church leaders to start attacking the Federal Government for not being able to roll out enough palliatives, when they have idle billions of Naira and millions of hard currency in their bank accounts, and yet they have failed to come up with palliatives for their members.
“Most of the members of these churches do pay tithes while some may not be keen in paying tax. The church leaders should as a matter of urgency roll out palliatives to their members.
“The Bible in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10 states, ‘BRING YE ALL THE TITHES INTO THE STORE HOUSE, THAT THERE MAY BE MEAT IN My HOUSE,…”
“This presupposes that God in His infinite wisdom envisaged that a time will come when those accumulated tithes and offerings will be used to assist the poor members in the church. Jesus Christ in his own days fed about 10,000 people free of charge.
“Our church leaders should follow the example of Jesus Christ by coming to the rescue of church members who have been paying their tithes and offerings.
“I challenge Pastor Kumuyi, Pastor Adeboye, and other prominent pastors to rise up to the occasion.
“They should stop donating to the Government, rather, they should roll out palliatives for their members.
“I believe God may hold them accountable should they fail to do this at this critical moment.
“The billions in the account should go to work now. Elisha in his own days rescued the nation from famine.
“The time has come for them to really prove to their members that they are good shepherds.”
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