Churches should pay tax –Cleric

Founder, International Church Growth Ministry, Dr. Francis Akin-John, has said the call made recently by Mr. Femi Falana that churches should pay tax to the government is justified.

Falana had made the call following the controversy generated by the acquisition of private jets by some Nigerian pastors.

Akin-John said the impression the public had about the church as a very rich entity made the human rights lawyer to make such call.

He told Saturday PUNCH in an interview that many Nigerians had the impression that the churches were rich based on the ostentatious lifestyles of their leaders.

He said, “Some people have argued that buying a new aircraft is like buying a new car. But I disagree. Those who are buying aircraft today, I don’t have any quarrel with that; it is their right. But they are sending the wrong signal to the body of Christ and the society.

“The society is getting a wrong impression of the church due to the ostentatious lifestyles of some church leaders.

“Some people said the aircraft is a tool of evangelism but in a country where there is abject poverty; where majority don’t have what to eat, would God provide a tool that would cost you about N850m to buy and N250m every month to maintain?

“People say they are using it for evangelism, is there an airstrip in every community? I am an insider; let me tell you the truth, people who invite pastors who fly personal jets are made to bear the costs.”

Akin-John said he had reports of pastors who demanded from those who invited them to foot their travel expenses, including fuelling their aircraft.

He said the money used to buy such aircraft was not usually from the church. According to him, the pastors get the money from their personal private businesses.

He said, “That is why I agree with what Femi Falana said that the church should pay tax. In a country where we have a responsible government, the source of wealth of these people must be scrutinised. “I don’t believe the church should pay taxes to the government because the church is a partner in progress with the government.

“But when the church is involved in private businesses such as mining, oil and gas, it should be taxed. Even when it is involved in universities and schools where fees are paid, it should be taxed. Those businesses should be taxed because that is where those people get the money.

“There is no church that can buy and maintain an aircraft from tithes. Most of the funds come from the personal businesses of their leaders or the money given to them as gifts.

“It breaks my heart when people say the church is making a lot of money, it is not true. When you look closely, such money does not come from the church but from the private businesses of the church leaders.”