Churches, mosques should pay tax – Falana
NOVEMBER 27, 2012 BY ENIOLA AKINKUOTU

Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has canvassed that churches and mosques should begin to pay tax in the country.

Falana, who expressed worry about the role of religious bodies in the fight against corruption, spoke against the backdrop of the acquisition of a jet by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said to have been donated by the cleric’s church members.

He stated this while delivering a lecture, ‘Asking the unasked questions: society, corruption and punishment in Nigeria’ in Lagos on Monday.

The SAN, who represented Prof. Wole Soyinka at a workshop entitled ‘the dynamics of cashless economy and emerging methods in financial crimes,’ said both society and the government had failed in the fight against corruption.

He said, “Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, someone who just acquired his own jet a couple of weeks ago, took a swipe at Pastor Tunde Bakare for condemning their crave for jets and opulent life. He (Oritsejafor) said everything a pastor could get for evangelism should be acquired, not minding the economic situation of the people

“If this is the case then, the tax authorities must extend their dragnets to all religious centres where substantial income is generated on a regular basis in the name of God. The prosperity pastors, who are buying jets to preach the gospel to those who wallow in abject poverty should be assessed according to their wealth and be made to pay commensurate taxes.

“After all, they pay appropriate fees for parking their jets at local and international airports at home and abroad.”

Falana also noted that death penalty was logical but not necessary in curbing corruption.

According to him, death penalty for crimes such as robbery has not served as a deterrent and will not work in this regard.

He said, “Notwithstanding the horrendous effect of corruption in the society, we should not be frustrated to support the campaign for the brutalization of humanity through the death penalty.

“Even in Nigeria, our experience with murder and armed robbery has proved that death penalty is not a deterrent for violent crimes.”

godswill4m: I really wonder if its possible. No matter what some pastors do this days and abuse the Doctrines of God, i don't think it should warrant for a religious institution to be taxed

ballabriggs: What of Ifa priests and Eze mmuo's?

Well tax collector wey waka go collect tax from them, good luck.

Cogent: See the problems these pastors are giving honest religious bodies? Which type of profit do mosques make that they will now start paying tax for? This falana is an idîot. He mentioned that the reason for starting tax payment is because pastors are buying private jets, why is he now involving imams and mosques in the matter? Imams do not buy private jets so they should not be made to suffer for the actions of pastors.
If falana has a problem with those churches that buy jets then he should have dealt punishment to the churches and not to churches and mosques.
Rubbish.

makaveli1:

Shatttap ya mouth if u don't have anything reasonable to say, the fact that imams dont buy private jets doesn't mean they can't afford it...

Do u know how much a particular mosque realize from Friday prayer offerings they even make more than churches sometimes FYI... The fact remains that every religious institution in this country MUST be taxed if ordinary citizen can pay tax then theirs shouldn't be a different case Because they can afford it!!

ayandee: Yes, religious bodies should pay taxes. Jesus and his disciple (Peter) paid taxes to Caesar. The churches are not involved in corporate social responsibility. The roads leading to some of the worship centres are really bad and they would not do as much as sandfill them in spite of several millions they generate all year round. The poor can't even afford their universities. It's time they rendered accounts for tax assessment.

ballabriggs:

punchng.com

Standing5: Did Jesus and his disciples pay for themselves or did they pay on behalf of the Church?

Cogent:

You are an ɪdiot!!!
What if Imams can afford jets?
Are they buying it form the money their congregation gives them? NO!!!
If you see any Imam buying a jet, then they bought it with their own money that they worked for, not money that was scammed form brain dead congregations of foolish church-going sheep.
Imams work, they have jobs outside of preaching unlike your thieving pastors that sit back and quote bible verses while you morons throw your tithes at them to feed fat on.



The money realized from Friday offerings are
1. Not compulsorily taken from the congregation, it is voluntary.
2. Given to charity.
3. Not given to the Imam for his personal use.
And how dare you compare Friday offerings to the payments churches get?
You people collect tithes, first fruits and whatever foolish dues your church associations charges the members coupled with offering from your Monday to Friday church programs. If it is not youth meeting offering then it is Bible study offering.