Don’t impose tax on churches, cleric warns FG

Founder of the Cherubim & Seraphim Success Gate Inc, Akure, Primate Ademisokun Turton, on Saturday warned the Federal Government against imposing taxes on churches in the country because doing so would have adverse effects on the citizenry. Turton stated this at the inauguration of the newly-elected officers of the Ondo State chapter of the C&S Unification Church executive in Akure, the state capital. He said, "Nigerian leaders have created enough problems for the citizenry. Imposing taxes on churches would worsen the socio-economic crisis which Nigeria is going through. "The truth of the matter is that the payment of such tax will be the responsibility of church members thereby creating more trouble for the poor masses. "The best thing the government at all tiers can do now is to be giving subventions to churches." Turton noted that the dreaded Boko Haram sect would not stop their attacks in the country until there was a strong indication that a northerner would succeed President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. He said, "I am not surprised that the Boko Haram sect has rejected the amnesty offer from the Federal Government. It is now clear that their agitation is political. What they want is either Nigeria breaks or they rule it. "It (Boko Haram) is a problem created by the Northern elite. It is the political class in the north that is using the Boko Haram people to foment trouble. The rejection of amnesty showed that they have realised that creating more trouble is the only way they can rule Nigeria. "If President Jonathan will contest for a second term in office then there cannot be an end to Boko Haram." Turton recalled that crises had been contributing to the emergence of Nigerian leaders since 1999.