Some delegates at the on-going National Conference suggested that taxes should be imposed on churches. As expected, this has been generating reactions. On the sideline of his 60th birthday celebration in Lagos, Leonard Umunna, general overseer of Bible Life Church, spoke with ZEBULON AGOMUO, Deputy Editor, on a number of issues. Excerpts:
The National Conference recommended taxing of churches; what is your take on this sir?
This is not the first time such things are being said. When the Jews confronted Jesus that he must pay tax, he did not argue with them, but told Peter, one of his disciples, who also was a fisherman by occupation, to go catch a fish and take the money from the fish mouth and pay for both of them. So, Peter paid out of his occupation. Jesus did not tell Peter to take money from the Church’s purse, neither did he tell Judas who was the treasurer to take money from the purse and pay the tax. If members of the church contribute, then pay the tax from there, but give God what belongs to him. A church that has other businesses like school- colleges, universities etc should pay taxes on from such businesses. But money contributed as offering for God’s work must not be touched. It is not for personal gain. Some pastors don’t even collect money, so from where do they pay the tax? Those who work in the church but earn money through their professions should pay tax. The tax matter in this country is absurd. Proponents of this crusade to tax the church are not sincere. The people who are driving it now are the same people infringing on it. Government is fighting corruption but some of the officials are directly in support of corruption. They are corruption personified.
Ekiti gubernatorial election has been eliciting reactions; what is your take on the outcome of that election?
It is a big lesson. It is a big lesson indeed for every politician and political party that God can take you unawares; the people can take you unawares, and circumstances can take you unawares. You don’t have to say it must go this way or that way in life. That the incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi was trounced by a man that had been relegated and termed inconsequential is a big lesson. Perhaps, the APC underrated Fayose. What did the people tie their reason on? They said that the governor did not consider the infrastructure of the stomach. They complained that while he was taking care of physical infrastructure, he neglected them. Ordinarily, this is a queer way of reasoning, it is unfortunate, but that’s what the people said they wanted from Fayemi but did not get. People are not well developed enough in their thinking; they are not sophisticated enough. By now, Nigeria which is seen as the giant of Africa is supposed to be a guide to other nations in everything, including election and what drives the electorate. The Ekiti election has proved we have not developed in ways of doing things. If a governor is voted out because he is not sharing the money he should use to provide infrastructure, then we are still in the primitive way of playing politics. Somebody brought rice and won an election, it is not a developmental politics.
It has helped the PDP to regain confidence among the electorate in Ekiti, and signals danger for the APC. The APC will have to restrategise by going back to the drawing board.
What lessons does that election have for APC?
Nothing is sure except God. There’s nothing that is acquired that is by your hard work, competence or strategy. It is not just given; Oh Fashola is doing it in Lagos, you can do it in Ekiti. No, it may not be so. It is not so because there are lots of differences and limitations. You see, the greatest lesson is that APC should focus on solving its many internal problems before accusing the PDP. Every day the party takes joy in criticising the President and the PDP which simply amounts to pursuing a rat while your house is on fire. It does not make common sense. By doing so APC exposes itself so much and some of such criticisms have had to even attract sympathy for government. Today, some of those who disliked PDP have discovered that APC is not better and so, such people have gone back supporting the ruling party. When you continue to hype your enemy’s weak points, punching the party at every slightest opportunity on radio, TV and on the pages of newspapers as APC does against PDP, people are now saying, ‘wait a minute, these accusers are not better after all’. What we see today is that whenever someone is speaking on TV or radio, you can easily tell the party such a person belongs. It is not really good for APC. It is a big lesson for them. The scripture says when your enemy is in trouble, do not expose him more to ridicule. The right thing APC should do is to offer constructive criticism where and when necessary, not just commenting on everything, whether reasonable or otherwise. By engaging themselves in such things, they unwittingly expose themselves to public opprobrium. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
The insecurity challenge is getting worse by the day; does it mean it has come to stay?
Government must carry the people along in the fight against terror in the country. There should not be buck-passing and all that. There should rather be wide negotiation (dialogue). Government must present the carrot and watch what the sect will do. If they accept the offer, well, but if they say No, then you bring out the rod. If America can give life-for-life (giving a less-valuable life in exchange for a more valuable life), we can learn a lesson. This thing has lingered for so long, and if I were in the President’s shoes, I would call a meeting of all stakeholders and throw the matter on the table and let them decide on what must be done. In fact, I would like the on-going conference to take a decision on the issues of insecurity. Government can mobilise the youth and give them military training and make them to fight as a collective people. The decision must be binding on all Nigerians so that we can say, ‘we the people of Nigeria’. That’s the way to go. We must stop talking about politics, infrastructural provision, 2015 and other issues; all attention must be paid to this singular issue of security challenge. All efforts must be geared toward effecting the release of the over 200 abducted Chibok girls. All hands must be on deck to win the war. Boko Haram members say they want to Islamise the country, the National Assembly should conduct a referendum, if the North wants to be alone all well and good. There are countries that have done so, and today they are better off. But if the North says no, then they should talk to their brothers to end this orgy of violence and needless blood-letting. I believe that there’s no Boko Haram without some influential people in the North aiding and abetting it.
How do you feel to be 60 years old?
Am I really 60? I don’t really feel am 60. People say I look younger than my age. God gave me a promise when I was in my 30’s that I should wait until I was 50, then, I would understand why I was so. I used to be bothered about my small stature (my physical structure). Today, I don’t see the age; I feel younger. Everything is becoming brighter. Apart from God’s grace, it is also about the type of food I eat.
