The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has voiced its disapproval of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA), saying it would reduce the church to a secular institution.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on August 7 signed the Companies and Allied Matters Bill 2020 into law. The law gives the government some control over religious organisations among others.
Popular televangelist David Oyedepo had recently shunned the law, saying he would not watch anybody supervise his church for him.
CAN in a statement on Thursday by Adebayo Oladeji, Special Assistant on Media and Communications to CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle described as “satanic”, section 839 (1) and (2) of the law which empowers the supervising minister “to suspend trustees of an association (in this case, the church) and appoint the interim managers to manage the affairs of the association for some given reasons.”
Part of the statement read: “The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria rejects outrightly the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 that was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari recently.
“The law, to say the least, is unacceptable, ungodly, reprehensible, and an ill-wind that blows no one any good. It is a time bomb waiting to explode.
“While we are not against the government fighting corruption wherever it may be found, yet we completely reject the idea of bringing the church, which is technically grouped among the NGOs, under control of the government. The Church cannot be controlled by the government because of its spiritual responsibilities and obligations.”
The Christian body urged the government to face the business of providing infrastructure for the people.
“If the government is bent on imposing a law on us which the entire Church in Nigeria is against, then, they have declared war on Christianity,” the statement said.
