Bishop Calls On EFCC To Regulate Criminal Activities of Churches

Bishop Calls On EFCC To Regulate Criminal Activities of Churches

By: Oriaifoh Godwins

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been called upon to investigate and prosecute the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, as well as church leaders that are found culpable in the receipt and said distribution of fraudulent rice that some church leaders clandestinely collected recently under the guise of distributing same to the poor and the needy in the churches in Edo state.

This call was made by Bishop Solomon Oriaifoh of the Ascending Tabanacle World Wide Ministries, based in Benin city, Edo state, in a viral video where he granted an interview to Nice Media Concept.

Speaking, Bishop Oriaifoh who revealed that the CAN does not have a reliable data of Christians in Edo state, questioned the possibility of distributing any palliative to members, saying, he was present in a meeting of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, where about thirty Pastors were also in attendance, and five bags of rice was presented to the members of the PFN, Umegbae South, which he belongs to, and 10kg bag of rice were given to each member present.

He satirically questioned if that was what should be distributed to the poor in the church.

Bishop Oriaifoh, who also condemned the way and manner the rice was presented, as well as the quantity that was supposedly meant to be distributed to the said poor in the churches, said; “…it pains me that the church can condescend low to the level of church leaders compromising to be used for such fraudulent practice as the intention behind the distribution of the rice, lack integrity and transparency, and the acceptance of the rice by the church, has ulterior motive, especially bearing in mind that the source of the rice to the church, was not disclosed as if the church leaders that received the rice, were so instructed”.

Continuing, Bishop Oriaifoh said; “…the CAN in Edo state, the current leaders of Churches who signed for that rice, are criminals. I am using this opportunity to call EFCC to go after us". 

"...It is time to scrutinize the church; any church that is not registered with CAC, whose account is not secured, or has no account in any of the banks, should be dealt with. It is time to regulate the activities of the church…”

Again, speaking on the #1B (one Billion naira) monthly grant that was promised to be given to the churches in Edo state, for three months, the Bishop waved it off as not practicable, going by the volume of money involved.