CHURCH TAX: PFN REJECTS NEW MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE LAW BY FG

Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), has kicked against the newly introduced marriage certificate law by the Federal Government and chided the Ministry of Interior of imposing such anti-Christian law on the church.

National President of the fellowship, Rev.(Dr.) Felix Omobude, who disclosed this on Monday in Benin in a statement, described the policy as exploitative and an attempt to commercialize Christian marriages in the country.

Recall that the Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior recently announced a compulsory N30,000 charge licence for Christian worship centres for the conduct of statutory marriages in churches and N21,000 for each marriage certificate.

Omobude said, “This is very unfair and to the best of our understanding, the new law is targeted against the Church because the Traditional and Islamic weddings are exempted from paying the new marriage certificate fees.

“PFN is at a loss as to why Church Marriages should be in the exclusive list of the nation’s constitution.

“The PFN, therefore calls on the Federal Government to immediately shelve the unpopular policy targeted against Christian marriages in the country.

“If the Ministry of Interior is in dire need of funds, it should look elsewhere and resist the temptation of placing extra financial burden on the Christians and their churches.”

Rev. Omobude further stated that the PFN would use all legitimate means to make the Federal Government to rescind on the new marriage certificate law.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, had earlier announced that churches would have to pay a certain fee to the federal government as licence fee before they are registered to conduct marriages.

In addition, Churches will now pay N21,000 for every marriage certificate issued and a mandatory N30,000 for them to be licensed and given permission to conduct weddings.

Responding, the PFN President, said: “This is very unfair and to the best of our understanding, the new law is targeted against the Church because the Traditional and Islamic weddings are exempted from paying the new marriage certificate fees”.

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