Religion, all over the world, remains a sensitive issue. From mosques in Saudi Arabia to churches in the Vatican and Temples in Jerusalem, adherents are sensitive to their beliefs and the world enjoys more peace when nations do not meddle in their spiritual matters.
Hence, the bulk of the conflicts and crises the world faces today stems from diverse religions. In Nigeria, religion has been elevated to a level beyond what Karl Max saw when he posited that “religion is the opium of the masses.”
That is why the recent resignation of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christians Church of God (RCCG), Pastor E. A. Adeboye, over the dictates of Corporate Governance Code of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria is an issue that has dominated public space for days.
Adeboye, who turns 75 years in March, relinquished his supervisory role over the RCCG in Nigeria to Pastor Joseph Obayemi. He maintains his role as the General Overseer of the church at the world level. The decision was sequel to the new legal requirements set up by the FRC, for all registered churches, mosques, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
The regulation stipulates that heads of non-profit organisations, like churches, now have a maximum period of 20 years to lead their organisations. The FRC, a Federal Government agency, was established by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Act, No. 6, 2011. It is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
Until his removal, the FRC was headed by Mr. Jimmy Obazee. Many have insinuated that the government is meddling with churches and trying to control their activities. That is the sentiment that is prevalent, especially among Christians in the southern part of the country. That was why there was uproar as soon as Adeboye’s resignation was announced. Subsequently, Obazee was relieved of his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.
There were reports that Obazee went ahead to implement the code against directive from his supervisory Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah not to implement the code because of the uproar it was previously generating. Those are in the past now.
We believe the rules of the game need to be clear. Nigeria cannot act in isolation of the grand norms. Nigerian churches cannot act in isolation, considering that they have become very big entities that have budgets bigger than some state governments and even some corporate institutions. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the activities of churches and non-profit organisations are regulated by the Charity Commission.
The law setting up the Charity Commission goes back to the 19th Century. But it became definitive in 1996 and was amended in 2011 with further amendments in 2014.
In the United States of America, different states of the country also have different laws governing churches and charity organisations. In the FRC’s case, it made it clear that while “The Code of Corporate Governance for the Private Sector is mandatory, the Code of Governance for Not-for- Profit entities is “Comply or Justify non-compliance.” The code was issued in 2016.
The code not only applies to churches, but also mosques, temples, synagogues, seminary and bible colleges, relief or charitable groups with religious base and any other religious body, mission or society.
In the Catholic Church, for example, in Nigeria, it is clear that once a Bishop attains 75 years, he retires and a replacement is appointed by the Pope. Hence, the likes of Anthony Cardinal Okogie of Lagos, Alaba Job of Ibadan have retired and handed over to successors.
We believe that much as there should not be any attempt to muzzle churches in the country because of the obvious sensitiveness of religion, churches must also be open and transparent in their activities.
In a society like ours, where religion has surpassed Max’s opium, it is also important that all stakeholders, government and churches understand that churches are big institutions that should not be left to run in unlimited freedom.
There must be accountability and sticking to good practices to ensure that what is ordinarily a private spiritual exercise is not turned into a burgeoning estate to fleece the weak. Part of the reasons that gave rise to the FRC code for non-profit organisations is the fear of the one-man business syndrome.
There is need to find a meeting point in the understanding of the church and expectations from the government and the public. We believe that the suspension of the FRC code is not the solution. There are some aspects of the code that are good.
These should be implemented. Government should look at the code critically and convey a stakeholders’ meeting where offensive aspect(s) of the policy should be sorted out. The religious bodies and other notfor- profit organisations should be ready to subject their activities and operations to public scrutiny.
