This is not an attack on religion but an attempt to get to the heart of the subject matter of religion in Nigeria.
The massacre in the Anambra church has warranted this.
I daresay that if the so-called criminal called Bishop had not made that building donation to the church, this massacre would have been avoided. They were sending a message to him. The fact that he is the donor of the church while owing them explains why they cowardly carried out the dastardly act. Religious institutions are fueling crime and corruption by accepting criminal donations and praying for criminal donors.
Religious institutions are fond of accepting donations even when they know the sources of funding are questionable. Churches now do bazaars and launching when they know politicians will be in church. Criminals and very corrupt people have adopted a new model: steal as much resources as you can, donate part of the proceeds to a church/mosque, get your conscience massaged and then repeat the cycle.
We just saw the case of Sokoto State buying a N700 million building for the Sultan from the funds that’s meant for paying workers. Note that the Sultan already owns this building and they are just buying it back from him with public funds.
We saw the mess that CAN was under Oritsejafor and we all remember the N7 billion election scandal.
Manufacturers face challenges with getting forex for their transactions but forex for pilgrimage is readily available and heavily subsidised.
Religious institutions are part of the corruption problem in Nigeria. We need reforms in the way we see and practise religion in this part of the World or we would keep moving in circles.
Individuals are now building and donating churches and mosques in different parts of Nigeria while mass poverty remains pervasive.
In 2013, former President Goodluck Jonathan travelled to Mpu, in Aninri local govt of Enugu State to commission a gigantic church built and donated by Sen. Ike Ekweremadu. Nobody questioned the source of funding. Just beside this gigantic church was a dilapidated primary school not even fit enough for pigs.
We are not heading anywhere with this grand conspiracy of the elite across all strata of society to subjugate the masses. My take is that we need to regulate the funding of religious bodies and we need sound regulation for the activities of NGOs in the manner that the UK Charities Commission operates.
Take back your country Nigerians!
