By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
The Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministry, Pastor Francis Wale Oke on Tuesday advised Federal Government to stop dabbling into religious matters particularly the tenure and internal arrangement of religious bodies.
Addressing a press conference in Ibadan, the Bishop specifically asked the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration to expunge in totality, the edit of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) and not only sacking of the FRCN Director and the re constitution of its board.
According to Bishop Oke, federal government should face its duties in providing the needed social amenities for the people instead of dabbling into religious matters.
Bishop Oke declared that enforcing the FRCN edit which recommends the retirement of leaders of religious organisations after spending 20 years was no other thing than meddling with a very sensitive issue, saying, government should “leave the church alone”.
“Let the government not meddle with matters that are not there’s, let the government stay clear, it is a battle that can never be won. The edit should be repealed, there is a separation between the church and the government ” he said.
The Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministry, added, “yet the government can regulate their finances but not to interfere on the tenure of the leaders of the church. The edit should not just be suspended but be expunged totally”.
Bishop Oke stressed that though, no one is faulting that government can regulate the finances of the church, equally, there should be no reason for the government to dabble or interfere in the tenure, activities or internal arrangements of the church.
“Even in the UK, the government regulate the finances but not regulate the tenure and internal arrangement, the internal arrangement should be governed by the constitutions of those religious houses. The constitution separate the religious bodies from the government”.
Bishop Oke commended President Buhari for acting fast at stopping the impending crisis that may have reared its ugly head from the implementation of the FRCN edit, adding, “I commended the President, General Muhammadu Buhari for swinging into action, to show how volatile the edit was, the President moved to quince the matter”.
“I commended President Buhari for dealing decisively with the issue, by not allowing the matter to degenerate into crisis. President Buhari as a person has a tremendous respect for the church, but we want everybody, be it in the judiciary, legislative or executive to know that, you “don’t play with the church”.
Bishop Oke also hailed President Buhari for the success in the battle against corruption and Boko Haram menace in the country, saying,” 2016 was very challenging, it was a year of official recession. The battle against corruption was intensified and the Boko Haram war was successful. But I want to tell the President not to relent on the battle against Boko Haram, it is not yet over until government defeat Shekau who is the leader of the group and until all the girls were found”.
The Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministry, Pastor Francis Wale Oke on Tuesday advised Federal Government to stop dabbling into religious matters particularly the tenure and internal arrangement of religious bodies.
Addressing a press conference in Ibadan, the Bishop specifically asked the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration to expunge in totality, the edit of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) and not only sacking of the FRCN Director and the re constitution of its board.
According to Bishop Oke, federal government should face its duties in providing the needed social amenities for the people instead of dabbling into religious matters.
Bishop Oke declared that enforcing the FRCN edit which recommends the retirement of leaders of religious organisations after spending 20 years was no other thing than meddling with a very sensitive issue, saying, government should “leave the church alone”.
“Let the government not meddle with matters that are not there’s, let the government stay clear, it is a battle that can never be won. The edit should be repealed, there is a separation between the church and the government ” he said.
The Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministry, added, “yet the government can regulate their finances but not to interfere on the tenure of the leaders of the church. The edit should not just be suspended but be expunged totally”.
Bishop Oke stressed that though, no one is faulting that government can regulate the finances of the church, equally, there should be no reason for the government to dabble or interfere in the tenure, activities or internal arrangements of the church.
“Even in the UK, the government regulate the finances but not regulate the tenure and internal arrangement, the internal arrangement should be governed by the constitutions of those religious houses. The constitution separate the religious bodies from the government”.
Bishop Oke commended President Buhari for acting fast at stopping the impending crisis that may have reared its ugly head from the implementation of the FRCN edit, adding, “I commended the President, General Muhammadu Buhari for swinging into action, to show how volatile the edit was, the President moved to quince the matter”.
“I commended President Buhari for dealing decisively with the issue, by not allowing the matter to degenerate into crisis. President Buhari as a person has a tremendous respect for the church, but we want everybody, be it in the judiciary, legislative or executive to know that, you “don’t play with the church”.
Bishop Oke also hailed President Buhari for the success in the battle against corruption and Boko Haram menace in the country, saying,” 2016 was very challenging, it was a year of official recession. The battle against corruption was intensified and the Boko Haram war was successful. But I want to tell the President not to relent on the battle against Boko Haram, it is not yet over until government defeat Shekau who is the leader of the group and until all the girls were found”.
