Verses both in the Bible and the Quran dictate how humans should co-exist and live in peace with one another. But sophisticated environment and evolution of mankind over time have greatly affected the ways and manners the dictates of God are adhere to and obeyed.

For instance, Nigeria is a nation blessed with both mineral and human resources and we can as well say the population is more Christian and Muslim than pagan.

Today, religion in Nigeria is vastly different from what it used to be. In December 2015, one of my colleagues told me a joke. When the Oyinbos (colonial Masters) came to Nigeria, they saw our green land filled with rich oil and other beautiful natural resources that we as a people do not have the capacity to tap. They asked us to close our eyes to pray for us. By the time we opened our eyes after the prayer session, all we saw was Bible and Quran in our hands while all our resources landed in their control.

The Oyinbos took us through a long route by dominating all our resources using religious dust to cover our eyes. Only few educated members of elite were able to mingle with them. This was made possible by language barrier: they needed to communicate with the powerful people like the obas, ezes, emirs and politicians of that time who could not speak English, and hence the need for them to train Nigerians as interpreters.

After Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the ruling elites began to handle economic matters, businesses and FDI began to increase. Religious activities were localized and granted indigenous status. When churches and Islam were introduced, many Nigerians saw their purpose to serve God almighty according the Bible and Quran.

Churches for instance started off as missionary pre-independence. Dominating and ruling the Nigerian people, the Oyinbos established some of the now popular schools like CMS Grammar School in Bariga, Lagos, Our Ladies of Apostle, St Gregory College, Kings College, and host of others

Their intention then was to ensure that the people of Nigeria believe that everything belongs to God to the extent when they will not challenge them for exploring these mineral resources.

Religion is no doubt one of the key elements that have helped our world to stay stable. People who truly believe that God’s teachings must not be offended try to refrain from doing wrong and evil.

Fast-forward to our modern-day practice of religion in Nigeria. Imo state governor, Rochas Owelle Okorocha, wants to start taxing churches in his state to raise funds to run government. I am not a fan of Okorocha, but on this one, I am totally on his side. I asked one simple question: what made the famous pastor Mattew Ashimolowo of KICC and many others to relocate back to Nigeria with their churches?

The answer is simple. In the United Kingdom, the government does not do things based on religious sentiment. They tax almost everything, including churches, to run their countries. When the UK government slammed flamboyant pastors with massive tax, many Nigerian ones, who could no longer cope with the tax regime, ran back home because they know anything and everything goes here in Nigeria. Here in Nigeria, every Tom, Dick and Harry can wake up and claim God has called them to service and begin to conjure all manners of preaching just to extort money from people.

Only in Nigeria, pastors or religious leaders will be quick to quote a particular portion of the Bible to frighten you. “Speak not again or do no harm unto a man of God.” In fact, some of them will buttress this statement with a prescribed curse if you speak against them to continue to milk and suppress the people. This industry is multibillion dollars venture.

People should not get me all wrong, I am not saying there are no genuine people called to service by God. All I am saying are known facts to many, especially those who have not allowed themselves to be religiously caged.

The fact that we want to serve God does not deter us from asking questions where necessary. We should not allow pastors or imams to cage us with convenient pages of a holy book to their own selfish gains. But Nigerian ways and attitude to religion is more like to a business enterprise.

Churches around the world are public entities, they are not privately owned unlike what we have here in Nigeria. No one can lay claim to the ownership of Catholic, Anglican and other churches that have global tentacles.

Religious bodies, especially most of the popular new-generation churches, are not public entities in Nigeria. The news we read on a daily basis about ownership structure, struggle for leadership and succession at some of these religious places make one to wonder if they were originally set up for the service of God, or for commercial purposes.

People dump their professions and careers to venture into religious activities because, apart from government, religion is the second largest lucrative ways of making money in Nigeria.

As Africans, we mostly believe our problems are more spiritually than naturally caused. The best way for many to solve them is to turn to religious people for spiritual help. Consider several most recent news: in a particular state, dead bodies were exhumed around a church building; a particular pastor was caught trying to bury charms in his church premises.

All of these are struggles people embarked upon to attain “powers” to bind, cast and become famous with massive wealth in this industry. I am not one of those who doubt the powers of God. The Bible says that in the end, many fake prophets will heal the sick and command in His name.

I think, since churches and other religious bodies in Nigeria are not public entities, they must be registered as businesses for the purpose of taxation (I propose 40%).

As part of the change agenda we are all pushing for, it will be moderate and reasonable for Nigerian government, both at states and federal levels (since we are all talking of diversification and exploring new opportunities to raise funds to run the nation), to look at the option of raising funds by taxing churches and mosques.

We are the limitations and barriers to our own progress, using all sort of sentiments and blackmail like religion, ethnicity and other nonsensical tactics to stall our growth.

Corrupt people who are friends to pastors and imams now use religious places to launder illicit funds since there are no taxes.

The first step the government must take is to make CAN and MAN register and account for all churches and mosques we have in Nigeria. They should register properly with the CAC. All other separate subsidiaries such as universities and other allied businesses should be declared for proper tax filing.

These religious bodies are so smart that they do everything possible to evade tax as many of them tactfully invested the proceeds from religious activities massively into education because it does not attract government taxes.

If you are an ordinary person who’ll be quick to defend religious leaders who own universities and other side business that they started via your offerings, first fruit, building projects and other endless harmless giving, ask yourself if it’s affordable for or your wards attend those educational institutions.

Let us do away with sentiment. Religion should not be used for material gains. Contributing tax from churches and mosques is still part of service to God as it helps alleviate the sufferings of the poor. God wants us all to live in a beautiful world devoid of scam, cheating, fraud or swindling.

https://www.naij.com/717157-church-taxation-nigeria-adelaja-adeoye.html

If this proposal become effective, some churches will close, others that will stay may seek for more powers to keep more costumers, and it will become a sure business where prayers will be charged accordingly. But the rate of scam in religion is so much