In an unprecedented move that has aroused intense criticism, the government of Abia State in the South east Nigeria moves to expand its tax net by demanding official payment for church signposts
By Our Correspondent
The government of the South east State of Abia, prided as “God’s Own State”, is on the verge of incurring the wrath of the Christian community in the state following the government’s move to widen its tax net in order to collect tax from churches which signposts are mounted in the state for identification.
The governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has come under heavy backlash for attempting to include churches in the state in the list of taxable bodies and organisations.
Consequently, the Abia State Christian community has squared up to a physical and spiritual challenge with the state authorities over what is regarded as a vexatious and offensive action against the Church. On the spiritual angle, churches in the state and their leadership have resorted to fasting and prayers to avert the impending tax collection.
On the physical side, the umbrella body of Christians, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Abia State Branch, said it has rejected the tax policy and would rather demand that the government of Abia State engage the Christian body before formulating such policy.
The Abia State chapter of the CAN has condemned the tax policy imposed on church signposts by the Governor Alex Otti-led administration.
In a letter to Governor Otti by the state chairman of the association, Rev. Ojo Ojo Uduma, and its Secretary, Rev. Dr. Francis E. Okere, CAN expressed dismay that Abia is the only state in Nigeria demanding such tax from churches.
The apex Christian body maintained that the policy could compel Christians in the state to perceive the “regime as anti-church,” noting that Christians should not be forced to pay for church signposts in ‘God’s own state’.
“On behalf of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Abia State Chapter, we write to express our displeasure over the State Government’s Policy of compelling churches to be paying taxes on their signposts. As a Christian and God’s own state, it is regrettable that Abia State is the only State in the whole federation that is taxing churches on their signposts.
“We therefore, passionately plead with Your Excellency as a matter of urgency, to carefully look into this matter and possibly rescind this policy to avoid compelling the Body of Christ in the State from seeing this regime as being anti-church,” CAN said in the letter.
