The foundation upon which Churches are recognized as non-profit organizations should now be treated with suspicion and redefined to suit their new modern method. The Christian Church Industry with most headquarters at Lagos-Ibadan expressway, if investigated, could turn out to be the second largest income-earning industry in Nigeria, outside the oil & gas industry. While it will be difficult for our government to introduce some sort of tax on this industry, I strongly believe that another approach can be adopted, not with the aim of taxing churches but with the aim of compelling churches to redistribute their wealth through job creation using a well-designed policy. Some manufacturing companies with more 200 workers do not make up to 10million Naira profit in a month. But some churches make this amount in two Sundays and yet cannot boast of employing up to 50persons. There is a structural imbalance somewhere. Since the Nigerian State has been unable to separate religion from itself, it becomes imperative that it should learn to design another approach in getting its share of this money through job creation for its citizens. Many churches now have full time employees as church workers, others have all their workers as volunteers without any monthly take home. This is wrong. The point I am trying to make is that, if the government could study the behavioral patterns of this industry, it could impose certain policies on churches in such a way that in the next three years, the church industry will end up becoming the highest employer of labour in Nigeria! It is possible. If the government policy says a church of less than 100 members and earns 400k per month must have at least four full time or part time workers with a minimum salary of 15k each per month, such a government has not done anything bad. A church with 2,000 members and earns 10million Naira monthly through tithes and offerings should have a minimum of 50 workers with a minimum of 25k as salary, such a government has not done anything bad. Calculate that to the number of churches we have and see the miracle that will follow. The policy plan could go on and on to ensure that jobs are created through this ‘non-profit organizations called churches’. If you cannot tax them, compel them to redistribute their money in a charitable manner, it is all part of the charitable movement and in the interest of everybody. Anyway, Nigeria is a funny country. Try to design a policy that affects the Church Industry and you are tagged an anti-Christ. May God help us.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 10:18:52 +0000
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