No, You Cannot Tax God CAN Tells Abia State Govt

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Abia State Chapter has flayed the decision of the State Government to  impose taxes and levies on Churches in the State.

The umbrella body of Christians in Nigeria in a petition jointly signed by Ojo Ojo Uduma and Dr Francis Okere chairman and Secretary respectively, expressed concern that Church signposts could be subjected to  taxation.

According to CAN, such a policy has the potentials of portraying the Government as anti-Christ and anti-Church.

It expressed the readiness to engage the administration in a dialogue so as to find a way out of the situation.

The Source reports that in a bid to widen the State’s tax net, and shore  up internally generated revenue, the Abia State Signage and Advertising Agency ABSAA ,recently included church signposts as one of the taxable items in the state.

However, CAN has lamented that it is only in Abia State, otherwise known as “God’s Own State” that such a practice is operational across the country.

The Christian body therefore appealed to the Governor Alex Otti-led State Government to take a second look  at the  policy which it noted is weird.

“We passionately plead with your Excellency, as a matter of urgency, to carefully look into this matter and possibly rescind  the policy to avoid compelling the Body of Christ in the state from seeing this regime as being anti-church”, CAN stated.

Most Churches and their leaders in Abia state are believed to be strongly against the unusual policy, and are calling for its immediate abrogation.