BUSINESS POST
By Michael Owhoko, PhD
The disparity of roles between ecclesiastics and politicians is generally expected to translate to differences in values, lifestyles and creeds, but this pattern has been disrupted and bridged in Nigeria by materialism. Moral disconnects, lust and insatiability for money, wealth, fame, influence and power have conspired to bring the men of God to the level of politicians. This is evident in the Pentecostal ministries where some founding pastors and general overseers {GOs} no longer exhibit ascetic dispositions and restraints from material allures.
Men of God are ordained servants positioned to constantly communicate God’s values and the work of Jesus Christ for the redemption of mankind with humility and sacrifice, not as businessmen and women with devotion of brewed capitalists, displaying affluence like politicians. Politicians are elected political office holders with the responsibility of running the government to primarily provide welfare and security of lives and properties for the people, but opt to make politics a career and business for generating wealth for themselves.
With similarities in affluence and avarice, both pastors and politicians now operate in the same frequencies. They buy private jets, lodge in diplomatic suits in 5-star hotels during local and foreign travels, send their children to expensive schools abroad, buy houses abroad, procure citizenship of foreign countries for themselves and immediate families, live in highbrow areas, enjoy retinue of domestic staff, and site projects funded with church or government money in their villages and home towns.
Besides, they also drive expensive exotic cars and SUVs with convoys of security escorts for protection. The use of escorts by politicians is understandable because they are vulnerable to public attacks owing to the lifestyle of lies and deceit. But where men of God who preach truth and regularly assure members of divine protection, fail to invoke celestial powers on themselves, but rely on security agencies for defence, leaves much to be desired.
The process for funding their voracious and lavish lifestyles is similar. While politicians deploy all sorts of illusions to embezzle public funds, including the collection and diversion of constituency funds for private interests, some men of God obtain a pecuniary advantage over their members through hoaxes, guilt and fear. They ensure management of tithes, offerings, seeds and first fruit are under their exclusive preserve, including compelled donations orchestrated to look voluntary, but mechanically designed to appeal to the emotions of congregates.
There is no accountability and transparency. Financial management and utilization of these sources of income are shrouded in secrecy, except to the knowledge of immediate families of pastors and GOs or a few carefully selected loyal church members. Members are generally advised not to ask questions on how finances are utilized, as enquiries are viewed as recalcitrant handwork of the devil, and attract consequences ranging from warning, suspension or outright expulsion.
Abroad, the church’s offerings and tithes are classified as charity funds. There is transparency and accountability. Members are at liberty to ask for receipts for such levies, as they serve as evidence of contributions to charity. Such receipts are presented to the government for purposes of tax rebates, enabling members to enjoy tax relief.
Pentecostal churches are not liable to members on how levies and contributions are managed, just like the government where there is no accountability and transparency. Political officeholders use public funds as personal incomes to service their lives. When citizens demand accountability over the management of revenues in the face of glaring corruption, politicians in power are quick to accuse or label such persons as agents of destabilization working for opposition parties. When such criticism persists, such citizens are either hounded, warned, blackmailed, intimated or silenced, using state security apparatus.
Due to seemingly shared values, politicians who contested elections and won through rigging and other fraudulent processes, are offered opportunities in the Pentecostal churches to offer thanksgiving to God for a “successful” election. They are even allowed to step on the pulpit to share testimonies and minister to the congregation, with prayers offered to them thereafter, and sometimes, along with prophesies. Before departure, the politicians make donations to the church, most of which are redeemed with looted funds.
Looted funds are accepted as donations, gifts, seeds, tithes or offerings. Pastors and GOs are not bothered about the sources of funds nor
