The Supreme Primate of the World Council of Bishops, His Eminence, Archbishop Dr. Polycarp Sunday, has kicked against the application of the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), to churches.
The CAMA was signed into law on August 7 by President Buhari.
The World Council of Bishops emphatically described CAMA laws on churches, religious bodies by Nigeria’s Federal Government as an illegality.
Bishop Sunday, in a statement to Newspot on Tuesday, pointed out unequivocally and unashamedly that “the Church as a Bride of Christ is first Spiritual in ALL and will never and must not be subjected to carnality, but God’s Holy Word, the Bible as her basic principle and constitution, thus, anything or policies, be it government, organizational or individual, that is inconsistent with God’s Holy Word is unconstitutional and illegal.
“As the Church of Jesus Christ draws her ALL from the Bible, not laws made by man or humans.”
The Bishop further noted that Nigeria as a nation under democracy is safeguarded by constitutional provisions, “where the inalienable rights of its citizens to freedom of worship, associations, and the like are not respected, nor protected, such nation is headed for the rocks, consequent upon the draconian laws vehemently posed on her citizen’s religious faith and religious places of worship, without proper constitutional guidance, nor a recourse to a referendum before actual passage, application and implementation of such laws.
“To this effect, We as the Church of Jesus Christ Nationwide demand a repeal on the application of CAMA laws, and resist such laws against the Church and religious bodies in Nigeria in totality without fear or favour.”
The founder and General Overseer of the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, had earlier warned the President Muhammadu Buhari government against the application of CAMA in churches.
Oyedepo said the church is directly connected to God and does not operate under the rules of men.
Also the leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Ayodele had kicked against the inclusion of religious centres under CAMA law
Ayodele explained that the government is trying to meddle into spiritual affairs which, according to him, is totally unacceptable.
He described the act as a means of fighting the church by the government.