IGN!S
In light of a recent development made in the field of corporate affairs in Nigeria, the “CAMA” there has been a bit of controversy regarding the issue.
Church leaders have particularly been out of favor with some of the provisions of the new Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
The presiding bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, was recently noted for kicking against the Company and Allied Matters Acts (CAMA) in churches.
Oyedepo, while speaking in his church on Sunday, described as illegal the power given to a minister to remove a trustee and close the accounts of the church without legal backing.
He said,
“Who was Paul persecuting? The church! Who said, “I’m the one you are persecuting?” Jesus! This country is going too far and it’s a risk. I saw something on CAMA (Company Allied Matters Act) and they put religious bodies there that Registrar-General can remove trustees without a recourse to the court. Don’t try it!”
Reacting to the issue, presidential aide to Muhammad Buhari on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie said,
“I hope this is not true. If it is, Oyedepo will have to manufacture his own country and live by his own laws. As long as he lives and operates within the entity called Nigeria, he will live by Nigerian rules and laws. He will do as he’s told by the law. Enough of lawlessness.”
CAMA provides that religious bodies and non-governmental organizations will be strictly regulated by the Registrar-General of Corporate Affairs Commission and a supervising minister.
The law also wields power to suspend the trustees of an association or a religious body and appoint an interim manager or managers to coordinate its affairs where it reasonably believes that there had been any misconduct or mismanagement, or where the affairs of the association are being run fraudulently or where it is necessary or desirable for the purpose of public interest.
Anything that has to do with the church of God must be handled delicately. The same way the government is working to curb mismanagement & fraud in religious bodies yet puts the decision solely in the hand of one man supported by a minister means, they too can use that power abitrarily for personal, political or any other pupose. They can also be influenced to do contrary or not