The serving Overseer of The Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has condemned religious leaders in the nation who are against the Federal Reporting Council of Nigeria Act, 2011.Bakare, who made this known on Sunday, January 22, during his church service monitored in Lagos, described opponents of the law as lawless.
He said by opposing the law, church leaders were trying to prevent the public from knowing about acts of money laundering that they had indulged in by virtue of their positions.
Pastor Enoch Adeboye had earlier resigned as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God citing the Act as his reason.
This led to an outcry from church hierarchy and the fallout of the furore was the sack of the Executive Secretary of the FRCN, Kim Obazee, for enforcing the Act.
But Bakare criticised church leaders for their stance, saying: ” l can testify that the law was explained to kingpins in the church, but now you want to get away because you want to cover your iniquity. You won’t get away with it. You want to get away because you have laundered money; and you are now trying to cover your yansh”
Bakare who is also the convener of the Save Nigeria Group, praised the law, saying it was good for order and accountability in the church.
“I am a trained lawyer. I have read the law. The law specifically mentioned Chief lmams and Pastors, that they can have lifelong terms. But it says you cannot be chief priest, chief treasurer, and chief administrator. “
He described church leaders who oppose the law as “Pentecostal charismatic rascals” who want to do whatever they like even if the law says otherwise.
“You don’t want to comply with the law, then why did you register under the law? It is a spirit of lawlessness and the anti-christ because the anti-christ is a lawless spirit. “
Bakare noted that he was being patient and waiting for the right time to speak officially on the matter, saying “the fact that l am quiet doesn’t mean l am stupid. I don’t fight useless battles” (The Punch)