According to a report from Vanguard, Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has recently made startling claims that certain religious groups in Nigeria exhibit higher levels of corruption than public officials.
During his address at a leadership conference held by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) over the weekend, Olukoyede disclosed that the EFCC had recently recovered millions of naira from a religious organization.
Olukoyede urged religious leaders to use their platforms not only to preach but also to demonstrate good character. He emphasized that some religious organizations are more corrupt than public offices, noting that he had evidence to support this claim. He stressed that if religious individuals are not accountable, it is unreasonable to expect public officials to be.
He pointed out that being appointed as a pastor often leads to an elevated status, and questioned the legitimacy of their sources of income, as many live off the ministry and church or mosque funds without being able to explain their wealth. He revealed that the EFCC had recently recovered millions of naira from a religious organization.
Highlighting the hypocrisy, Olukoyede remarked on the tendency to judge others while ignoring one’s own faults. He emphasized that although these issues are preached against on the altar, they often occur under the noses of religious leaders, who sometimes try to cover them up.
Olukoyede’s allegations follow closely on the heels of an EFCC announcement from a month prior, in which the commission revealed that it had uncovered a religious sect involved in laundering money for terrorists in Nigeria.
In his own words, he remarked, “They appointed you a pastor, and that is when you become a big man. We don’t even know what you are doing to earn a legitimate living. You live on the ministry and the church or mosque money. You can’t even explain the source of your wealth. Just this last week, I have had cause to recover how many millions from a religious organisation.”….Seē _ Morē