Bakare Berates Religious Leaders Opposed To FRC Act, Calls Them Money Launderers

SAN FRANCISCO, January 22, (THEWILL) – Convener of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has condemned religious leaders in the country who are opposed to the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRC, Act 2011, describing them as money launderers.

The founder of The Latter Rain Assembly made this known on Sunday during a service in the church monitored in Lagos.

Describing opponents of the law as lawless, he maintained that such church leaders were by their action trying to prevent the public from knowing about acts of money laundering that they had indulge in using their positions.

Recall that Pastor Enoch Adeboye recently resigned as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, in Nigeria. Citing the Act as reason for the resignation, he appointed a National Overseer and took up the role of RCCG Worldwide Overseer.

This generated an outcry from the church hierarchy and some Nigerians with a fallout of the furore being the sack of the Executive Secretary of the FRC, Mr. Jim Obazee, for enforcing the Act.

But the former presidential running-mate to then candidate Muhammadu Buhari criticised church leaders for their stance, stating that clerics opposed the law are “pentecostal charismatic rascals” who want to do whatever they like even if the law says otherwise.

His words, “I 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.”

The SNG Convener, while extolling the law, stated that 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 Imams and pastors, that they can have lifelong terms. But it says you cannot be chief priest, chief treasurer, and chief administrator.

“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,” he said.

Bakare went on to state that he was being patient and was waiting for the right time to speak officially on the matter, saying; “the fact that I am quiet doesn’t mean I am stupid. I don’t fight useless battles”.