National Conference delegates vote to tax churches, mosques

Delegates at the ongoing National Conference yesterday May 27th voted unanimously for churches & mosques to pay taxes. The delegates arrived at the decision after deliberating on recommendations made by the Committee on Religion.

A delegate representing Civil Organizations, Mallam Naseer Kura, during the deliberation observed that most religious leaders in Nigeria are now making a lot of money from their organizations and so should be taxed accordingly.

Supporting his arguement, Isaac Ighure a delegate representing the Nigeria Guild of Editors, in his submission said most religious leaders had so much money now to buy jets while their followers are living in abject poverty and asked that they should be made to pay taxes. "Some people buy private jets when people in their churches are suffering and living in abject poverty, they should be made to pay taxes,” he said.

The recommendations to pay tax will be submitted to the National Assembly at the end of the conference and if accepted by the National Assembly, it would then be passed into law.