The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), has described the newly introduced marriage certificate law by the federal government as exploitative and an attempt to commercialize Christian marriages in the country.
Speaking through it’s National President, Rev. (Dr.) Felix Omobude, the PFN chided the Ministry of Interior for imposing what it called “anti-Christian law” on the church in Nigeria.
It would be recalled that the federal government through the Ministry of Interior recently announced a compulsory N30,000 licence charge for Christian worship centres for the conduct of statutory marriages in churches and N21,000 charge for each marriage certificate issued.
But Omobude in a statement he personally signed on Sunday in Benin, Edo state, said the new law is targeted against the church.
He added that the PFN would use all legitimate means to make the federal government to rescind on the new marriage certificate law.
“This is very unfair and to the best of our understanding, the new law is targeted against the Church because the traditional and Islamic weddings are exempted from paying the new marriage certificate fees.
“PFN is at a loss as to why Church marriages should be in the exclusive list of the nation’s constitution.
“The PFN, therefore calls on the federal government to immediately shelve the unpopular policy targeted against Christian marriages in the country.
“If the Ministry of Interior is in dire need of funds, it should look elsewhere and resist the temptation of placing extra financial burden on the Christians and their churches,” Omobude said.
