Ripples at a local church as a man paid N42 million ($87500) as tithe

A man, whose identity has been shielded by a local church in Makurdi, Benue State, has shocked church members with a tithe offering of N42m.

Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeriarevealed that the money was paid into the United Bank for Africa account of the NKST Church.

Although the resident pastor of the church, Dr. Frederick Ikyaan, initially denied knowledge of the offering, a copy of the church’s quarterly financial report, covering the months of January to March 2017, confirmed the payment of N42m in tithe to the church.

The report shows that the lodgement was the highest single offering from an individual for the quarter. The money was paid into the church’s account in January.

The breakdown of the church’s financial report showed an income of N56.2m and an expenditure of N33.7m within the same period.

The church’s records also showed that, out of the income, N44.6m was generated from tithes, while a single person accounted for N42million ($87500)

Reacting to the financial report, the pastor said his initial denial was based on an allegation that the donor was an appointee of the Benue State Government.

“I still stand by my words that the person that gave us that money is not an appointee of the state government. In fact, he does not even stay in Benue but is an indigene of the state.”

Ikyaan said there was nothing wrong with the offering and insisted that the church had nothing to hide.

Meanwhile, the tithe has stirred controversy, particularly in the light of the state’s struggle to pay the salaries of workers.

The legitimacy of the donor’s income has also been debated, as N42m paid to a church as tithe implies that such a person’s income was N420m.

The NKST Church is an abbreviation for ‘Non go Kristu  U Sudan hen Tiv,’ meaning the Church of Christ amongst the Tiv.

Credit Punch