The bill which has passed the second reading in the Senate, was sponsored by Binos Yaroe, who represents Adamawa South senatorial district.
The Methodist Church Nigeria has accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of supporting a bill by the Senate to regulate Christianity and create a National Centre for Christian Education (NCCE) in Nigeria.
The Methodist Church made the accusation on Sunday in Enugu through Prelate Oliver Aba, during a press briefing marking the end of the 40th Annual Council of Methodist Bishops held in Enugu.
The bill which has passed the second reading in the Senate, was sponsored by Binos Yaroe, who represents Adamawa South senatorial district.
The bill is expected to regulate and set standards for the practice of Christianity in Nigeria.
Speaking at the press briefing, Aba said when professed Christians were against the bill, he reached out to a Christian Association of Nigeria leader in a state who told him not to be afraid of the bill.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Aba as saying, “He told me that the bill would be good for all Christians in Nigeria, adding that the whole idea was brought by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). So let every Nigerian be calm, and let us see what will become of it.”
Confirming CAN’s support of the bill, its Enugu State chairman, Emmanuel Edeh, while speaking at the opening of the council’s meeting, told journalists that the bill would benefit all Christians in the country.
He reportedly said that the bill’s purpose is not for the Nigerian government to issue permits for preaching or telling anybody about Christ, rather, “The truth is that many Christians and clergy have not understood what the bill is all about. As a member of the National Executive Council of CAN, many media houses have published the impression so far from the content of the bill.
“It is a Christian affair that there should be a board or commission that represents them at the national level.”
Edeh said that the commission would guide and check the activities of Christians in the nation, but the bill would not take away from any denomination their in-house educational arrangement.
He said, “Catholic, Anglican, Methodist churches and others have their own education commission, and if the bill is allowed to see the light of the day, the smaller churches struggling to have schools can have boards to run to.
“Just like CAN stood their ground when President Buhari in 2020 signed into law Company and Allied Matters bill conferring Corporate Affairs Commission to regulate Christians and charity organisations. If it was fought on individual denominations, nobody would have won the battle.”
“So I see this bill as a way of Christians coming together to coordinate and see that the theological content and some other teachings and activities are coordinated on what the Bible provided for,” he added.