PFN rejects new marriage certificate law

THE National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Dr. Felix Omobude has faulted the marriage certificate law which was recently introduced by the Federal Government.

In a statement in Benin City on Sunday, Omobude, the general overseer of the New Covenant Gospel Church chided the Ministry of Interior for imposing the law, which he insisted was anti-Christian and the church in Nigeria.

The Ministry of Interior had recently announced a compulsory N30,000 charge licence for Christian worship centres for the conduct of statutory marriages in churches and N21,000 for each marriage certificate.

The PFN leader described the policy as exploitative and an attempt to commercialise Christian marriages in the country.

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“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.”

He advised that if the Ministry of Interior was in dire need of funds, it should look elsewhere and resist the temptation of placing an extra financial burden on the Christians and their churches.

Omobude vowed that the PFN would use all legitimate means at its disposal to make the Federal Government rescind the controversial marriage certificate law.