March 17, 2025

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Akwa Ibom Trending is an Akwa Ibom-based e-zine that brings news, lifestyle and trending issues in Akwa Ibom and Nigeria to the world.

21k Marriage Certificate, 31K License, New fees by FG targeted against the church ― PFN

Pentecostal  Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), has kicked against the newly introduced marriage certificate law by the Federal Government and chided the Ministry of Interior of imposing such anti-Christian law on the church.

National President of the fellowship, Rev.(Dr.) Felix Omobude, who disclosed this on Monday in Benin in a statement,  described the policy as exploitative and an attempt to commercialize Christian marriages in the country Recall that the Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior recently announced a compulsory N30,000 charge license for Christian worship centers for the conduct of statutory marriages in churches and N21,000 for each marriage certificate.

Omobude said,  “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.”  Rev. Omobude further stated that the PFN would use all legitimate means to make the Federal Government to rescind on the new marriage certificate law.