Pastor Paul Enenche turned down ₦30 million from Kebbi’s governor during a crusade visit.
He says accepting government money may hinder bold truth-telling from the pulpit later.
Newskobo.com earlier reported that Pastor Paul Enenche Rejected ₦30 Million Donation from Kebbi Governor.
Dr. Paul Enenche, the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, has explained the reason behind his decision to reject a N30 million donation from Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris. The offer was made during a recent gospel crusade held in the state, but Enenche declined it, citing a deeply held principle that guides his ministry.
Speaking during a Sunday service at the Dunamis headquarters in Abuja, Enenche said he has always maintained a clear boundary between the church and government. He stressed that his decision was not driven by personal bias against Governor Idris but was in line with a long-standing practice of refusing financial support from government sources.
“For some people, that may be a surprise because they don’t know who we are. But those who know us, that’s no surprise at all. That’s how we’ve lived, and that’s what we’ve stood for,” he told the congregation.
To further explain his position, Enenche shared past experiences where he declined similar gestures. He recalled being invited in 2014 by the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board to travel to Jerusalem alongside then-President Goodluck Jonathan and several state governors. He said he paid for his own trip and also rejected an honorarium offered to him afterward.
“By the time we returned, the board chairman brought an offering and said this is their honorarium to me for going, I said no,” he stated.
Enenche also mentioned that former President Jonathan had visited his church more than once while in office, but no money ever exchanged hands. Referring to the Dunamis headquarters project, he emphasized, “Government funds are not in this project, not one naira.”
He shared a similar story involving Samuel Ortom, the former governor of Benue State, and a childhood friend who later served as a minister and offered to gift him a car. Both offers were declined.
According to Enenche, the key reason he avoids accepting donations tied to government sources is to remain fully independent and able to speak the truth to those in power without any sense of obligation.
“I don’t want to touch any dime of government money,” he said. “Accepting such gifts could make it difficult to deliver a prophetic message without fear or favor.”
