CAN, FIRS disagree over Easter message
THE Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, yesterday traded words over an Easter message by the revenue service titled ‘Jesus paid your debt, not your taxes.’ While CAN demanded a retraction and public apology of the message, which it claimed was offensive and derogatory” to the Christian faith, the FIRS insisted that its message did not denigrate Jesus Christ. Recall that in the FIRS’s Easter message by its Chairman, Muhammad Nami, it emphasised the need for Christians to pay their taxes as a form of religious obligation. This has drawn criticism from a cross section of the Nigerian public including Christians feeling that the revenue agency was insensitive and had religious biases. In a statement, CAN’s National Director, National Issues and Social Welfare, Abimbola Ayuba, alleged that FIRS’ Easter message had threatened Nigeria’s unity and undermined respect among diverse religious groups, saying: “The Easter message by FIRS d...