Cleric Slams Age Falsification, Certificate Racketeering Among African Church Ministers

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The crisis within the African Church in Nigeria has taken a new turn as Venerable Richard Peters decried the growing wave of age falsification and certificate racketeering among ministers seeking to prolong their years in service.

Speaking at a press conference in Uyo on Saturday, Peters condemned the trend as “folly,” stressing that nature cannot be cheated. He noted that some ministers had cut down their ages as many as four times to evade retirement.

“I have discovered that many people in this part of the state have falsified their age. They entered service at a particular age, but now they have falsified their age up to three, four, five times. If somebody can lie to God, why will he continue to deceive the people?” Peters queried.

The cleric lamented that instead of retiring honorably, several ministers remain in active service at the expense of their health, with some deteriorating or dying while still working.

Peters also linked the malpractice to the absence of a strong welfare system for retirees, accusing past church leadership of neglecting ministers while lavishing resources on primates. He alleged that while church heads enjoy lavish benefits, including houses, cars, and foreign trips, retiring ministers are left without adequate support.

He urged the current Primate, Augustine Odufuwa, to prioritize the welfare of both serving and retired ministers to curb the practice. “There should be a situation when you hear your retirement package, you will be eager to leave, not when you fear being abandoned to die,” he said.

On whether internal structures exist to curb the malpractice, Peters expressed doubt, alleging that those responsible for verifying ages and qualifications were themselves complicit.

The cleric prescribed repentance, restitution, and improved welfare packages as solutions. According to him, only genuine reform within the African Church can restore credibility and uphold the integrity of Christendom.