During a recent state crusade, Dr. Paul Enenche, the senior pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Center, gave an explanation for his decision to turn down a N30 million donation from Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris.
The preacher claimed the decision was founded on a long-standing principle he has upheld to reject any kind of government sponsorship or influence in his ministry during a Sunday sermon at the Dunamis headquarters in Abuja.
Enenche explained that his action was a continuous norm he has maintained for more than 20 years, not a particular jab at Governor Idris.
“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 said.
He recounted multiple instances to back his stance, including turning down honorariums after delivering sermons during national assignments.
One such case was in 2014, when he was invited to Jerusalem by the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board alongside then-President Goodluck Jonathan and state governors. According to him, he paid his own travel expenses and declined any form of financial reward.
“The board chairman brought an offering by the time we got back and said, ‘This is their honorarium to me for going.’ I said no,” he claimed.
Enenche further revealed that although former President Jonathan frequently visited his church while in office, there were never any money transactions between them. “Government funds are not in this project, not one naira,” he underlined, referring to the church’s headquarters building.
He related comparable encounters with Samuel Ortom, the former governor of Benue State, and a childhood buddy who joined the clergy and offered to gift a car, which he also turned down.
Enenche claimed that his reluctance to accept gifts or cash allegedly obtained from public coffers stems from his wish to continue speaking truth to power without hindrance.
He declared, “I don’t want to touch any dime of government money,” adding that taking such presents may interfere with his prophetic duty.
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