Pastor Paul Enenche, founder and senior pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, has revealed the reason he publicly rejected a N30 million donation from the Kebbi State Government during a recent crusade.
TheNewsGuru reports that during the event, which held at the Haliru Abdu Stadium, Birnin Kebbi, a government official came to the stage to announce the donation on behalf of the state governor, Nasir Idris but pastor outrightly rejected the donation.
Speaking during a Sunday sermon at the Dunamis headquarters in Abuja, Enenche said his action followed a longstanding personal policy to keep his ministry independent of government funding or political influence.
He emphasized that the rejection was not to spite the Governor Nasir Idris, but because it was not in line with principles which he has upheld for over two decades.
“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.
Citing previous experiences to support his stance, Enenche recalled turning down honorariums offered after national assignments. He mentioned a trip to Jerusalem in 2014 with then-President Goodluck Jonathan and other government officials, during which he paid for his own travel and declined any financial compensation.
“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 said.
The clergyman also noted a time a former President Jonathan worshipped at his church on multiple occasions, revealing that at no time did any financial transactions took place. Highlighting the construction of the church’s headquarters, he said, “Government funds are not in this project, not one naira.”
He also recounted similar experiences involving former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and a childhood friend who, after becoming a government minister, offered him a vehicle, which he also declined.
The cleric emphasized that his refusal to accept money or gifts associated with public funds comes from a strong desire to remain uncompromised and to keep the freedom to speak truth to power.
“I don’t want to touch any dime of government money,” he said, adding that accepting such funds could undermine his prophetic mandate.