Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche, has explained why he rejected a N30 million donation from Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, during a recent crusade held in the state.
The cleric, speaking during a Sunday sermon at the Dunamis headquarters in Abuja, said the decision was based on a long-standing principle he has maintained to avoid any form of government funding or influence in his ministry.
Enenche clarified that his action was not a personal slight against Governor Idris, but rather a consistent standard 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.
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.
“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.
Enenche also disclosed that former President Jonathan attended his church on more than one occasion during his tenure, yet no financial exchanges occurred between them. Referring to the church’s headquarters building, he emphasized, “Government funds are not in this project, not one naira.”;
He recounted similar experiences with former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, and a childhood friend who later became a minister and offered to donate a vehicle, which he also rejected.
Enenche said his refusal to accept money or gifts suspected to come from public funds is rooted in his desire to remain free to speak truth to power without compromise.
“I don’t want to touch any dime of government money,”; he said, adding that accepting such gifts could hinder his prophetic responsibility.
