A Nigerian man, Mazi Chukwudiaso Onyema, who went viral last year for demanding a refund of his tithes from Dunamis International Gospel Center, has revealed the reason behind his action.
The furniture maker said he used to sow seed in church and did not see the results, yet they kept persuading him to sow more seeds and that was when he realised it was all a scam.
The 39-year-old Abuja resident, said he started paying tithes in 2008 but his eyes opened in 2018, to the fraud that churches use tithe to perpetuate, however, he decided to make the viral video in 2023 to enlighten the public.
Speaking in an interview, Onyema said; “I started paying tithe in 2008 when I joined Dunamis because of what was preached there. You cannot go to Pentecostal church without following their instructions or what the man of God is preaching.
It was when I sowed a seed and in the end, I didn’t see the result. They kept on pushing me to continue sowing and I just realised that it was a scam. They preached that when I give to God, he would open the windows of heaven for me.
I tried this from 2008 till my eyes opened. I realised that the owner of the whole universe didn’t need anything. He has everything so I don’t know the reason why they are giving to God to succeed and it’s not working. When I realised this, I wasn’t concerned about getting my money back. I wanted to open the eyes of many who still believed that they were giving to God. That was why I made the video. My eyes opened in 2018. I made the video on February 7, 2023.”
He also revealed that he first worshipped at Living Faith but moved to Dunamis when he did not witness in person the miracles he often saw on TV programmes.
Onyema added; “The reason I moved from the Catholic Church to the Living Faith Church was because I frequently saw the miracles being performed in Living Faith. I pulled out of the Catholic Church to go and confirm if those miracles were real.
I wanted to be in their midst so that I would be seeing things live and direct, and not on the television. I later found out that they were not real. They were all packaged.”
