UK Appoints Interim Manager to Review Financial and Governance Practices of Mountain of Fire and Miracles International

The United Kingdom has appointed an interim manager for Mountain of Fire and Miracles International (MFM International), a religious charity of Nigerian origin. This decision comes amid ongoing legal and regulatory scrutiny by the Charity Commission, which has raised concerns over the organization’s financial and governance practices. The interim manager will oversee the charity’s financial and governance processes, including the inspection of its branches and the handling of serious incidents. The Charity Commission emphasized that the interim manager’s role supersedes the charity’s trustees in these matters, though the trustees retain authority over religious activities.

The investigation into MFM International began on March 27, 2018, and remains ongoing. The Charity Commission expressed alarm over what it described as “apparent failures” in the charity’s administration and management, which led to significant financial losses over an extended period. The commission also criticized the trustees for failing to report incidents of financial misconduct to the police. In March 2018, the commission noted that the charity had repeatedly failed to submit required financial information on time, with accounts for 2014 and 2015 being qualified by auditors.

The commission’s concerns were further heightened in August when it reiterated its indictment of the charity’s trustees. It highlighted that two separate instances of fraud by former employees were not reported to the police until several years after the frauds were discovered. Additionally, the commission accused MFM International of breaching its governing document by paying three of its trustees. The list of trustees for the financial year ending December 31, 2018, included Dr Daniel Olukoya (chair), Florence Sankey O. A., Oluwafemi Emmanuel Oladipo, Bamidele Omotayo, Kehinde Williams, and Enock Sunday Olaniyan. While the commission did not specify which three trustees were paid, it expressed serious concerns about how the chairman managed “serious incidents.”

The Charity Commission has been in active communication with the trustees since September 2017, having been made aware of potentially significant financial losses. Despite this engagement, the trustees have not fulfilled their legal obligations. The commission’s actions reflect a broader effort to ensure accountability and transparency in the management of charitable organizations, aligning with the biblical call to “do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Such measures aim to protect the integrity of charitable institutions and uphold the trust of those who rely on their services.

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