“Catholic Bishops Spoke the Truth, Not Politics” — CAN Leader Faults Tinubu’s Response Over Hunger, Insecurity

As millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with soaring food prices, insecurity and economic hardship, a prominent Christian leader has defended the Catholic Bishops’ criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting they merely voiced the painful realities confronting ordinary citizens. His remarks have reignited debate over the country’s worsening cost-of-living crisis and the government’s response to public concerns.

Rev. John Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Northern Christian Association (NCA), says the Catholic Bishops’ criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration reflects the realities facing Nigerians, including hunger, insecurity, naira depreciation and economic hardship. He argued that the bishops spoke on behalf of ordinary Nigerians and urged the president to engage with their concerns instead of dismissing them.

The Chairman of the Northern Christian Association (NCA), Rev. John Joseph Hayab, has defended the Catholic Bishops’ criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying the clerics merely echoed the harsh realities confronting Nigerians and were unfairly criticised by the Presidency.

Hayab made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview on Trust TV’s Day Break programme. He said the concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) reflected the experiences of millions of Nigerians rather than a denominational or partisan position.

According to him, issues such as hunger, insecurity, the weakening value of the naira and declining public confidence in Nigeria’s political system are undeniable realities.

“Anything the Catholic bishops said is not just a Christian position; it is a Nigerian feeling. It is a Nigerian reality,” Hayab said.

Furthermore, he questioned whether anyone could genuinely deny the widespread hunger, insecurity and economic hardship affecting Nigerians. According to him, the bishops simply conveyed the concerns repeatedly expressed by citizens.

“They reminded the president of what they are hearing from Nigerians because people go to their bishops and ask, ‘Aren’t you watching? Nigerians are hungry. There is insecurity. Everything seems to be moving towards a one-party state,'” he said.

Hayab explained that the bishops considered it their moral responsibility to present those concerns directly to the president so that appropriate action could be taken.

However, he criticised President Tinubu’s response to the bishops’ observations, describing it as unnecessary. He also argued that those advising the president were not serving him well.

“If he actually read it from his prepared speech, then his speechwriters have a serious problem because they are not helping this president,” Hayab stated.

He maintained that the president should have acknowledged the concerns and assured Nigerians of his willingness to address them.

“All he needed to say was, ‘I have heard you. We are doing our best, but your further information will help us identify where the gaps are so we can correct them,'” Hayab added.

Instead, he said the tone of the response suggested that the president was receiving poor advice.

“To use such language against people who were not seeking contracts, political appointments or personal gain, but were genuinely concerned about the country, shows that our president has either been caged, misinformed or terribly misled by some people, so that he does not understand what Nigerians are going through,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Christian leader dismissed attempts to portray the issue as one involving only the Catholic Church. He stressed that respected Christian leaders across various denominations command national respect because of their spiritual leadership rather than their denominational identities.

“We respect our bishops, just as we respect Pastor Kumuyi, Pastor Adeboye, Bishop Oyedepo, the Anglican Primate, the Methodist Prelate, the Baptist President and many others.

We respect them because they preach Christ, not because of the denomination they belong to,” Hayab stated.

In addition, he argued that attributing political motives to the bishops’ remarks was unfair and distracted attention from the critical national issues they highlighted.

Hayab also acknowledged that the Tinubu administration had recorded some achievements. Nevertheless, he insisted that such progress should not overshadow the daily suffering experienced by ordinary Nigerians.

“No one is saying this government has done nothing. But despite whatever has been achieved, we must ask whether the ordinary Nigerian can feel the impact,” he said.

He further noted that improving macroeconomic indicators mean little if citizens continue to struggle with poverty and hardship.

“You may have huge foreign reserves, but people are going to bed hungry. You may be constructing roads, but people are still dying in accidents.

“These are the realities the bishops were talking about. They were not confrontational and they were not seeking anything for themselves,” Hayab concluded.