The former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Northern Nigeria, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, has criticized the Presidency’s response to a delegation from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), saying it implies that President Bola Tinubu is being misled by his media team.
Speaking on Trust TV’s Daybreak, Rev. Hayab maintained that using “such language against people who are just thinking of your well-being shows the President has either been caged, misinformed, or terribly misled.”
He encouraged the President’s advisers to stop protecting him from the truth and to work constructively with faith leaders offering patriotic input.
The cleric noted that “Anything the Catholic Bishops said is not just a Christian position; it’s a Nigerian feeling. It’s a Nigerian reality. Are Nigerians hungry? Yes! Is there insecurity? Yes! Is there a problem with our currency?
Yes! Is there a lack of trust in the political system? Yes! So the Bishops just reminded the President what they are hearing from us.”
The Christian leader remarked that the President should have listened attentively and pledged to work harder.
“All he would have said was, ‘I’ve heard you. We are doing our best, but further information from you will help us see where the gaps are so that we will correct it,” he advised.
He emphasized that the message from the Catholic Bishops to President Tinubu reflected the genuine feelings of millions of Nigerians, adding that they spoke not as politicians or Christians seeking favour, but as leaders voicing what Nigerians express to them every day.
“They didn’t go there for a debate competition. They didn’t go there to seek contract or political office,” he maintained.
Rev. Hayab mentioned that members have voiced concerns to church leaders about hunger, insecurity, and a slide toward a one-party state, adding that the Bishops have a responsibility to let the President know how people feel so he can address it.
He cautioned against interpreting the Bishops’ actions as denominational or political, pointing out that Christians respect their leaders regardless of denomination.
According to him, “We reverence our Bishops not because of the name of their church. Like we respect Kumuyi, Adeboye, Oyedepo, the President of Baptist, President of ECWA, Primate of Anglican Church, Prelate of Methodist Church and all GOs. We respect them because they preach in the name of Jesus.”
While recognizing the government’s boasts of large foreign reserves and extensive road construction, Hayab emphasized that statistics need to reflect real-life experiences.
“No one is saying government has not done anything. But you have huge foreign reserves, but people are sleeping [on an] empty stomach. You are constructing a lot of roads, but accidents are happening every day. What is going on?” he asked with a rhetorical tone.
