Bishops abandoning pulpits to act as opposition proxies — Sunday Dare

By Precious Mark

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has criticized the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Archbishop Emeritus John Cardinal Onaiyekan, accusing them of abandoning their sacred ecclesiastical duties to act as proxies for opposition political elements.

Responding to the prelates’ recent engagement at the State House and Cardinal Onaiyekan’s subsequent media appearances on Sunday, the presidential spokesman stated that religious leaders lose their moral authority when public interventions start resembling political commentary instead of independent, constructive statesmanship.

“Every religious leader who chooses to intervene in political debate assumes a delicate responsibility.”

“The moral influence of the clerical office depends upon being seen as independent of every political tendency. The moment public interventions begin to resemble partisan commentary, that moral advantage inevitably diminishes,” Dare said.

Defending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s performance, the presidential aide stated that the administration inherited a crumbling, bankrupt estate in May 2023, characterized by an unsustainable petrol subsidy, a multi-tiered foreign exchange system, and a debt service-to-revenue ratio that had spiraled to 97%.

He argued that the administration’s bold structural reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and foreign exchange unification, saved Nigeria from total economic collapse and fiscal insolvency.

Highlighting the achievements of the current administration, Dare pointed out that the debt service-to-revenue ratio has been dramatically reduced from 97% to under 65%, preventing national default and boosting credit rating confidence.

He added that monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations to states and local governments have reached record levels, enabling governors to pay salaries and pensions while funding local infrastructure.

He further noted that through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), millions of tertiary students are accessing interest-free loans and stipends, while emergency agricultural interventions, dry-season farming investments, and mechanization hubs are actively working to achieve food self-sufficiency.

Dare urged the clergy to rise above political bias and acknowledge the structural progress achieved under President Tinubu’s leadership, emphasizing that governance is not a Sunday sermon, but the difficult art of making hard choices for long-term national survival.

He concluded by calling on critics to abandon the comfortable pulpits of cynicism and join in the patriotic work of building a resilient nation.