Stop treating moral guidance as political opposition, Catholic Knights tell presidency

By Zika Bobby

The Knights of St. John International and Ladies Auxiliary (KSJI), Nigeria, has urged President Bola Tinubu and other government leaders to accept constructive criticism from credible, non-partisan stakeholders, warning against interpreting moral guidance and patriotic intervention as political opposition.

The group made the call in an open letter to the President following controversy over the recent visit by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

In the letter signed by Sir Peter Osamgbi, Chairman of the KSJI Strategic Communication Committee, the organisation expressed concern over what it described as partisan interpretations of the bishops’ engagement by some presidential spokespersons.

The group said the bishops’ concerns about the state of the nation should not be construed as a political attack on the administration.

“The fact that a respected religious institution raises concerns about the state of the nation does not transform it into a political opposition, nor should partisan motives be attributed to the bishops’ intervention,” the statement said.

KSJI described the CBCN as a long-standing moral voice in Nigeria’s public life, noting that the Catholic bishops, as the collective pastoral leadership of the Catholic Church, had consistently engaged successive governments on national issues.

It said such engagements had covered security, justice, good governance and the welfare of Nigerians, stressing that the bishops’ intervention should therefore be viewed within the broader context of their responsibility to society.

The organisation also pointed out that the bishops acknowledged some achievements of the Tinubu administration during their visit to the Presidential Villa.

According to KSJI, these included the rescue of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State, prosecution of suspected kidnappers and bandits, and the launch of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to expand access to higher education.

The group therefore urged the Presidency to distinguish between legitimate patriotic criticism and partisan political opposition.

It called on government leaders to create greater space for constructive engagement with religious institutions and other credible stakeholders, arguing that opposing views could help government identify weaknesses, improve policies and strengthen national cohesion.

KSJI urged the Presidency to refrain from attributing partisan motives to interventions by faith leaders, saying robust dialogue between government and independent voices remained essential to nation-building.