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Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Timi Frank has commended members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for their courage in telling President Bola Tinubu about the poor state of the economy and warning against a one-party state.
Frank, in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, said the bishops deserved commendation for looking the president “in the face” and telling him what he described as the bitter truth about the state of the nation.
He implored other Christian, as well as Muslim, leaders to emulate the Catholic bishops by speaking truth to power and demanding accountability from the government.
“We commend the Catholic leaders for their courage. We have not seen this kind of courage from religious leaders in Nigeria for a long time. They were brave enough to look the president in the face and tell him the bitter truth.
“The President should heed their advice. By doing so, he will save himself from embarrassment. These are true leaders, and we expect other religious bodies to follow the example set by the Catholic leaders,” he stated.
Frank expressed concerns that some religious leaders, particularly some Pentecostal leaders, often fail to speak truthfully to the government after visiting the Presidential Villa.
According to him, “Unfortunately, some religious leaders, particularly some Pentecostal leaders, go to the Villa, drink tea with the President, and forget what they went there to say. They come back with envelopes and the story becomes different.
“When they have the opportunity to tell the president the truth, they simply say they are praying for him. But they know the truth. They know the damage that has been done in this country. How long will they continue to sit and pray when they should be speaking the truth?”
“We urge other religious leaders, both Christian and Muslim, to be courageous enough to follow the example of the Catholic leaders. They should look the president in the face and tell him the truth.”
