Coming on the heels of recent spat between the Tinubu presidency and Catholic bishops, the Methodist Church, Nigeria has vowed not to abandon its prophetic responsibility to speak truth to power, even when such interventions provoke reactions from those in authority.
This was as it urged the Federal Government to urgently tackle worsening insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment and corruption, noting that increased government revenues have yet to translate into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
The Prelate of the Church, His Eminence, Dr Oliver Ali-Aba, made the declarations in Ibadan, Oyo State, while reading a communiqué issued at the end of the 50th/15th Biennial Conference of the Methodist Church Nigeria, held in the Archdiocese from August 2 to 9, with the theme: “I Will Fight for You.”
The church also threw its weight behind the establishment of State Police, describing it as a necessary component of comprehensive security reform capable of strengthening grassroots intelligence gathering and enabling faster responses to emerging security threats across the country.
The Prelate while reading the communiqué, said the Conference had prayerfully reflected on the condition of the church and the country and reaffirmed its belief that, despite the difficulties confronting Nigeria, the country could overcome its challenges through faith, righteousness, justice and collective action.
The Conference declared that, “despite Nigeria’s present challenges, God’s promise remains sure,” adding: “The Lord shall fight for you.”
It, however, called on Nigerians “not to surrender to fear or despair, but to remain steadfast in faith, uphold righteousness, pursue justice, and work together for the peace and progress of the nation.”
On the state of the economy, the church acknowledged reform efforts by the government in some key sectors but expressed what it described as “deep concern over the worsening economic hardship, hunger, insecurity, unemployment, and declining living standards confronting millions of Nigerians.”
It identified “corruption, impunity, and the mismanagement of public resources as major impediments to national development”, stressing that the country’s economic difficulties required stronger accountability and leadership focused on the welfare of citizens.
The Conference observed that, “despite increased revenues to the federal government and higher allocations to states and local governments, the expected improvement in citizens’ welfare remains largely elusive.”
Aba also admonished public officeholders to exercise power with integrity, humility, justice, accountability and compassion.
He advocated stronger collaboration between the government and faith-based organisations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Christian Council of Nigeria and other faith communities, particularly in education, healthcare, humanitarian services, peacebuilding and moral formation.
The prelate, however, stressed that such collaboration must yield tangible results in governance, security, economic recovery and the welfare of Nigerians.
He said the Methodist Church would continue to contribute to national development through prayer, constructive engagement and speaking truth to power when necessary.
He described Nigeria as “a blessed nation,” saying the country had all it needed to survive and prosper.
“Nobody has the monopoly of knowledge. Our people at the government level, the government of mental leadership, we, they need us, and we need them. So there must be partners in progress,” he stressed.
