The Northern Christian Association (NCA) has expressed support for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria over its recent engagement with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while criticising the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Daniel Bwala, for remarks it said could deepen divisions among Christians.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NCA Chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab, said the bishops’ meeting with the President focused on national issues affecting Nigerians across religious and denominational lines, rather than matters exclusive to the Catholic Church.Hayab said the bishops’ concerns about insecurity, economic hardship and governance reflected the challenges confronting Nigerians in different parts of the country.
He faulted Bwala’s reaction to the bishops’ engagement, warning that attempts to portray the intervention as a denominational issue could create unnecessary divisions within the Christian community.
According to him, the NCA comprises Christians from various denominations across Northern Nigeria, including Catholics, Baptists, ECWA, Methodists, Anglicans and Pentecostals.He stressed that Catholics remained an integral part of the wider Christian community, adding that the association would resist efforts to exploit denominational differences for political purposes.
Hayab also defended Cardinal John Onaiyekan and other Catholic bishops who met with President Tinubu, describing them as respected religious leaders who engaged the President in good faith and with the interest of the country at heart.
He said it was inappropriate for a presidential aide to publicly dismiss or disparage senior Christian leaders whose intervention, he maintained, was aimed at drawing the government’s attention to pressing national challenges.
The NCA chairman further criticised what he described as a tendency by some government officials to respond to legitimate public concerns with political messaging rather than addressing the underlying problems.
He argued that political appointees should pay greater attention to the economic difficulties and security concerns affecting ordinary Nigerians instead of engaging in exchanges capable of distracting from the issues.
Hayab warned that failure to urgently address insecurity, economic hardship and other socio-economic challenges would have consequences for Nigerians irrespective of their political, religious or denominational affiliations.
He reaffirmed the association’s support for the Catholic bishops, describing them as patriotic leaders committed to the progress and stability of Nigeria.
The NCA chairman urged government officials to receive constructive criticism with an open mind and engage religious and community leaders respectfully, rather than making statements capable of aggravating existing divisions.
The controversy followed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria’s meeting with President Tinubu, during which the bishops reportedly raised concerns over insecurity, economic hardship and other national issues and called for stronger government action.
Bwala’s response to the bishops’ position subsequently generated criticism from sections of the Christian community, including the Northern Christian Association.
