A former Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion worldwide and current Founder and Director of the Kaduna Centre for the Study of Christian-Muslim Relations, Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, has challenged the Federal government’s position on the state of the Nigerian economy, insisting that millions of citizens are struggling with poverty and the rising cost of living.
Idowu-Fearon, an Anglican Bishop and former Chairman of the Kaduna State Peace Commission, said the government should acknowledge the hardship confronting Nigerians rather than denying it, urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to explain clearly what it is doing to address the crisis.
Speaking to journalists on Monday in Kaduna on the economy and the recent meeting between President Tinubu and Catholic Archbishops, the bishop said his experience interacting directly with ordinary Nigerians had convinced him that economic hardship was real.
“To say people are not suffering as a result of what is going on in our country, I think we are being economical with the truth,” he said.
Idowu-Fearon said his regular visits to churches and communities in Kaduna had exposed him to the effects of poverty, including difficulties in accessing transportation, food and other basic necessities.
According to him, some worshippers can no longer afford the cost of transporting themselves to church, while some families survive on only one meal a day.
“You can see suffering. There is no doubt about that,” he said. “A good number of people just have one meal a day. They can hardly even have a balanced meal.”
The bishop added that the economic crisis was also affecting religious participation, as some church members could no longer afford motorcycles, taxis or buses to attend services.
He contrasted this with churches that had enough resources to provide buses for worshippers, saying such arrangements demonstrated that many Nigerians were attending church only because religious institutions were helping to shoulder their transportation costs.
“It’s not that the people themselves can afford to take either taxis or buses to the church. So, there is poverty,” he said.
Idowu-Fearon also questioned the impact of increased government revenues and the distribution of funds to state and local governments.
“I also heard the Minister of Finance talking about trillions coming in, trillions going to the state governors, going to the local government chairmen. And I ask, where is the money? Where is this money?” he asked.
He said the rising prices of ordinary household items showed the extent of inflation confronting Nigerians.
Recalling his attempt to repair his house following a fire disaster, the bishop said he was shocked when he was quoted N5,000 for a simple bathroom soap holder that previously cost about N500.
“Something that we were paying about 500 Naira for, 5,000! Tomatoes, anything you ask, they tell you thousand, thousand. What do we do?” he said.
He also complained about electricity supply, saying his residence had been without public power supply for several days.
“Since Friday, we have not had electricity. Since Friday,” he said, adding that without solar power, food stored in his freezer could have been lost.
Rather than deny the existence of hardship, Idowu-Fearon urged the government to acknowledge the situation and communicate its plans to Nigerians.
“Instead of denying, government should say, ‘We are aware. This is what we are doing, this is what we are doing,’” he said.
The bishop also warned religious leaders against becoming too close to politicians, arguing that excessive political association could compromise their ability to speak truth to power.
“As religious leaders—whether an Imam or a priest, a Sheikh or a Bishop, whatever—when you begin to frequent politicians, you get corrupted,” he said.
He warned that religious leaders who regularly depend on politicians for financial or other benefits could lose their moral independence.
“If I give you money, if I make sure that you are very comfortable, you cannot challenge me,” he said. “You’d rather become economical with the truth, and that is the problem we are facing.”
However, he stressed that the problem was not restricted to Muslim clerics, noting that Christian religious leaders had also been compromised by political influence.
According to him, religious leaders are expected to represent their communities before God and to represent the principles of their faith before society.
On the controversy over religious identity and political leadership ahead of the 2027 elections, Idowu-Fearon urged Nigerians to move beyond the question of whether a candidate is Muslim or Christian.
He said Nigerians should instead seek leaders who genuinely practise the values taught by their respective faiths.
“Nigeria, honestly, this country does not need a Muslim or a Christian president.
“What we need is a president who is Christian or Muslim. There is a difference,” he said.
The bishop said the same principle should apply to governors, senators, ministers and other public officials.
“We don’t need card-carrying religious leaders, no. We want religious leaders that will take their faith with them,” he said.
He argued that neither Christianity nor Islam promotes corruption, tribalism, dishonesty or exploitation.
“Neither Islam nor Christianity encourages tribalism, stealing, telling lies, exploiting people,” he said.
He also cautioned Christians and Muslims against turning religious population figures into a political competition.
“As a student of Christian-Muslim relations, I object to that,” he said of claims about which religious group has a larger population.
- Media Report