Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Northern Nigeria, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, has castigated presidential spokespersons Daniel Bwala and Bayo Onanuga over what he described as the “unwarranted attacks” on Catholic Bishops who met with President Bola Tinubu.
He said that it must be appreciated that those with the courage to tell the President the truth are the people that genuinely and sincerely love him as against praise-singers who are only concerned about their stomachs and pockets.
Reverend Hayab, who stated these when he featured on Trust TV’s Daybreak, specifically said that those attacking the Bishops are putting their stomach first and do not care about Nigeria’s future.
In the words of Hayab; “Those who believe that their first god is their stomach, and their interest is what they gain from government, they don’t care about the future of the country.
“I saw the bishops that visited Tinubu as God-sent. They are helping Tinubu at the right time. He can still correct these things before election. Kudos to bishops. If we do not address insecurity, these same people shouting against the bishops will also be victims. Their families will be victims,” he said.
Hayab particularly singled out Bwala, stressing that his home village has not been resettled due to insecurity.
“How can my brother, Daniel Bwala, whose home village has not been resettled up to now, call someone calling for things to be right, partisan.
“Someone is calling for things to be done right so that things will be good for you at home and good for you in the city, and you call it partisan? Then you are short-sighted,” he said.
Hayab also questioned Bayo Onanuga’s posture, noting that Nigerians remembered him as once upon a time a courageous journalist who exposed secrets under Buhari.
“Is it not the same Bayo? Such a man with such courage, what has happened to him now that he is no longer thinking about nation-building and transparency? All he is interested in is his position.
“Those who tell Tinubu the truth are the true lovers. Those shouting around, are merely shouting to eat. We are telling you the truth to correct, so that you will be happy and successful and the nation will be happy,” he added.
On the claims that the Bishops’ visit was ill-timed because of politics, Hayab dismissed it, saying that appointment to see the President sometimes takes six months and the message remains valid.
“Why do you think election is more important than people’s joy? If all people die and you wait for election day and there are no people to cast votes, what is the value of election when people are not alive?” he asked.
Hayab further said that despite government claims of sharing rice and money, people still sleep hungry, thus urged Tinubu to set up a private monitoring team to confirm if palliatives truly reach the poor.
