Ladipo Johnson condemns Tinubu's church hunger remark as abdication of duty
Ladipo Johnson, former National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigerian Peoples Party and now a chieftain of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, criticized President Bola Tinubu over a remark allegedly made during a meeting with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, where Tinubu said hunger existed before he was born and urged Nigerians to look to churches for sustenance. Johnson called the statement a 'shocking low point' in the history of presidential communication in Nigeria, arguing it abdicates the government’s constitutional duty to ensure the welfare and security of the people under Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
He contended that shifting the burden of social welfare to faith‑based organizations confuses charity with governance, noting that churches do not collect taxes, manage national resources or set macroeconomic policy. Johnson said the tone reveals a disdain for public accountability and an administration that believes it is unaccountable to voters, dismissing systemic hardship as a historical inheritance or population‑growth consequence, which he called a confession of administrative failure and lack of empathy.
The criticism underscores growing concern over Nigeria’s worsening food insecurity and the perception that leadership avoids responsibility. Readers should consider whether current policies address root causes of hunger and what concrete actions they expect from leaders—such as targeted subsidies, agricultural investment, or social safety nets—to alleviate hardship. What concrete steps do you expect the government to take to address food insecurity, rather than relying on charitable institutions?