CAN Tells Tinubu: Nigerians Need ‘Hope They Can See,’ Not Empty Promises

Christian Association of Nigeria has urged political, religious and business leaders to demonstrate genuine sacrifice, honesty and compassion in response to the growing economic hardship confronting millions of Nigerians.

In an Eid-el-Kabir message issued in Abuja, the President of CAN, Daniel Okoh, said Nigerians are enduring increasingly severe economic conditions that can no longer be explained away by statistics or political rhetoric. According to him, the realities of hardship are now visible in everyday struggles faced by ordinary citizens, including hunger, unpaid school fees and struggling businesses. “Hardship is no longer measured in statistics but in skipped meals, unpaid school fees and shuttered businesses,” Okoh stated.

The CAN president stressed that sacrifice should not remain the burden of ordinary Nigerians alone, insisting that leadership must equally reflect restraint, service, transparency and visible concern for citizens’ welfare. “Sacrifice must not remain a burden carried only by ordinary citizens,” he said. “Leadership must also reflect sacrifice through honesty, restraint, service, compassion and visible commitment to the well-being of the people.”

Okoh called on leaders across government institutions, politics, business sectors and religious organisations to move beyond blame-shifting and indifference and focus on restoring public confidence. He warned that public trust in institutions cannot be rebuilt through speeches alone, adding that Nigerians now seek tangible hope and visible improvement in living conditions. “Nigerians need hope they can see, not promises they no longer believe,” he stated.

The cleric also cautioned against allowing worsening economic frustrations to deepen religious, ethnic or regional divisions within the country. “Poverty and insecurity do not discriminate. Hunger does not ask for tribe or religion,” he said. “In times like these, division only deepens the nation’s wounds.”

Okoh further appealed to religious leaders to promote peace, moderation and reconciliation amid growing social tensions in different parts of the country. He urged privileged Nigerians, corporate organisations and public-spirited individuals to extend support to vulnerable groups including widows, displaced persons and struggling families during the festive period.

The CAN president expressed optimism that Nigeria could still overcome its current challenges if leaders and citizens collectively embrace justice, compassion and shared humanity.

The remarks come amid continuing debates over economic reforms, inflation, insecurity and rising living costs across the country, issues expected to dominate political conversations ahead of the 2027 elections.