IBADAN/Nigeria: The Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have commended the Federal Government’s renewed efforts to tackle insecurity in Nigeria while urging fairness, transparency and compassion in the implementation of ongoing tax reforms.
In a communique signed by the Chairman, Most Rev. ‘Leke Gabriel Abegunrin, and the Secretary, Most Rev. John Akin Oyejola, and issued after their first meeting for 2026 at the Jubilee Conference Centre, Ibadan, the bishops said recent developments showed that insecurity could be curbed when there was political will, courageous policies and adequate support for security agencies.
The bishops, who represent the Ibadan Archdiocese and the dioceses of Ilorin, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti and Osogbo, called on governments at all levels to sustain the momentum against banditry, kidnapping and insurgency, stressing that the law must apply equally to all without fear or favour. They also appealed to Nigerians to unite across religious and ethnic lines in defence of life and property.
While acknowledging public concerns over the new tax regime, the clerics urged authorities to give the reforms “a human face” by protecting the poor and vulnerable and ensuring transparency and accountability in tax administration.
On education, the bishops praised the recently concluded agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, describing it as a major step toward ending prolonged strikes in the university system. They called for the benefits of the intervention, including those of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, to be extended to private and mission universities and urged sustained monitoring of the reforms.
The bishops also welcomed presidential grants and loans for students and youths, as well as new policies on Almajiri education and skills development, urging state and local governments to invest more in facilities and staff welfare.
Expressing concern over lingering socio-economic challenges, the clerics lamented the prolonged strike by health workers and the deplorable state of major highways in the South-West, calling on government to prioritise healthcare, infrastructure, electricity, water supply, agriculture and job creation.
Beyond governance, the bishops reaffirmed the Church’s mission of evangelisation and social engagement, encouraging the faithful to promote Catholic Social Teachings as a tool for social justice and national development. They also endorsed the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church (YOUCAT) as a standard text for catechetical formation across the province.
As the new year begins, the bishops urged Nigerians not to relent in prayer while committing themselves to justice, equity and the rule of law, insisting that national renewal was possible with faith, good works and collective responsibility.
