The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has urged the Church to hold government accountable, defend vulnerable Nigerians and speak against injustice.
Okoh said the Church must not abandon its responsibility to speak for the people because of political interests or convenience.
He made the call during CAN’s 50th anniversary celebration in Abuja on Saturday, where he urged Christian leaders to adopt a courageous, evidence-based and constructive approach to national issues.
"The Church must maintain its independence, support policies that benefit the people and speak out when the government falls," Okoh said.
Okoh identified internally displaced persons, out-of-school children, unemployed youths, farmers unable to access their farmlands because of insecurity, women facing violence and victims of human trafficking as groups whose concerns the Church must address.
He, however, cautioned that speaking against injustice did not mean opposing every government policy or turning the Church into a platform for partisan politics.
“A responsible watchman must be accurate. He should not raise alarm simply because he dislikes a policy or disagrees with a political leader,” he said.