Akpabio: Tinubu Govt to Strengthen Catholic Schools and Hospitals

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has assured that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to strengthening Catholic hospitals and schools across Nigeria.

                                        

He made the pledge while delivering a speech titled “Church and State as Partners in National Transformation and Human Development” at the opening ceremony of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) Second Plenary Meeting in Obot Akara, Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio praised the Catholic Church for its long-standing role in education and healthcare, describing its schools as institutions that “train not only the mind but also the soul,” and its hospitals as “refuges for the sick and the poor.”

He promised closer collaboration in several areas:

• Education: Support for Catholic schools to nurture both intellect and values

• Healthcare: Partnerships with Catholic hospitals and clinics to expand access

• Justice and human rights: Upholding dignity for all Nigerians, regardless of tribe or creed

• Youth empowerment: Working with faith-based institutions to equip young people for the future

Akpabio outlined steps already taken by the federal government to support citizens:

• Passage of the Student Loan Act, expanding educational access

• Adoption of a new minimum wage, affirming workers’ rights

• Restraint of tariff hikes, protecting the poor from economic shocks

• A peaceful stance during regional instability, choosing diplomacy over conflict

The Senate President drew on global and Nigerian history to highlight the Catholic Church’s role as a moral compass:

• In Poland, under Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II), the Church stood with the Solidarity movement against tyranny.

• In Latin America, the Church provided schools and hospitals where governments failed.

• In South Korea, Catholic and Presbyterian voices fueled democracy against dictatorship.

• In Nigeria, leaders like Archbishop Gabriel Ganaka and Cardinal Anthony Okogie gave courage during military rule, speaking out for democracy and justice.

Akpabio stressed:

“The Church did not covet political influence; the Church wielded the sword of truth, and her moral authority became a lamp for the nation.”

As Senate President, Akpabio vowed that the government would continue to view the Catholic Church as an indispensable partner:

• “Your voice is not ornamental, it is essential; your counsel is not optional, it is indispensable.”

He also described Akwa Ibom as the “Gilgal of Nigeria”, a site of covenant renewal, due to the frequency of religious gatherings held in the state.