Catholic Bishops Demand Fair & Transparent Tax Reforms from FG

The Catholic bishops of the Ibadan ecclesiastical province have called on the federal government to implement the tax reforms with fairness, transparency and compassion. The bishops, in a communiqué issued at the end of their first provincial meeting for 2026, held at the Jubilee Conference Centre in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, noted that the implementation of the tax reforms had triggered widespread controversy and anxiety, particularly among the poor and vulnerable. Gabriel Abegunrin, chairman of the Ibadan ecclesiastical province, and John Oyejola, the secretary, signed the communique. “The reforms must be guided by fairness, transparency and accountability. Government should give the reforms a human face and allow the most vulnerable among us the latitude to adjust to the new tax regimes before applying the full force of the law,” the communique reads. They warned that economic policies implemented without sensitivity could deepen inequality and fuel social tension, adding that taxation should not become an additional burden on citizens already struggling with inflation, unemployment and rising living costs. While urging Nigerians to also be patient, the Catholic bishops said the federal government, through tax authorities, must demonstrate visible accountability. On Nigeria’s broader socio-economic challenges, the bishops lamented the prolonged strike by health workers, which they noted had subjected ordinary Nigerians to unnecessary suffering and restricted access to essential healthcare services. “This situation is tragic and unacceptable. Anything short of urgent intervention amounts to needless suffering and avoidable deaths,” they said. The clerics also criticised the deplorable state of major road networks linking cities, particularly in the south-west, and accused some federal and state ministries of underperformance despite ongoing reform initiatives.