Church Must Move “From Pulpit to People,” Obi Tells Enugu Diocesan Synod

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party Mr. Peter Obi, has called on the Church to take a more practical and people-centred role in youth empowerment and community development, saying that Nigeria’s regeneration depends on the values religious institutions instil in society.

Obi made the remarks on Tuesday at the 4th Enugu Diocesan Synod, where he spoke on the theme, “The Role of the Church in Youth Empowerment and Community Development.”

He said that religious institutions must “move from pulpit to people,” insisting that preaching alone is no longer enough in a society weighed down by moral decay, unemployment, and a growing number of unskilled youths.

He lamented the decline in personal discipline and civic responsibility. He recalled a visit to a burnt school that left pupils studying under harsh condition, describing it as a symbol of society’s failing values.

He emphasised the need for the Church and other serious religious groups to lead in building character, which he described as the foundation of any meaningful development.

Commending the Enugu Catholic Diocese for its practical investments in agriculture, Obi highlighted his recent visit to the diocesan farm with the Auxiliary Bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Ernest Obodo.

He said such initiatives provide young people with skills, employment, and a pathway to sustainable community development. Drawing global parallels, he noted how countries with limited natural resources have achieved food security through disciplined productivity – contrasting it with Nigeria, where its vast arable lands such remain underutilised.

Obi maintained that religious institutions, while not interfering with governance, must help redirect the nation toward a culture of hard work, responsibility, and productivity. Citing his conversation with Professor James Robinson, co-author of “Why Nations Fail”, he explained that nations stagnate not because they lack knowledge, but because they fail to implement what is necessary for progress.

He said Nigeria reflects this reality and needs institutions, including religious organisations to positively drive behavioural and value change among the youth.

He also referenced the positive impact of strengthening Church–State collaboration in sectors such as healthcare, noting that hospitals like Iyienu and Borromeo achieved higher standards and became teaching hospitals because they were properly supported. He also sited the improvement in education consequent upon the involvement of religious institutions These examples, he said, prove that the Church has the capacity to uplift communities and help shape a more disciplined and productive society.

At the end of the event, during the Vote of Thanks, the Bishop of the Diocese expressed gratitude to Obi for the “enormous sacrifice” he made to attend the synod and thanked him for his consistent goodness to society. He prayed that God would grant him the opportunity to continue rendering greater service to the nation.

Obi concluded by urging the Church to intensify its commitment to value formation, mentorship, productivity education, and practical initiatives that uplift communities. He described the synod as a timely platform for strengthening the Church’s resolve to build a society rooted in hard work, integrity, and shared progress.