- News of Bishop Oyedepo receiving two luxury vehicles worth over a billion naira during a time of widespread economic hardship has sparked outrage across social media.
- Amidst the heated discussions, veteran actor Patrick Doyle has added his voice, calling out the staggering insensitivity of such a lavish gift.
In a passionate outcry, veteran actor Patrick Doyle has vehemently condemned the extravagant gifting of two Rolls Royce Cullinans to Bishop David Oyedepo during his recent 70th birthday celebration.
Doyle’s critique came just hours after the opulent celebration, where Oyedepo, founder of the Living Faith Church, was showered with gifts that seem to represent a blatant disconnect from the struggles of the everyday Nigerian.
Through his social media channels, Doyle expressed incredulity at the sheer volume of resources spent on luxury vehicles when that same money could have transformed lives, funded community projects, or built essential infrastructures that would serve the public good.
He underscored a crucial point: the moral obligation of religious leaders to act as shepherds for their congregations, especially in an economy that continues to bleed its citizens dry.
With the stark contrast between the lavish lifestyles of the wealthy elite and the grim reality faced by millions, Doyle articulated a growing sense of betrayal among the masses.
The Thespian warned that flaunting such wealth in the face of suffering could be the very spark that ignites the anticipated revolution many fear.
Patrick Doyle wrote;
“In these austere times, we all need to be sensitive how we mark landmark celebrations for ourselves or in honour of persons we hold in high esteem. We should even be sensible enough to tone down the public appearance of our affluence. Now is not the time to ride around our streets filled with hungry and despondent Nigerians in our luxury cars.
“I personally know of a friend of mine who has a Rolls Royce and many other luxury cars in his fleet. He now drives around in a Ford Escape, not as a show of false modesty, but as a gesture of sensitivity to the prevailing hardship in the land. Sadly, not many others in his socio-economic class are doing the same thing.
“The insensitivity of the elite may very well provide the spark for the long anticipated revolution Nigeria needs for a reset. I am still in a wonder bubble how or why congregants of a denomination chose to celebrate the birthday of their founder by buying him a Rolls Royce at this time.
“In my naive opinion, I find it to be insensitive in the extreme. While I appreciate the importance of celebrating a man like their founder, a more sensitive gesture would have been to build a socially relevant facility or institute a scholarship scheme in his honour. The cost of the Rolls Royce could certainly have funded any of the things I just mentioned. We appear to be a people who get stuck on old formats and ways of doing things. When congregations used to buy cars for their pastors, it was at a time many of the pastors could not on their own muster the resources to buy one themselves.
“This is certainly not the case in this instance. The celebrator, in this case, already has a fleet of luxury autos and even aircrafts. A more befitting birthday gift might have been the construction and equipping of a vocational training centre in his name or any other such thing.
“The public already has the impression that as the founder of 2 elite private universities, he is not sufficiently acquainted with the sufferings of the masses. So, a gesture such as I have suggested might have helped to mitigate that impression.
“This is my humble opinion offered from the depth of my affection for the great man who I personally hold in the highest esteem.’’
SEE HIS LENGTHY POST BELOW
