Former Nigerian diplomat and international political analyst, Ambassador Joe Keshi, has faulted the federal government’s handling of the ongoing debate around Christian persecution in Nigeria, saying President Bola Tinubu’s administration has shown a “lack of empathy” and poor communication with its own citizens.

Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Wednesday, Keshi said the government’s response — particularly through some of its spokespersons — has deepened public mistrust and worsened Nigeria’s image internationally.

“In a crisis period like this, the first constituency the president should speak to is the Nigerian people,” Keshi said. “The president has not spoken to us, and his spokespersons just come out and say whatever they like.”

The former ambassador criticised recent remarks by Minister of Information Mohammed Idris and Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake, accusing the latter of “destroying” a well-delivered government briefing with a divisive comment.

“How could a minister say those driving the narrative of Christian killings are people who lost the 2023 elections? Statements like that show a total lack of empathy for life in this country,” Keshi said.

He also condemned presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala’s attempt to downplay reports of Christian persecution, describing his comments as “reckless” and “damaging to Nigeria’s diplomacy.”

“If Bwala is the face of Nigerian diplomacy today, then we are in a worse crisis than we think,” he said. “When he said the crime rate in America is higher than Nigeria’s, my first question was: where is the data? We don’t even have credible crime data in this country.”

Keshi argued that by claiming both Christians and Muslims are being killed, government officials were inadvertently admitting failure to protect citizens.

“Even saying that alone destroys your argument. Muslims are being killed because successive governments have failed to protect them,” he said. “That statement shows how little empathy there is for life in this country.”

The diplomat said Nigeria’s inability to collect and publish reliable data fuels conflicting narratives and erodes international credibility.

“We must speak with data,” Keshi stressed. “You cannot say only 100 people were killed when there’s video evidence showing far more. We need to put all this together.”

He urged President Tinubu to address the nation directly, explain the government’s plan, and mobilise a “national conscience” to end the killings.

“In times like this, the president must speak to the people, lay everything on the table, and say, ‘This is the situation and this is what I’m doing.’ That’s what leadership means,” Keshi said.

He noted that foreign policy begins at home, adding that the government cannot engage credibly with foreign partners like the United States without first addressing internal failures.

Keshi also revealed that he handled a similar crisis in 2009 as a serving diplomat in Washington, where he defused tensions by engaging directly with concerned US officials and providing accurate data.

“I didn’t deny that Christians were being attacked,” he recalled. “But I made the case that it’s a complex issue and explained what government was doing. What annoyed them then was that no Nigerian official was ready to talk to them or tell them the truth.”

He warned that Nigerians who took their grievances abroad did so because their voices were ignored at home.

“Those who took this issue abroad did so because nobody was listening to them. Even the dead have not received justice,” he said. “If you don’t want the devil in your house, lock your doors. But if you fail to act, don’t complain when outsiders intervene.”

Keshi urged the president to set stronger deadlines for service chiefs to end insecurity and demonstrate tangible results.

“The president should say clearly, ‘Your continuation in this job depends on ending this crisis within six months,’” he advised. “Buhari spent eight years issuing last warnings. We can’t keep doing that.”

The veteran diplomat concluded by calling for unity and domestic action, not defensiveness or denial.

“Forget excuses. Forget threats. Let’s do something dramatic between now and early next year to end the killings,” he said. “Foreign policy begins with leadership at home.” (AriseNews TV, but headline rejigged)