Insensitive To Buy Rolls Royce In Austere Times, Says Patrick Doyle, Citing Bishop Oyedepo

Insensitive To Buy Rolls Royce In Austere Times, Says Patrick Doyle, Citing Bishop Oyedepo....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Veteran actor Patrick Doyle has expressed that it is insensitive for members of a church to purchase Rolls Royce cars for their general overseer at a time when many Nigerians are struggling to afford basic necessities. His comments come shortly after Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of Living Faith Church, was gifted two Rolls Royce Cullinans for his 70th birthday…….CONTINUE READING 

In a social media post, Doyle questioned the decision to spend large sums of money on luxury vehicles, suggesting that the funds could have been used to create public infrastructure that benefits the masses. He warned that flaunting wealth in the face of widespread poverty could ignite a revolution.

Doyle wrote, “In these tough times, we must be mindful of how we celebrate significant milestones, whether for ourselves or others we admire. Displaying our affluence while so many Nigerians are suffering is tone-deaf. Now is not the time to drive luxury cars through streets filled with people who are hungry and disheartened.

“I know someone with a Rolls Royce and many other luxury cars, but he now drives a Ford Escape—not out of false modesty, but as a way to show sensitivity to the economic hardship in the country. Unfortunately, not everyone in his socio-economic class is as considerate. The insensitivity of the elite could very well trigger the revolution Nigeria has long needed to reset. I am still in disbelief that members of a congregation thought it appropriate to celebrate their founder’s birthday by gifting him a Rolls Royce at this time.

“In my view, this is highly insensitive. While I understand the desire to honor such a figure, a more thoughtful gesture would have been to build a socially impactful facility or establish a scholarship in his name. The cost of the Rolls Royce could have easily covered these initiatives. We seem to be stuck in outdated ways of doing things. In the past, congregations bought cars for their pastors because many of them couldn’t afford one. That’s clearly not the case here. Bishop Oyedepo already owns a fleet of luxury vehicles and even private jets. A more appropriate gift might have been the construction of a vocational training center in his honor.”

Doyle concluded by acknowledging the perception that as the founder of two elite private universities, Oyedepo may seem disconnected from the struggles of ordinary Nigerians. “A gesture like the ones I suggested could have softened that perception. This is my humble opinion, shared out of respect for the man, whom I hold in the highest regard.”