Patrick Doyle Slams Church Members For Gifting Rolls Royce Amidst National Hardship

Veteran actor Patrick Doyle has expressed his disapproval of church members celebrating their founder’s birthday by purchasing him a Rolls Royce, especially during a time when many Nigerians are struggling to make ends meet.

Doyle’s comments came shortly after Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church, received two Rolls Royce Cullinan vehicles at his 70th birthday celebration.

In response, Doyle suggested that the funds used for the luxury cars could have been better spent on projects benefiting the public. He stated, “In these challenging times, we must be mindful of how we celebrate significant occasions, whether for ourselves or in honor of those we admire. We should consider scaling back the public display of our wealth. Now is not the moment to drive through streets filled with hungry and despairing Nigerians in our luxury vehicles.”

He shared an example of a friend who owns a Rolls Royce but has opted to drive a Ford Escape to demonstrate sensitivity to the ongoing hardships faced by many. “Unfortunately, not many in his socioeconomic bracket are following suit. The insensitivity of the elite could very well ignite the long-awaited revolution that Nigeria needs for a reset. I’m genuinely baffled as to why congregants would choose to honor their founder with a Rolls Royce at this time.”

Doyle further explained, “While I recognize the importance of celebrating someone of his stature, a more thoughtful gesture would have been to establish a facility that serves the community or to initiate a scholarship program in his name. The amount spent on the Rolls Royce could easily have funded such endeavors. We seem to cling to outdated practices. In the past, congregations bought cars for pastors when they couldn’t afford them. That is not the case here, as the celebrant already possesses a fleet of luxury cars and even aircraft.”

He concluded that a more appropriate birthday gift might have been the construction and equipping of a vocational training center or a similar project in honor of the founder. Doyle noted that the public perceives him, as the founder of two elite private universities, to be out of touch with the struggles of the masses. “Such a gesture could help change that perception. This is my humble opinion, rooted in my deep respect for a great man whom I hold in the highest regard.”