Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has said his public comments on the meeting between Catholic bishops and President Bola Tinubu were made to uphold the truth and reflect the collective position of the bishops.
Onaiyekan, 82, made the clarification in a video shared by Symfoni TV on Wednesday, days after the Presidency criticised his decision to publicly discuss issues raised during the bishops’ meeting with the President.
The cleric said he did not appear on Arise Television to curry favour with the government or any other interest, insisting that his only motivation was to speak truthfully about the situation in the country.
“I didn’t go to Arise to please government, or to just please people, but to tell the truth. That’s all I stand for,” he said.
Onaiyekan also rejected concerns that the Presidency’s reaction could intimidate him, saying that at his age he was not afraid of being embarrassed or threatened.
“I cannot be embarrassed. I’m 82 years old; nobody can embarrass me. And I’m not afraid of anybody,” he said.
The former Catholic Archbishop further stressed that his comments should not be interpreted as a personal position, explaining that the issues he discussed reflected the collective concerns of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.
According to him, the bishops had jointly drafted a statement containing the issues raised during their engagement with Tinubu, meaning he was merely conveying the position agreed upon by the delegation.
“No, mind you, I didn’t talk on my own now. I spoke on behalf of my fellow bishops. We drafted a statement which contained all that I said in the interview. So, all the bishops of Nigeria spoke that way,” he said.
Onaiyekan also urged Nigerians to value the space for public criticism, warning that such freedom should not be taken for granted given the restrictions faced by religious leaders in some African countries.
The cleric said the concerns raised by the bishops were driven by the economic hardship, insecurity and other challenges confronting Nigerians.
He added that religious leaders had a responsibility to speak about issues affecting the people, stressing that Nigerians were collectively experiencing the consequences of the country’s difficulties.
The controversy followed a July 28 meeting between President Tinubu and a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the State House in Abuja.
The delegation, led by CBCN President Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Kaduna, included Onaiyekan, Cardinal Peter Okpaleke, Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto and other senior Catholic clerics.
The bishops reportedly raised concerns over economic hardship, insecurity, democracy, the 2027 elections, religious freedom and the return of mission schools.
Onaiyekan later appeared on Arise News and publicly gave his account of the meeting, prompting a response from the Presidency.
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, had criticised the disclosure of details from what he described as a private engagement.
However, Onaiyekan has maintained that speaking about the concerns raised by the bishops was part of his responsibility and that he would continue to speak on issues affecting Nigerians.
