Cardinal John Onaiyekan has said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has finished delivering its message to the Presidency and is only interested in seeing whether the concerns raised will translate into improved governance.
The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja stated this while reacting to criticisms from the Presidency following the bishops’ recent meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House in Abuja, where they presented their assessment of the country’s economic and security situation.
Speaking during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Onaiyekan dismissed calls for the bishops to respond to government spokespersons, saying the conference would not be drawn into a public war of words.
He also dismissed claims that the bishops’ intervention represented only Catholic interests, stressing that their position was driven by a moral obligation to speak on issues affecting all Nigerians.
He said: “We didn’t go there just as Catholic bishops pushing the Catholic agenda. No. We went there as people who are with the spiritual mandate to speak to anybody in the name of God.”
Addressing the Presidency’s criticism, the Cardinal insisted the bishops had nothing more to say, maintaining that the focus should now be on the government’s actions.
He said: “I would not even answer that question. We have no response for them. We have spoken and the only response we are waiting for is whether it is affecting the way they are governing.
‘’That some of the supporters of government and the state and spokesperson may have their own idea about what they think they should be saying on behalf of their principal, is their business, not mine.
“As for response to the things we are hearing, I don’t even have to say anything because the social media is full of response from Nigerian people and that for me is more than enough.’’
Onaiyekan disclosed that the bishops sought the meeting with President Tinubu and had to wait several months before it was approved.
He explained that the visit was not aimed at advancing the Catholic faith or promoting church interests but was an opportunity to present concerns about governance and the welfare of Nigerians.
He said: “The Bishops visited President Tinubu last week and we requested for audience. It took some months before we were granted the audience and we prepared to see him, and the main reason we wanted to see him was not to go on an evangelical mission.
‘’We didn’t go there to preach to him and try to see whether we could convert him to our Catholic Church, but we went there to share our views and thoughts about the government which he heads, hoping that our ideas will be taken into consideration, So that is what took us to the statehouse.”
The cleric expressed optimism that the meeting would not mark the end of engagement between the bishops and the Federal Government, saying they remained willing to continue discussions on issues affecting Nigerians.
He said the bishops hoped to be given another opportunity to provide more detailed input beyond the limited time available during their meeting with the President.
He said: “We are hoping that our meeting with the President or our dialogue with the government of Nigeria did not end with that visit.”
He added: “We are hoping that somehow, he will invite us, not necessarily to meet him, I mean President Tinubu, but at least to open up fairness for us to give more information, more concerns that we have, than we could give in the ten minutes talk that we gave to him.”
Reaffirming that the bishops had no political agenda, Onaiyekan said they were only interested in promoting good governance and urged critics to focus on the substance of the issues they raised rather than questioning their motives.
He said: “I have told you already that I am not even prepared to start engaging anybody. Don’t forget that I was not defending my thesis. The document was prepared by the bishops of Nigeria, and we are a big number, and it was passed unanimously.
‘’We don’t have any political ambitions for anything. Even our church does not even allow us to get engaged in party politics. So, even if I wanted to be a presidential candidate, I can’t be.”
Speaking on the economy, the Cardinal said government performance should not be judged solely by macroeconomic indicators but by the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.
He said: “If we admit that the role of government is the welfare of citizens, then it means we are not going to judge the success of our government on the basis of the statistics from GDP, from the World Bank, or whatever. The important thing is, what, how is the life of the Nigerian?”
He described youth unemployment as one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges, warning that many graduates remained unable to secure jobs or plan their future despite completing their education.
He said: “The terrible thing now is many of our young people that have struggled to finish university are all going around with their degrees. They are unable to get a job. ‘’Therefore, they can’t even think of marriage. They can’t think of starting a family. They can’t think of planning their life. That is terrible, “ the Cardinal lamented.
The Archbishop Emeritus warned that growing frustration among young Nigerians could have serious consequences if not addressed, urging government to demonstrate sincerity, fairness and justice in governance.
He said: “The only thing it takes is a political will to do the right thing, to be honest in how government is run, to be just to everybody, to be fair in this.’’
Onaiyekan also called for broader collaboration between Christian and Muslim leaders in engaging the government on national issues, saying a united approach would better serve the country’s interest.
He said: “We are hoping that our message will be shared by other religious leaders in Nigeria, first other Christians in the context of CAN and, indeed, other believers, including our Muslim religious leaders.
‘’It would be wonderful if we could organise a meeting with Mr. President and all the religious leaders in Nigeria, talking together.”