I’m Not Afraid of Anybody, Onaiyekan Responds to Presidency

By Nafiu Muhammad Lema

Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, has rejected criticism from the Presidency over his public comments on a recent meeting between Catholic bishops and President Bola Tinubu, insisting that he has no reason to be intimidated or embarrassed.

The 82-year-old cleric said his appearance on Arise News after the meeting was intended to communicate the concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), rather than to satisfy the government or any individual.

Speaking in a video shared by SYMFONI TV on Wednesday, Onaiyekan said he was committed to speaking the truth about the issues affecting Nigerians.

“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.

The cardinal dismissed suggestions that the Presidency’s reaction had embarrassed him, saying his age and experience had made him unafraid of intimidation.

“I cannot be embarrassed. I’m 82 years old; nobody can embarrass me. And I’m not afraid of anybody,” he stated.

Onaiyekan also urged Nigerians not to take their ability to publicly criticise government officials for granted, noting that religious leaders in some African countries do not enjoy the same freedom.

He explained that his comments about the meeting were not based solely on his personal opinion, but reflected the position of the bishops who participated in the engagement with President Tinubu.

According to him, the bishops had jointly prepared a statement containing the concerns he later discussed during the television interview.

“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,” he said.

He added that the bishops remained free to raise the same concerns within their respective dioceses, stressing that many other religious leaders had also expressed worries over the country’s economic and security challenges.

“When it comes to what is happening to Nigeria, the poverty, the suffering, we are all in the same boat now,” Onaiyekan said.

The controversy followed a July 28 meeting between President Tinubu and a delegation of the CBCN 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.

During the meeting, the bishops raised concerns over economic hardship, insecurity, democratic governance, the 2027 elections, religious freedom and the return of mission schools.

Three days after the engagement, Onaiyekan appeared on Arise News and gave his account of the meeting, saying the bishops had spoken frankly to the President about the difficulties facing Nigerians.

The Presidency later criticised the public disclosure of details from the meeting. President Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described Onaiyekan’s comments as inappropriate, arguing that the engagement was a private meeting.

However, Onaiyekan has maintained his position, insisting that the bishops’ intervention was driven by concern over the hardship and suffering experienced by Nigerians.

He said religious leaders have a responsibility to speak on issues affecting the people and that the bishops’ comments were intended to draw attention to the country’s challenges rather than embarrass the government.