I’m Not Afraid of Anybody, Onaiyekan Rebuts Presidency Criticism

Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has dismissed criticism from the Presidency over his public comments on a meeting between Catholic bishops and President Bola Tinubu, insisting that he is neither afraid nor embarrassed by the reaction.

The 82-year-old cleric said his appearance on television after the engagement was intended to communicate the concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), rather than to please the Federal Government or any individual.

Onaiyekan made the remarks in a video shared by SYMFONI TV on Wednesday while responding to questions about the Presidency’s reaction to his account of the bishops’ meeting with Tinubu.

“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 added that, at his age, he could not be intimidated by criticism or threats.

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

Onaiyekan also defended the freedom of religious leaders and other Nigerians to publicly criticise government policies, warning that such freedoms should not be taken for granted.

He noted that in some African countries, bishops and other religious leaders were unable to speak as openly about national issues.

“And we are still lucky in this Nigeria that we can still talk. We shouldn’t take that for granted. There are many countries in Africa where no bishop dares to talk like we do here,” he said.

The cleric further clarified that his remarks concerning the meeting with Tinubu were not his personal position but reflected the collective concerns of the Catholic bishops who participated in the engagement.

According to him, the bishops had jointly drafted a statement containing the issues he later discussed publicly.

“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. It was their voice I was echoing,” he explained.

He said the bishops remained free to express their concerns in their respective dioceses, adding that several other religious leaders had also raised concerns about the state of the country.

Onaiyekan said Nigerians were experiencing similar challenges, particularly poverty and hardship.

“When it comes to what is happening to Nigeria, the poverty, the suffering, we are all in the same boat now, abi?” he asked.

The controversy followed a July 28 meeting between Tinubu and a delegation of the CBCN at the State House in Abuja.

The delegation was led by the CBCN President, Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Kaduna, and 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, democracy and the 2027 elections, as well as religious freedom and the proposed return of mission schools.

Three days later, Onaiyekan appeared on Arise News, where he discussed the bishops’ engagement with the President and said they had spoken frankly about the difficulties facing Nigerians.

The Presidency subsequently criticised his public account of the meeting. The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described the disclosure as inappropriate, arguing that the engagement was a private meeting.

However, Onaiyekan, in his latest remarks, stood by his position and rejected suggestions that he should be embarrassed or intimidated by the criticism.

He maintained that the bishops’ intervention was driven by their concern for Nigerians and the challenges confronting the country.