Onaiyekan to Presidency: We Have No Intention of Trading Words

Former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has dismissed suggestions of a public confrontation with the Presidency, insisting that the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has no interest in exchanging words with government officials. He said the bishops' recent comments on the state of the nation were made out of genuine concern for Nigeria and not for political reasons.

Onaiyekan explained that the Church's responsibility is to speak the truth on issues affecting the country, particularly insecurity, economic hardship and governance. According to him, the bishops' observations were based on the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians and should not be interpreted as an attempt to undermine the government or provoke unnecessary controversy.

He stressed that the Church has no political ambition or intention of taking over government, adding that its role is purely prophetic, speaking truth to power in the interest of justice, peace and national development. He maintained that the bishops would continue to offer constructive criticism whenever necessary while praying for the nation's leaders.

The cleric urged government officials to focus on addressing the concerns raised rather than engaging in public exchanges with religious leaders. He noted that the issues highlighted by the bishops reflected the experiences of millions of Nigerians and deserved serious attention rather than defensive responses.

Onaiyekan reaffirmed the Church's commitment to supporting every effort aimed at promoting peace, good governance and national unity, saying meaningful dialogue and practical solutions remain more important than public disagreements.