Catholic Church, Mulumba, Kwankwaso, Others Back Onaiyekan’s Take on Tinubu

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja, Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos, Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Enugu and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The leadership of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria (CLCN) has supported the views of John Cardinal Onaiyekan regarding the outcome of the recent meeting of Catholic bishops with President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement jointly signed by National President of the council, Sir Ambrose Obioba, and Secretary-General, Mr. Francis Olayinka Ojo, the group, which is an umbrella body of all Catholic faithful in Nigeria, rejected allegations that the cleric breached confidence by commenting on the recent meeting between Tinubu and the Catholic bishops.

The council reaffirmed its solidarity with Onaiyekan and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, urging Nigerians to pray for national leaders and support policies that promote justice, security, and relief for the poor.

The council, which said it represented more than 38 million Catholic laity, defended the Cardinal’s position, describing it as a fulfilment of the Church’s prophetic mission rather than a violation of trust.

The council stated that the Catholic Church had a God-given mandate to hold political leaders accountable in line with the teachings of the gospel.

It also dismissed suggestions that Onaiyekan disclosed confidential matters from the meeting with Tinubu.

While acknowledging the importance of confidentiality in private engagements, CLCN said discussions affecting the welfare of Nigerians could not be shielded from public scrutiny.

“A disagreement over facts, as the presidency rightly noted, should not be read as arrogance. Neither should a pastoral reflection be read as a breach of trust,” it stated.

The Laity Council called for continued cooperation between the Church and government, adding that both parties should sustain dialogue in the interest of national development.

It said, “Government and Church must continue to work together for the common good. We urge both the presidency and the Church to sustain the channels of dialogue. Nigeria needs moral voices now more than ever.”

KSM to Tinubu: Revisit the Concerns

The Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba Nigeria (KSM) also threw its weight behind the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), and condemned attacks against church leaders. It urged Tinubu to revisit the concerns the clerics raised.

In a statement jointly signed by the Supreme Knight, Sir Steve Adehi (SAN), CKSM, KCSS, and the Supreme Secretary, Sir George Eze, CKSM, the Catholic organisation described the criticism of the bishops by presidential aides as “shameful” and an attempt to silence moral voices speaking on behalf of ordinary Nigerians.

The statement, titled, “A KSM Response on the CBCN Presidential Visit and Its Aftermath,” maintained that the bishops’ July 28 visit to the president was far more than a routine courtesy call. The group said the bishops made a sincere appeal for adjustments in governance in response to the country’s worsening socio-economic conditions.

According to KSM, the Catholic Church has a responsibility to speak whenever the nation’s moral fabric is under threat.

The statement said, “The Order of The Knights of Saint Mulumba Nigeria (KSM) is a Catholic fraternal Order of laymen bound by three obligations: charity to the poor, defence of the faith, and service to the common good. We are not politicians. We do not seek office, nor do we align with parties.

“When the moral fabric of the nation is torn, we speak. Not as partisans but rather as citizens who have seen it all about governance and cannot afford to stay silent.”

Kwankwaso: Onaiyekan, Seeks Urgent Action on Cost of Living, Insecurity

Former Kano State Governor and vice presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, defended the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria over their concerns on the state of the nation.

In a statement, Kwankwaso commended the bishops for their “courage and patriotism” in speaking out on the rising cost of living, worsening insecurity, declining public confidence, and the hardship faced by millions of Nigerians.

He said the issues raised by CBCN were “neither partisan nor isolated”, but reflected the daily experiences of ordinary citizens across every region of the country.

Kwankwaso stated, “Nigeria is blessed with abundant human and natural resources, yet millions of our people continue to struggle under the weight of economic hardship, unemployment, insecurity, poor access to quality education and healthcare, and diminishing opportunities.”

The former Minister of Defence said the challenges demanded “urgent, sincere, and people-centred responses from those entrusted with leadership”.

Group Knocks Tinubu’s Aides over Attacks on Onaiyekan, Says Cleric Deserves Respect

Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) condemned Tinubu’s aides for attacking the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, over the cleric’s criticism of the president.

Presidential aides led by Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Mr. Daniel Bwala, had descended on His Eminence for disclosing the outcome of the private audience the Catholic bishops had with Tinubu.

But COSEYL, in a statement by its President General, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, expressed “profound disappointment and outrage over the reckless attempt by the presidency to diminish and politicise the patriotic intervention of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN)”.

The group defended Onaiyekan for telling the public Mr. President’s noncommittal response to the numerous concerns raised by the bishops on the parlous state of the country.

It warned that “any attack on Onaiyekan’s person is an attack on the conscience of Nigeria”, adding that presidential spokespersons have the penchant for chasing shadows when confronted with the failings of the Tinubu administration.

The statement said, “Mr. Bwala’s assertion that Cardinal Onaiyekan was speaking only for Catholics and not for Christians or Nigerians is, in our view, an unfortunate attempt to divert attention from the substance of the Cardinal’s message.

“Rather than address the grave concerns he raised about the hardship, insecurity, hunger, unemployment, and declining living standards confronting millions of Nigerians, the presidential spokesman chose to attack the messenger.

“That approach does not answer the issues confronting the country.”