Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has dismissed concerns that criticism from the Presidency over his comments on a meeting between Catholic bishops and President Bola Tinubu could embarrass or intimidate him, insisting that he spoke publicly to tell the truth.

The 82-year-old cleric made the remarks in a video shared by Symfoni TV on Wednesday while responding to the Presidency’s reaction to his account of the bishops’ meeting with Tinubu.

Onaiyekan said his appearance on Arise Television was not intended to please the government or anyone else, but to speak honestly about the issues discussed during the meeting. “I didn’t go to Arise (Television) to please government, or to just please people, but to tell the truth. That’s all I stand for,” he said.

Rejecting suggestions that he could be intimidated by the Presidency’s reaction, Onaiyekan said, “I cannot be embarrassed. I’m 82 years old; nobody can embarrass me. And I’m not afraid of anybody. Nobody, at this stage now, are they going to arrest me, carry me to where?”

The cleric also urged Nigerians to value the freedom to criticise those in government, noting that religious leaders in some African countries do not have the same freedom.

“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.

Onaiyekan stressed that his comments did not represent his personal views alone, explaining that he spoke on behalf of the Catholic bishops who attended the meeting.

“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 said.

He added that the bishops remained free to express their concerns in their respective dioceses, while acknowledging the support of some other religious leaders.

“I cannot speak on behalf of other religious leaders. Everybody has their own job to do, but many of the other religious leaders have supported us,” he said.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria delegation met Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on July 28. The meeting, led by CBCN President, Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Kaduna, focused on economic hardship, insecurity, democracy, the 2027 elections, religious freedom and the return of mission schools.

Three days later, Onaiyekan appeared on Arise News and gave his account of the engagement, saying the bishops had spoken frankly to Tinubu about the condition of Nigerians.

His comments drew criticism from the Presidency, with the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, describing the public disclosure of details from what he regarded as a private engagement as inappropriate.

Onaiyekan nevertheless maintained that the hardship confronting Nigerians was too important to ignore, stressing that the country’s problems affected everyone and required honest discussion. “When it comes to what is happening to Nigeria, the poverty, the suffering, we are all in the same boat now, abi?” he said. (The Sun)