Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has described the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria as “the conscience of the country,” urging President Bola Tinubu and his team to reflect on the concerns raised by the clerics rather than dismiss them as political criticism.
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Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, spoke in a video posted on his Facebook page while reacting to last week’s meeting between President Tinubu and the leadership of the CBCN at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, as well as the public debate that followed.
The meeting, led by CBCN President, Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso, saw the bishops raise concerns over worsening economic hardship, insecurity and the general state of the nation.
In response, President Tinubu defended his administration’s economic reforms, insisting that the economy was stabilising. He also cited the end of prolonged strikes by university lecturers and maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission remained neutral, saying his political opponents were “afraid of their own shadows.”
The meeting later generated controversy after the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, said during an interview on ARISE NEWS that President Tinubu appeared unhappy with the bishops’ message that Nigeria was “bleeding” and that worsening economic conditions were taking a heavy toll on ordinary citizens.
Presidential Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, subsequently criticised Onaiyekan’s remarks, saying they did not represent the views of all Christians. He also alleged that the Catholic Church was backing the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 election.
Reacting to the controversy, Kalu defended the bishops, saying their intervention was meant to strengthen governance and not undermine the President.
“To me, the Catholic Bishops are the conscience of the country. And once they give advice, their advice is not for or against,” Kalu said.
“Their advice is just for any sitting president, any sitting leader, to see things the way it should be.”
The senator acknowledged the economic hardship facing Nigerians but argued that the current challenges should not be blamed entirely on President Tinubu.
“There’s difficulty in Nigeria, there’s no doubt. And it’s not the fault of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Kalu said while the administration had made progress in stabilising the broader economy, the impact had yet to be fully felt at the grassroots.
“And we have been able to capture the macro-economy, and the micro is what we are having problems with, as I’ve always told people,” he said.
He stressed that the bishops had a moral duty to tell the President the truth, unlike politicians who might present an overly positive picture of the country.
“So there’s nothing new about the Catholic bishops visiting; they are clergymen who are conscious of what they speak and what they say,” he said.
“And I support the visit of the Catholic bishops; it prods the President to work harder because the Catholic bishops are just telling him the way it is.
“Even if we politicians are lying to him and say things are good everywhere, the Catholic bishops can never say that. And that’s why they are Catholic bishops.”
Kalu also corrected what he described as a misconception about the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, noting that Cardinal Onaiyekan is not the current president of the CBCN.
“And I want to correct one thing. Cardinal Onaiyekan is not the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference. And people are making mistakes on that,” he said.
The lawmaker urged those working with President Tinubu to carefully examine the concerns raised by the bishops and use them to improve governance.
“So I believe whatever the disagreement is between the Catholic bishops and people speaking for the President, it’s nothing because the Catholic bishops just dropped what they want to say about the presidency, or it’s about what they want to say about what they know about the economy,” he said.
“It’s left for us who work with President Tinubu to take back to our rooms, analyse what they have said and come up with solutions that will make Nigerians happy.”
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