People around Tinubu are misleading him – Cardinal Onaiyekan

Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has alleged that people surrounding President Bola Tinubu are giving him a distorted picture of the country’s realities, saying the Catholic bishops felt obliged to present the President with what they described as the true state of the nation.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS, Onaiyekan reflected on the recent meeting between President Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), saying the President appeared unhappy with the concerns raised by the clerics.

According to him, the bishops were not surprised by the President’s reaction because their message differed sharply from what they believe he regularly hears from those around him.

“I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy. We knew that this is different from the kind of statements that our President keeps receiving from all kinds of people,” he said.

Expressing concern over the President’s inner circle, Onaiyekan added, “There are so many people hanging around Mr President, giving him a rosy picture of what the country is, which it is not.

“We felt that we have no duty to do that. Indeed, we have the obligation to help him appreciate the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves.”

The cleric said the bishops deliberately presented what they considered an honest assessment of the country’s challenges, even though they knew it was unlikely to please the President.

“That is the reality that we painted, which I know is not the kind of thing that he wanted to hear. His reply shows very clearly,” he said.

Describing the atmosphere of the meeting, Onaiyekan said the encounter was frank rather than ceremonial, insisting that the state of the nation required honest conversations instead of polite exchanges.

“When the nation is bleeding, you can’t expect a polite meeting with the head of state. We need to let him know,” he said.

According to the cardinal, the bishops expressed concern over the country’s economic situation and its impact on ordinary Nigerians, but President Tinubu maintained that the economy was improving.

“We told him our economy is not helping our poor people. He told us the economy is doing fine. Practically speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us,” Onaiyekan stated.

Despite the disagreement, he said the bishops had fulfilled their responsibility by conveying their concerns directly to the President.

“We didn’t expect him to agree with us. We have done our duty. We have delivered our message, and we have a feeling that somehow along the line, somebody will show him a few of the things we said,” he added.