Tinubu owes Catholic Church no apology over bishops’ comments – Kalu

Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu owes the Catholic Church no apology over his recent remarks following the meeting between the President and Catholic bishops.

Kalu, who is a Catholic and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said he did not believe Tinubu had insulted the Catholic Church or its leadership, insisting that the President had maintained a cordial relationship with the Church.

The former Senate Chief Whip spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday while reacting to criticisms of the Tinubu administration by some Catholic leaders, including Cardinal John Onaiyekan.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria recently met with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, where concerns over hardship, the state of the economy, fairness in the political space and the 2027 elections were reportedly raised.

However, comments attributed to the President and subsequent remarks from the Presidency generated controversy, with critics accusing the administration of being dismissive of the bishops’ concerns.

But Kalu dismissed the suggestion that Tinubu had disrespected the Catholic Church, arguing that the Church had historically played the role of the conscience of the nation by speaking truth to successive governments.

“I am a very good faithful of the Catholic Church, and this is not the first time the Catholic Church is going to present its views in every country,” Kalu said.

He said Catholic bishops had consistently commented on the state of the nation under successive military and civilian administrations and that he saw nothing wrong with their engagement with the President.

According to him, “what politicians cannot tell President Tinubu, the Catholic bishops can tell him.”

Kalu said the bishops’ meeting with Tinubu was therefore a positive development because the clergy could raise issues before the President without being constrained by partisan considerations.

He further argued that Tinubu had maintained a good relationship with the Catholic Church, saying the President had continued to grant the bishops access whenever they sought an audience with him.

The former governor also defended Tinubu against calls for an apology over the controversy, stating categorically that the President had not made any statement that warranted one.

“Do you think that the presidency should apologise to the Catholic Church?” he was asked.

Kalu replied: “The President didn’t say anything that needs apology.”

He, however, added that if there was anything the President had done wrong to the Church, he should be prepared to apologise.

The APC chieftain also defended the President’s position on the economy, distinguishing between macroeconomic indicators and the difficulties being experienced by ordinary Nigerians.

Kalu acknowledged that the microeconomic situation remained difficult, particularly for businesses and ordinary citizens, but argued that the Tinubu administration had made progress in stabilising the broader economy.

“I am a businessman. I manufacture goods. The micro side of the economy is not doing that well, and that’s what concerns the average person,” he said.

However, he maintained that the macroeconomic side had improved, citing what he described as greater stability in the exchange rate, fuel prices and increased foreign direct investment.

According to him, the major challenge confronting Nigerians at the microeconomic level is compounded by insecurity, particularly the activities of insurgents and bandits, which have disrupted farming and economic activities in several parts of the country.

Kalu linked the insecurity to the proliferation of arms from conflict zones in the Sahel and other parts of Africa, arguing that Nigeria’s economic difficulties could not be viewed solely through the lens of domestic government policies.

He also pointed to the impact of global conflicts, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran-Israel-US conflict, on economies around the world.

“Reform is not a Christmas party. It is not a Sallah party. In a reform, we have to see the good, the best and the ugly,” Kalu said.

He acknowledged that the Tinubu administration had yet to fully address the hardship being experienced by ordinary Nigerians but argued that the government was working towards improving the microeconomic situation.

On the controversy surrounding Cardinal Onaiyekan’s public comments after the meeting with Tinubu, Kalu said the Cardinal had a history of speaking critically about governments, regardless of who was in power.

He noted that Onaiyekan had criticised successive administrations dating back to the military era, adding that his position should not automatically be interpreted as the official position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

Kalu said Onaiyekan was not necessarily speaking on behalf of the entire Catholic Bishops’ Conference when he made his subsequent public comments.

He therefore rejected suggestions that the Cardinal’s remarks amounted to an indictment of the President or proof that Tinubu had fallen out with the Catholic Church.

“I am a very fair-minded man and I speak the truth,” he said, maintaining that Tinubu would not deliberately insult the Catholic bishops.

The senator also rejected claims that the President was detached from the reality of the hardship facing Nigerians.

He argued that Tinubu was regularly briefed on developments in the country and had continued to engage with different stakeholders.