Catholic Bishops Call on Tinubu Presidency to Improve Governance

The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has urged the President Bola Tinubu administration to focus on effective governance. This statement comes after a recent meeting between the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja, where the bishops presented their assessment of the country's economic and security situation. According to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the CBCN has no intention of engaging in a public debate with government spokespersons following their meeting with the President. The cleric emphasized that the bishops' intervention was motivated by a moral responsibility to all Nigerians, rather than a sectarian agenda. Cardinal Onaiyekan stated, 'We are done talking. You can govern better. We didn’t go there just as Catholic bishops pushing the Catholic agenda. No. We went there as people who are with the spiritual mandate to speak to anybody in the name of God.' He also noted that the responses from Nigerians on social media to the government's comments were sufficient, and he saw no need to respond further. The exchange between the Presidency and the CBCN began after the bishops' meeting with President Tinubu, where they shared their concerns about the state of the nation.