Senator Orji Uzor Kalu
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has supported the position of the Catholic bishops on the current state of the nation, admitting that Nigeria is facing economic hardship and advising the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to swiftly take their observations seriously.
Kalu made the remarks in a Facebook post on Sunday when he reacted to recent comments by Catholic bishops on the country’s economic situation. The former Abia State governor argued that the Catholic bishops serve as the conscience of the nation, stressing that their interventions are not aimed at attacking any government but at offering honest counsel to leaders.
He noted that while the government has made progress in stabilising the macro-economy, challenges remain at the microeconomic level, which directly affects ordinary Nigerians. Kalu said the bishops’ observations should be viewed as constructive criticism capable of helping the government improve its policies and address citizens’ concerns.
He argued that unlike politicians who may present an overly positive picture to the President, Catholic bishops have a moral responsibility to speak truthfully about the realities facing the country. The senator also clarified that John Onaiyekan is not the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, saying many people have wrongly attributed that position to him.
Kalu dismissed suggestions of any serious disagreement between the Catholic bishops and presidential spokespersons, describing the bishops’ comments as advice that members of the administration should carefully analyse and use to improve governance. Kalu said:Â “To me, the Catholic bishops are conscience of the country, and once they give advice, their advice is not for or against.
“Their advice is just for any sitting president, any sitting leader, to see things the way they should be. “There’s difficulty in Nigeria, there’s no doubt, and it’s not the fault of President Bola Tinubu. We have been able to capture the macro economy, and micro is where we are having problems, as I’ve always told people.
“So, there’s nothing new about the Catholic bishops visiting. They are clergymen with their conscience of what they speak and what they say, and I support the visit of the Catholic bishops. It prompts the president to work harder because Catholic bishops are just telling him how it is.
“Even if we politicians have lied to him and said things are good everywhere, the Catholic bishop can never say that, and that is why they are Catholic bishops.
“And I want to correct one thing. Cardinal Onaiyekan is not the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference, and people are making a mistake on that.
“So, I believe whatever disagreement there 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 what they want to say about what they know about the economy.
“It’s less for us who work with President Tinubu to take back to our rooms and analyse what they say and come out with beautiful things that will make Nigerian people happy.”
