The Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has accused politicians of giving President Bola Tinubu a misleading picture of Nigeria’s economic and security situation.
Kalu made the remarks in a viral video while reacting to the controversy surrounding comments by the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who said the President disagreed with the Catholic bishops’ assessment of conditions in the country.
The former Abia State governor described the Catholic bishops as the conscience of the nation, noting that their interventions are usually guided by national interest rather than partisan considerations.
According to him, the bishops are well informed about the economic hardship and insecurity confronting Nigerians and should be taken seriously whenever they offer advice to the government.
“The Catholic bishops are the conscience of the country, and once they give advice, their advice is not for or against anybody. It is simply for any sitting President to see things the way they should be,” Kalu said.
The lawmaker acknowledged that Nigerians were facing genuine hardship but maintained that the challenges should not be blamed entirely on President Tinubu.
“The Catholic bishops are aware of the situation in the country. There are real difficulties in Nigeria, but they are not President Tinubu’s fault,” he stated.
Kalu said the bishops’ meeting with the President was a positive development because it provided an opportunity for Tinubu to hear an independent assessment of the situation in the country.
“The Catholic bishops’ visit to President Tinubu is a good one. I support it because they are telling him the way it is,” he said.
He argued that honest feedback from religious leaders could encourage the President to intensify efforts to address the country’s challenges.
“It prompts the President to work harder because the Catholic bishops are just telling him the way it is, even if politicians are lying to him that things are good everywhere,” Kalu added.
The senator maintained that politicians might downplay the level of hardship and insecurity confronting citizens, but the bishops would be more likely to present the true situation to the President.
“Even if we politicians can lie to him, the bishops will tell him the truth about the current reality of the country,” he said.
Kalu’s remarks come amid renewed debate over the Federal Government’s handling of the economy and insecurity, following concerns raised by Catholic leaders about the hardships facing Nigerians.