Southeast APC Leader Backs Catholic Bishops on Hardship in Nigeria, Mentions What Tinubu Didn’t Do
- Senator Orji Uzor Kalu spoke out after Catholic bishops visited President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja
- Kalu described the bishops as the conscience of the nation and backed their decision to speak honestly to the President
- The senator accused politicians of painting a false picture of conditions across Nigeria to the President
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Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who represents Abia North, has said the economic hardship and insecurity facing Nigerians cannot be attributed to President Bola Tinubu, arguing instead that politicians routinely feed the President a distorted view of the country's situation.
Kalu made the remarks in a video that has since gone viral, responding to the recent visit by members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria to Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Source: Facebook
During that meeting, the bishops raised concerns about the country's economy, security situation, and political climate.
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, later revealed that Tinubu pushed back on the bishops' assessment, maintaining that his administration was headed in the right direction.
Kalu derends Tinubu, praises the Bishops
Despite acknowledging the difficulties Nigerians face, Kalu stopped short of laying responsibility at Tinubu's door.
"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 said.
The former Abia State governor described the bishops as a moral compass for the country, saying their counsel was always offered in the national interest rather than in support of or opposition to any government.
"The Catholic bishops are the conscience of the country and once they give advice, their advice is not for or against; it's just for any sitting President to see things the way it should be," Kalu said.
He also welcomed the bishops' decision to meet Tinubu directly, saying it gave the President a clearer picture of what ordinary Nigerians are experiencing.
“The Catholic bishops' visit to President Tinubu is a good one. I support it because they are telling him the way it is," he added.
Politicians lying to the President, Kalu claims
Kalu reserved some of his sharpest words for fellow politicians, alleging that they have been shielding the President from the truth about conditions on the ground.
"It promotes 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, they can never say that," he said.
He continued:
“Even if we politicians can lie to him, the bishops will tell him the truth about the current reality of the country."
Kalu's comments come as Nigerians continue to grapple with rising living costs and persistent security challenges, issues that have drawn growing criticism of the Tinubu administration from various quarters.
Tinubu told to resign
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, publicly criticised the Presidency for its response to Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the Catholic Bishops following their engagement with President Bola Tinubu.
The former Vice President warned that Tinubu's administration's growing intolerance of dissent poses a threat to Nigeria's democracy.
Source: Legit.ng
