Those around Tinubu are hiding Nigerians’ hardship from him, Onaiyekan says after meeting with president

Archbishop John Onaiyekan described a tense closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, where the president reportedly argued against concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria regarding the nation's economic struggles. Onaiyekan, part of the delegation, told Arise Television that Tinubu's reaction indicated his advisors might be presenting him with an inaccurate, overly optimistic view of the country's reality.

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You asked me, how did I see the face of the President in reaction? I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy.

"You asked me, how did I see the face of the President in reaction? I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy," Onaiyekan recounted. He explained that the bishops felt obligated to present the harsh realities faced by ordinary Nigerians, a stark contrast to the "rosy picture" they believe surrounds the president. The cleric noted that both sides left the meeting without changing their positions, with Tinubu insisting the economy was doing fine despite the bishops' assertion that it was not helping the poor.

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And that is one of the things that worries us. That there are so many people hanging around Mr President, giving him a rosy picture of what the country is, which it is not.

Onaiyekan characterized the exchange as a necessary, honest discussion rather than a cordial one, given the nation's difficulties. "When the nation is bleeding, you can’t expect a polite meeting with the head of state. We need to let him know," he stated. Despite the disagreement, the Archbishop expressed hope that Tinubu's inner circle would eventually convey the true extent of the suffering to the president.

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His reply is that the nation is not bleeding. We told him our economy is not helping our poor people. He told us the economy is doing fine. Practically speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us.