“We Told Tinubu Nigeria Is Bleeding, But He Said the Economy Is Fine” - Archbishop Onaiyekan Reveals What Happened Behind Closed Doors

Former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has opened up about the Catholic Bishops’ meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, revealing that the President strongly disagreed with their assessment of Nigeria’s economic situation.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News, the respected cleric disclosed that President Tinubu appeared visibly displeased after the bishops presented what they described as the harsh realities facing millions of Nigerians. According to Onaiyekan, the bishops knew their message would not be the kind of report the President was used to hearing.

“I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy,” the cardinal said.

He explained that while many people around the President may be painting a positive picture of the country, the bishops believed it was their responsibility to speak honestly about the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

“There are so many people hanging around Mr. President giving him a rosy picture of what the country is, which it is not,” he said.

Cardinal Onaiyekan stressed that the meeting was never intended to flatter the President but to present the realities confronting citizens across the country.

“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.

According to the cleric, the bishops specifically raised concerns about the state of the economy and its impact on poor Nigerians, arguing that the current economic conditions are worsening hardship across the country. However, President Tinubu reportedly disagreed with their assessment.

“We told him our economy is not helping our poor people. He told us the economy is doing fine,” Onaiyekan revealed.

He added that the President maintained that Nigeria was not bleeding, despite the bishops’ concerns.

Although the meeting ended without an agreement on the state of the nation, the cardinal said the bishops had fulfilled their responsibility by delivering their message directly to the President. He also expressed hope that, with time, the President would come to appreciate the issues they raised and take them into consideration.

The revelation has since sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians debating the contrasting views of the Catholic bishops and the Federal Government on the country’s economic realities.

As conversations continue across the country, the remarks have reignited discussions about Nigeria’s economy, the rising cost of living, and whether ordinary Nigerians are beginning to feel the impact of the government’s policies.