The recent meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has generated significant public debate. Much of the discussion has centred on the remarks of His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, who disclosed that the bishops raised concerns about insecurity, hunger, and the economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians, and that the President did not entirely agree with their assessment.
To many observers, this appeared to present a stark choice: either the bishops were right, or the President was. I believe the reality is more nuanced.
In many respects, both Cardinal Onaiyekan and President Tinubu are right, each speaking from a different vantage point. The Cardinal speaks as a shepherd. Every day, he encounters ordinary Nigerians who struggle to feed their families, pay school fees, meet medical expenses, and cope with rising living costs. He hears the cries of parishioners whose purchasing power has declined and
