Demand Accountability From Elected Leaders, Cardinal Onaiyekan Tells Nigerians 

Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has urged Nigerians to end the culture of silence and demand accountability from elected leaders at every level of government.

The cardinal said Nigerians should no longer accept a situation where elected officials treat themselves as masters while citizens remain powerless, insisting that democracy must place government at the service of the people.

Onaiyekan made the call yesterday at Ave Maria University, Abuja, where he spoke during a ceremony organised to mark the 70th birthday of the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah.

He said citizens should establish and use democratic mechanisms to hold public officials accountable, from local government councillors to the President.

According to him, the large number of Nigerians who had recently spoken out against issues affecting the country was an indication that citizens were beginning to reject the culture of silence that had characterised public discourse.

Onaiyekan said the development gave him hope that Nigerians would increasingly demand responsible governance and insist that elected officials account for their stewardship.

“So we are hoping that this quietness, as if we are a helpless nation of slaves, will end. We elect people in government, and then they become our lord and master, they do whatever they like, and we keep quiet, and we are told to go to court. Now, we cannot continue like that.

“I’m hoping that before I go to paradise, I will see a nation where the government is for the people. Where the people will be able to hold their leaders accountable at all levels, starting from the local government councillor right up to Mr. President,” he said.

He also defended the role of the Catholic Church and its bishops in criticising government policies, saying such interventions were part of their responsibility whenever policies were considered detrimental to the welfare of the people.

The cardinal, who said he had faced criticism and insults for speaking out, maintained that he was not deterred by attacks from those opposed to his views.

He said his greatest source of encouragement was the response of Nigerians who believed that his interventions reflected their concerns about the state of the country.

At 82, Onaiyekan said he was no longer concerned about intimidation or criticism, adding that his priority remained speaking truthfully on matters affecting Nigerians.

Supporting the call, Bishop Onah cautioned Nigerians against reducing the Church’s public interventions to criticism of government, saying the primary responsibility of the Church was to speak to the conscience of citizens and encourage them to become better people.

Onah argued that the quality of governance in Nigeria was partly a reflection of the character of its citizens, stressing that improving the country’s politics required Nigerians themselves to embrace better values and responsible citizenship.

He said it would be unfortunate if Nigerians focused only on brief references to government and politics in sermons while ignoring broader messages on Christian and moral responsibility.

The event also featured a welcome address by the vice-chancellor of Ave Maria University, Prof. Ignatius Akhakhia Onimawo, who said the institution was committed to producing graduates who could contribute meaningfully to solving Nigeria’s problems.

Onimawo said the university sought to combine academic excellence with moral formation, describing responsible citizenship and service to humanity as central to its mission.

He said higher institutions had a critical role to play at a time Nigeria was confronted with insecurity, unemployment, poverty, ethical decline and the erosion of societal values.

Earlier, the pro-chancellor and chairperson of the governing council, Eucharia Onah, described Bishop Onah’s 70 years as a testimony to his service to God, the Church, scholarship and humanity.

She said his life demonstrated the importance of combining intellectual excellence with faith, character and service.