May 29: Onaiyekan Tasks Tinubu On Nigerian’s Living Conditions

Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan has called on President Bola Tinubu to confront the harsh realities of the hardship facing Nigerians beyond the praise of his aides or risk electoral defeat in 2027.

Onaiyekan, who made the call while speaking at the 2025 Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria Communications Week Public Lecture and Posthumous Award for late media mogul, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, challenged the Tinubu-led administration to urgently elevate Nigerians’ living standards.

The cleric urged the President to find ways and means of finding out what Nigerians are actually going through, cautioning against relying on aides who are always praising him to the skies.

“I am not telling him to go and live in Mpape in Abuja for two days, which would not be a bad idea. But he should be able to know how are the people in Mpape surviving. He should also know how are families managing with N30,000 salary a day.

“I do not think we are unfair to government if we say that in the last two years, our level of well-being has crashed considerably. The government is there to make sure that at least, the level of well-being of Nigerians is maintained and if possible, improved.

“If he continues like this for the rest of his term, if we have a free and fair election, he will not win. Because how can the country bring him back if we are not feeling good?” he said.

The cardinal while acknowledging the Supreme Court’s validation of Tinubu’s election, stressed, “The elections were over two years ago. Now, he should just govern, make life as livable as possible for Nigerians, deal with security everywhere, improve the economic level of our people, and fight corruption.

“These were the things that his predecessor said he would do – Buhari. He did not do it. Eight years, and we expect him to do something,” he said

Onaiyekan while addressing the lecture’s theme: “Media with Gentleness: A Path to Being Narrators of Hope in a Distracted Nation,” expressed disappointment that the media is massaging the ego of the government instead of serving the public.

He urged private media to uphold professionalism amid national distress. “Tell the story while leaving people with hope that it’s not all bad. And it is a task that you must find a way of doing”.

Earlier, Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, honoured late founder of Daar Communications, owners of Ray Power FM and AIT for embedding “African and Christian values” in broadcasting.

Banjo lamented Nigeria’s decline from principled media beginnings, citing today’s acrimony, aggressive party denunciations, and sensational contents.

Quoting Pope Francis’ 2025 Communications Day message, Banjo warned against the media that fuels aggression, violence, unhealthy rivalry, and divisive ideologies, urging a return to ethics exemplified by Dokpesi’s legacy.

The Communications Week, established by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) aims to leverage media for evangelism and promotion of responsible journalism.

This year’s lecture underscored the Church’s demand for leadership accountability and media that fosters hope amid national challenges.