Archbishop John Cardinal Onaiyekan has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu disagreed with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) after they expressed concerns about the country’s economic situation during a meeting with him.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News, the Catholic cleric said the bishops presented what they believed was the true state of the nation, even though they knew the message would not be pleasant.

‘We Had to Tell Him the Truth’

Cardinal Onaiyekan said he was not surprised that President Tinubu appeared unhappy during the meeting.

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

According to him, many people around the President present an overly positive picture of the country’s condition.

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

He said the bishops considered it their responsibility to tell the President what Nigerians are experiencing rather than offer flattering remarks.

“When the nation is bleeding, you can’t expect a polite meeting with the head of state. We need to let him know,” he added.

‘Tinubu Said the Economy Is Doing Fine’

Onaiyekan revealed that the bishops informed the President that the current economic situation was worsening hardship for ordinary Nigerians.

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

The cardinal added that President Tinubu rejected their assessment of the country’s condition.

“His reply is that the nation is not bleeding,” he stated.

‘We Have Done Our Duty’

Despite the disagreement, Onaiyekan said the bishops had fulfilled their responsibility by conveying their concerns directly to the President.

“We have done our duty, we have delivered our message,” he said.

He expressed hope that the issues raised during the meeting would receive attention in the future.