A prominent Nigerian Catholic priest and accomplished scholar, Monsignor Professor Obiora Francis Ike, has asked President Bola Tinubu to resign if he cannot listen to wise counsel or do the needful.
Speaking during a recent interview on Afia TV, he addressed national leadership and public administration, making the trending statement indicating that if the president feels overwhelmed by the job, then he should step aside.
“What the president must do is resign,” or say “I cannot continue to rule again because I am incapacitated,” the cleric stated, adding that “What the president must do is tell Nigerians the truth.”
“Persecution is what you get when you preach the good news”
Asked if he felt disrespected by the response of the presidency after the recent visit of a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Prof. Obiora said, “Persecution is what you get when you preach the good news. And if you don’t stop because you are being persecuted, how can Nigerians be abandoning their country?”
He lamented that “the president and the leadership, a political leadership, is saying, let us manage things that are hard everywhere,” but stressed that “That is not why you are there. You are not just a political leader. You also have a moral responsibility to address the issues of the country. And if you say it’s overwhelming, then resign.”
The presidency had faulted the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, for publicly disclosing details of a closed-door meeting with the President, describing the comments as inappropriate and a breach of the confidentiality expected of such high-level engagements.
Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan.
In his response, the founder of the Switzerland-based Catholic Institute for Development Justice and Peace described the reaction of presidential spokespersons as lies and a pretext.
“If people who work for the presidency or work for the government or work for even other institutions peddle in lies, in pretext, in fiddling while Rome burns, in not giving good advice, it doesn’t turn out good.
“And to act like an attack dog for great people who are patriotic for our country is something that is not only unfortunate; it is a disgrace. And it’s not about defence; it’s about listening,” the cleric maintained.
“People in positions of power must listen.”
The Chairman of the Governing Council of Plateau State University advised the government to listen to the voice of reason, suggesting the importance of constructive feedback as a valuable asset in a liberal democracy.
“People in positions of power must listen. And listening makes you stronger. And we don’t say he’s not doing well. He is doing his best. But sometimes you do your best, and it’s still not enough. And the enormity of the challenges of a modern society is so much for one person to solve. But government cannot say, because I’m doing well, I’ve done it, or don’t tell me anything,” he said.
Speaking further, the prolific writer clarified that the meeting was not a private affair, adding that the Bishops acted in good faith.
“A meeting you talked to private, you’ve published some snippets and pockets of commentary from the president. Is this still private? Or aren’t Nigerians allowed to know the details or context of that meeting? First of all, a meeting between the bishops and the president was aired on television. NTA was there; other television houses were there.
“The discussions heard are not like a confession. They are there in public. What is the secret? Insecurities, it is a secret. Educational imbalance, it is a secret? The fact that the economy is very low, it is a secret? What is the conversation? What are their concerns following the feedback? What are the Catholic bishops saying? I must laugh because the matter of truth is so objective. Truth is out there. You don’t need to have an emotion about truth,” he stated.
“Mr Bwala is someone you cannot take seriously.”
On the seeming religious war sparked by this remark that the Bishops spoke for Catholics and not for Christians, the priest insisted that “Mr Bwala is someone you cannot take seriously. Unfortunately, that’s the correct thing. The Association of Christians of Northern Nigeria issued a powerful statement denouncing his remarks and his attempt to divide the Christian body. It is already in the news.
“When truth is said, it has nothing to do with whether it is a Muslim who said the truth. It does not matter who said the truth. Truth is truth.”
He suggested that Mr. President must “listen to good advice and have the courage to act accordingly. Sack people who are around him, telling him lies and giving him bad hearing. What the president must do is to assume the moral authority to say that I’m trying my best and to say I’m going to tackle it headlong”.
Editor’s Note: Featured photo is courtesy of KirchenBlatt.
