Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has defended the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), saying its members will always tell President Bola Tinubu the truth about the country’s situation instead of hiding the realities facing ordinary Nigerians.

The former Abia State governor made the remarks while reacting to the recent meeting between President Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, as well as comments made afterward by the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan.

Speaking in a widely circulated video, Kalu described the Catholic bishops as independent moral voices whose interventions should not be seen as attacks on any government but as sincere advice intended to improve the nation.

“The Catholic bishops are conscious of the state of the nation, and when they offer advice, it is neither for nor against any particular administration. Their concern is always the welfare of the country,” Kalu said.

He acknowledged that Nigerians are experiencing economic hardship but argued that President Tinubu inherited many of the country’s current challenges. He urged government officials to pay close attention to the concerns raised by religious leaders and use them to shape policies that would improve the lives of citizens.

Kalu also stressed that while politicians may sometimes present a more positive picture to political leaders, the Catholic bishops have remained consistent in speaking their minds.

“Even if politicians tell the President that everything is fine, the Catholic bishops will always tell him the truth as they see it,” he stated.

He added that there was no major disagreement between the presidency and the bishops, insisting that differences in opinion should be viewed as opportunities for reflection and improvement rather than conflict.

The senator also corrected what he described as a widespread misconception about the leadership of the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

“I want to correct one thing. Cardinal Onaiyekan is not the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and many people have been mistaken about that,” Kalu said.

His comments followed an interview in which Cardinal Onaiyekan disclosed details of the July 28 meeting between the bishops and President Tinubu. According to the cleric, the bishops spoke frankly about the worsening economic hardship and insecurity confronting Nigerians, but the President disagreed with their assessment.

“When the nation is bleeding, you cannot expect a polite meeting with the Head of State. We told him the economy is not helping our poor people; he told us the economy is doing fine. Frankly speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us,” Onaiyekan said.

The cardinal explained that the bishops never expected the President to immediately accept their views, saying their responsibility was simply to present the reality as experienced by Nigerians across the country.

“We didn’t expect him to agree with us. We have done our duty, we have delivered our message, and we have a feeling that somehow, along the line, somebody will show him a few of the things we said,” he said.

Onaiyekan maintained that the bishops were not driven by politics or personal ambition but by their responsibility to speak on issues affecting the welfare of the people.

“We are not politicians running for office. We are religious leaders who feel we have a duty not just to preach our doctrines but also to address the lives of our people,” he said.

He further expressed concern that too few people within government were willing to tell the President the truth, arguing that honest feedback was essential for effective governance.

At the meeting, however, President Tinubu defended his administration’s performance, insisting that his economic reforms had rescued the country from financial collapse.

“I can tell you categorically with sincerity that the country has been placed on a sound footing. The economy has recovered. The alarm for bankruptcy and dark tunnel of uncertainty that we had when I came in has been changed,” the President said.

“The spirit of the people is lifting, and the economic turmoil that we feared is cleared. The economy has been delivered from bankruptcy.”

Tinubu also assured the bishops that his administration would overcome terrorism, banditry and kidnapping through ongoing security reforms, while maintaining that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remained neutral ahead of the 2027 general election.