Tinubu Willing To Forge Stronger Partnership With Catholic Bishops – Akume

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has said the Federal Government believes that many of Nigeria’s pressing challenges can only be addressed through sustained partnership with faith communities, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, the private sector and citizens, stressing that constructive engagement is essential to promoting peace, social cohesion and national development.

Akume said the administration of President Bola Tinubu would continue to deepen consultations with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), other faith-based organisations, and relevant stakeholders on issues affecting the country, maintaining that the government remains open to honest counsel and will continue to govern with openness, accountability, and evidence-based policies.

He also assured that the Tinubu administration is neither seeking nor supporting a one-party state, and remains deeply respectful of the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission, in the spirit of true democracy.

Meanwhile, Senior Catholic clerics yesterday dismissed the claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, that Catholic Bishops are taking sides ahead of the 2027 election.

Reacting to Wike’s claim, Chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso, in an exclusive chat with LEADERSHIP, said he would not join issues with people who are not democrats.

On his part, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, who also spoke exclusively to LEADERSHIP, said the minister was not at the meeting they had with the President, adding that anyone was free to say what they wanted about the meeting and Onaiyekan’s comments.

However, in a statement on the recent engagement between President Tinubu and the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Akume, who personally signed the statement, said the government was also sustaining dialogue and conflict prevention through the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), describing collaboration with religious institutions as indispensable to advancing the national interest.

Akume, in a statement, signed by Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, said “many of the challenges confronting our nation require partnership. Faith communities, traditional institutions, civil society, the private sector and citizens all have indispensable roles to play in promoting peace, strengthening social cohesion and advancing national development. Constructive engagement between Government and these institutions is therefore not only welcome but essential.”

Akume added that, “the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation will continue consultations with the leadership of the Catholic Bishops Conference, other faith-based organisations and relevant stakeholders on the issues raised during the meeting and on areas where greater collaboration can advance the national interest.”

He said the Federal Government had taken note of public reactions following the meeting between President Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops, and used the opportunity to reaffirm its profound respect for the Catholic Church and its enduring contributions to Nigeria’s development through education, healthcare, humanitarian services, peacebuilding, and moral guidance.

The SGF said the government recognised the Church as one of Nigeria’s most important development partners and acknowledged that, like all faith communities, it had both the right and responsibility to speak on issues affecting the welfare of citizens and the country’s future.

He explained that discussions between the President and the Bishops were candid, respectful and constructive, covering concerns relating to security, economic hardship, public services, education, electoral credibility, political pluralism and religious freedom.

According to him, both parties also acknowledged progress made under the administration, including the student loan programme and recent successes by security agencies in securing the release of abducted schoolchildren and teachers.

Akume noted that while there were areas of agreement and differences in assessment, such differences should not be interpreted as a breakdown in mutual respect or detract from the shared commitment to Nigeria’s peace, unity and progress.

On the economy, the SGF acknowledged the hardship facing many Nigerians but described it as a passing phase, insisting that government policies were deliberately designed to confront the country’s challenges through investments in rail transport, the Sokoto-Badagry and Lagos-Calabar superhighways, road construction and rehabilitation nationwide, and the transformation of Abuja’s road network.

He said food security initiatives involving improved agricultural inputs, tractors and institutional support through the National Agricultural Land Development Agency (NALDA) were also being implemented to boost agricultural productivity.

Akume further stated that the administration had pursued improvements in electricity generation and distribution through CNG power stations and constitutional reforms allowing sub-national governments greater participation in the energy sector.

He added that health facilities at both the primary and tertiary levels were being upgraded, while development commissions established across the country’s regions were creating jobs and addressing specific development needs. He also disclosed that ministries, departments and agencies were recruiting Nigerians.

The SGF defended the administration’s economic reforms, describing them as difficult but necessary measures aimed at correcting long-standing structural weaknesses, restoring macroeconomic stability, rebuilding investor confidence and placing the economy on a sustainable path.

Akume maintained that official data showed continued real economic growth, moderation in headline inflation and declining food-price pressures, arguing that these developments underscored the need to sustain reforms while intensifying targeted interventions to reduce living costs and expand economic opportunities.

He listed the Social Investment Programmes, Credit Corps, NELFUND, support for business start-ups and Conditional Cash Transfers as evidence of government efforts to ensure that the benefits of reforms reached households through improved welfare, employment, education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic opportunities.

The SGF also commended the Central Bank of Nigeria for discharging its statutory responsibility for monetary and price stability with professionalism and institutional independence, assuring that monetary credibility, financial system stability, and public confidence would remain above partisan politics.

According to him, the next phase of the administration’s reforms would focus on ensuring that economic stability translated into lower inflation, more affordable food, quality jobs, stronger public services, improved infrastructure and expanded opportunities for Nigerians.

Addressing security, Akume admitted that the true measure of government policy remained the safety experienced by citizens in their homes, farms, schools, markets, places of worship and on highways.

He said every life lost to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes was regrettable, adding that the government was expanding and fine-tuning the country’s security architecture with encouraging results.

He cited the creation of four new Army divisions headquartered in Benue, Kwara, Taraba, and Edo states as a landmark initiative to improve operational effectiveness, while noting that President Tinubu had also authorised ongoing reforms in force structure, intelligence coordination, logistics, recruitment, technology, and personnel welfare.

Akume added that the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security further demonstrated the administration’s commitment to strengthening domestic security.

On democracy, the SGF reaffirmed the government’s commitment to constitutional democracy, the rule of law, and equal rights for all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation.

He stressed that Nigeria’s democratic system guaranteed genuine political competition, lawful opposition, multi-party democracy, credible elections and citizens’ rights to participate freely in the democratic process.

Akume pointed to the registration of 21 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as evidence of political pluralism, insisting that the Federal Government neither sought nor supported a one-party state.

He assured that President Tinubu’s administration would continue to respect the legal autonomy of INEC and provide all resources lawfully appropriated for the commission’s responsibilities, while maintaining that security agencies had conducted themselves professionally and impartially during elections under the scrutiny of international observers.

The SGF said the Federal Government would continue to welcome sincere advice from respected national institutions, insisting that no responsible government should ignore the concerns of its people.

He added that although the government and the Catholic Church might not always share identical views on every policy, both remained united by the common aspiration to ensure that every Nigerian lived in peace, dignity and hope.

“Our diversity is our source of strength. Despite many, we are one people,” Akume said, expressing confidence that continued collaboration between government and the Church would help build a stronger, more resilient Nigeria capable of delivering greater opportunities and prosperity for future generations.

Ndagoso, Kukah Dismiss Wike’s Claims Of Bias Against Catholic Bishops

Meanwhile, reacting to Wike’s claim that Catholic Bishops appear to be taking sides, Chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso, in an exclusive chat with LEADERSHIP, said he would not join issues with people who are not democrats.

On his part, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, who also spoke exclusively to LEADERSHIP, said the minister was not at the meeting they had with the President, adding that anyone was free to say what they wanted about the meeting and Onaiyekan’s comments.

The FCT minister, during a live media chat on Tuesday, questioned the neutrality of Catholic leaders ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike was reacting to a question about the recent meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), as well as to comments by the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, after clerics met the president at the Villa.

While the presidency criticised Onaiyekan’s commentary on the clerics’ meeting with the President, the Catholic Bishops rallied behind the Archbishop Emeritus, noting that he reflected their view of the meeting.

When contacted about the minister’s take on the matter, Ndagoso, who chairs the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said the body will not respond to politicians who don’t respect democracy.

Ndagoso, who led the Catholic Bishops to the meeting with the president, said, “I don’t join issues with people who are not democrats. I have issued my statement, and it’s there for everyone to see.”

Kukah, who was also at the meeting, said the conference stood by its resolution and would not be distracted.

“I am not sure of what you want me to say. President Tinubu was at the meeting. Wike was not at the meeting. We have already made our statement. Everybody is free to say what they want to say,” Kukah said.

He noted that some people were conflating Cardinal John Onaiyekan’s personal opinion with the CBCN’s official position.

“We have no quarrels with anybody. If the President were unhappy, he would have said so, but he didn’t. Secondly, I have not listened to Wike’s interview,” he added.