Onaiyekan Urges Nigerians to Demand Government Accountability

During a ceremony at Ave Maria University in Abuja celebrating the 70th birthday of Most Rev. Prof. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, called on Nigerians to break the culture of silence and demand accountability from their elected officials. Onaiyekan stressed that citizens should not act as "helpless slaves" but should hold public officials accountable for their actions and policies.

He expressed hope for a nation where the government serves the people. The cardinal acknowledged the growing willingness of Nigerians to speak out on national issues, indicating a shift away from silence.

He defended the right of Catholic bishops to criticize government policies that harm citizens, asserting that such actions are part of the Church's responsibility. Bishop Onah cautioned against reducing the Church's interventions to mere political criticism, emphasizing that the Church's mission is to guide people towards better citizenship and moral living.