MBF Backs Cardinal Onaiyekan, Says Tinubu Govt Must Listen to Truth on Poverty, Insecurity

• Condemns attacks on cleric, says Middle Belt communities worst hit by economic hardship and violence

Our Correspondent

The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has declared its total solidarity with His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, over their criticism of poverty and insecurity under President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement signed by its National Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, and released on August 4, 2026, the MBF condemned attacks by presidential aides, including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, against the Cardinal for “speaking the truth.”

The controversy followed a July 24 meeting between CBCN and President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, where the bishops said government economic policies had deepened poverty and failed to improve security. The President disagreed, insisting reforms were working.

In a Channels TV interview afterward, Cardinal Onaiyekan said the President was not getting accurate information about the situation of ordinary Nigerians.

The MBF said the Cardinal “spoke neither as a politician nor opposition figure, but as a patriotic Nigerian,” echoing daily realities.

The Forum painted a grim picture of the Middle Belt, saying communities have endured years of attacks by terrorists and armed militias with “no noticeable improvement” under Tinubu.

It cited thousands killed, millions displaced from Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Niger and Borno, and farmlands abandoned.

It also faulted the economic reforms, noting that while minimum wage rose from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, its dollar value fell from about $65 in 2022 to $50 today. The naira depreciated from ₦460/$1 to ₦1,368/$1, while prices of food, fuel, electricity and school fees have soared.

“Are Nigerians genuinely better off today than before these reforms? For millions of struggling families, especially those displaced in the Middle Belt, the answer is painfully obvious,” the statement said.

The MBF urged the President to welcome criticism and undertake an independent assessment by meeting directly with displaced persons, widows, and community leaders.

“The MBF stands firmly with CBCN and Cardinal Onaiyekan. Speaking the truth about poverty and suffering is not politics. It is a constitutional right and moral obligation,” Binniyat said.

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