Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has defended the right of religious leaders to speak out against government policies, insisting that faith leaders have a responsibility to hold those in power accountable.
Amaechi made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television, where he reacted to recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration by members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
According to the former minister, religious leaders should not be intimidated or discouraged from expressing their views on issues affecting Nigerians. If they don’t, who else can? Didn’t he listen to the Pope? The Pope was against the war, Amaechi said while referring to Pope Leo XIV’s opposition to the war in Iran.
He also cited the reaction of American Catholics after former U.S. President Donald Trump criticised the Pope, saying the Catholic faithful defended their spiritual leader. The Catholics in America said, ‘You can’t say that of our Pope.’ All I know is that the population of Catholics is about 35 million, and you just can’t insult all of us like that, he said.
Amaechi recalled that while serving as Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the administration did not attack the Catholic Church when it criticized the government over insecurity.
Instead, he said government officials paid attention to the issues raised. When the Catholic Church came after Buhari, I was in Buhari’s government. And I’m a Catholic. You know what we did? We all kept quiet and looked at the issues they wanted us to address,” he stated.
He argued that the security situation has deteriorated further since then. The issues that brought them out to the streets were insecurity. It’s worse now, Amaechi added.
The former transportation minister also defended his performance in office, claiming Nigeria’s railway system operated more efficiently during his tenure.
According to him, train services on the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna routes have declined significantly. By the time we left, there was a railway from Lagos to Ibadan four times a day. Today it’s only once, he said. By the time we left, there was a railway from Kaduna to Abuja four to six times a day. Today it goes only once.”
Amaechi’s comments come amid renewed debate over criticism of the Tinubu administration by senior Catholic clerics.
On June 28, the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by its president, Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso, met President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
During the meeting, Tinubu maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remains neutral and argued that opposition politicians were weakened by internal divisions.
However, former Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, later alleged during an interview on Arise Television that individuals close to President Tinubu were presenting an overly optimistic picture of the country, preventing him from seeing the true state of the nation.
Onaiyekan also suggested that the administration appeared determined to secure victory in the 2027 general elections “by all means.”
His remarks were criticised by the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, who accused the cardinal of making politically motivated comments.
Amaechi maintained that religious institutions have an important role in promoting accountability and speaking on national issues.
According to him, governments should listen to constructive criticism from faith leaders rather than attempt to silence them, as their interventions can help draw attention to pressing challenges facing the country.
