ABUJA — The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has declared its full support for His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), condemning recent attacks by presidential aides and political loyalists over the cleric’s criticisms of the federal government.
In a press statement signed by MBF National Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the forum described the backlash against Cardinal Onaiyekan as unfair, misplaced, and an attempt to dismiss the painful economic and security realities facing millions of ordinary Nigerians.
Disagreement Over Reforms
The controversy stems from a July 24 meeting between the CBCN and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. During the closed-door session, the bishops frankly informed the President that his administration’s economic policies had deepened poverty, intensified hardship, and failed to bring about a tangible improvement in national security.
Although President Tinubu defended his reforms as yield-bearing, Cardinal Onaiyekan later noted in a television interview that the President appeared to be receiving inaccurate briefings from aides, blinding him to the true extent of public suffering. His observations drew sharp rebukes from government supporters, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, who accused the senior cleric of playing politics.
“Cardinal Onaiyekan merely echoed what millions of Nigerians experience every day,” the MBF stated. “He spoke neither as a politician nor as an opposition figure. The Cardinal spoke as a patriotic Nigerian and a respected religious leader who has consistently stood for justice, peace, and the welfare of all citizens.”
Security Deficit in the Middle Belt
Highlighting the plight of its region, the MBF lamented that communities across Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Niger, Borno, and surrounding states remain under constant siege from armed groups and ethnic militias.
Despite recognizing the supreme sacrifices made by the nation’s armed forces, the forum emphasized that current security measures have failed to stop the displacement of millions of farmers and the destruction of ancestral homes.
“Thousands of innocent people have been murdered, while millions of Nigerians remain internally displaced,” the statement read. “Entire villages have been destroyed, churches and schools burnt, and vast stretches of fertile farmland abandoned… Government assistance to them is almost nil.”
Economic Realities and Real-Wage Decline
Addressing the nation’s economic downturn, the MBF challenged claims of economic recovery, pointing to the severe erosion of purchasing power despite the statutory minimum wage increase from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
To illustrate the sharp decline in real value, the forum cited key financial metrics comparing pre-reform figures with current economic conditions.
