Amaechi Defends Bishops’ Right to Criticise Government

"If they don't, who else can?" he said, citing the Vatican's opposition to the war involving Iran as an example of the moral role played by religious leaders.

Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has defended the right of religious leaders to criticise governments, insisting that faith leaders have a responsibility to speak out when public policies or actions undermine the welfare of citizens.

Speaking on Channels Television on Tuesday, Amaechi reacted to recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration by Catholic bishops, arguing that religious institutions should not be intimidated into silence.

"If they don't, who else can?" he said, citing the Vatican's opposition to the war involving Iran as an example of the moral role played by religious leaders.

Amaechi also referenced the reaction of Catholics in the United States after President Donald Trump criticised Pope Leo XIV, saying the Catholic community firmly defended the pontiff.

"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.

Drawing from his experience in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Amaechi recalled that the government took the Catholic Church's concerns over insecurity seriously rather than confronting its leaders.

"When the Catholic Church came after Buhari, I was in Buhari's government, and I'm a Catholic. We all kept quiet and looked at the issues they wanted us to address. The issue that brought them out was insecurity. It's worse now," he said.

Amaechi also defended his stewardship as minister of transportation, maintaining that railway operations were more efficient during his tenure.

"By the time we left, there was a railway from Lagos to Ibadan operating four times a day. Today it's only once. The Kaduna-Abuja railway also ran between four and six times daily. Today it goes only once," he said.

The comments come amid renewed exchanges between the presidency and senior Catholic clerics.

During a June 28 meeting with leaders of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the State House, President Bola Tinubu maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remained neutral and accused some opposition figures of being "afraid of their own shadows."

Last Friday, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, former Archbishop of Abuja, said those around the president were presenting an overly optimistic picture of the country, arguing that the administration appeared focused on securing victory in the 2027 general election "by all means."

In response, Daniel Bwala, the President's Special Adviser on Policy Communication, accused the cleric of making political rather than pastoral interventions.