By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Presidential Running Mate of the African Democratic Congress ADC , Rotimi Amaechi has taken great exception to the brazen show of lack of respect by Presidential aides  in their response to what he described as the honest and patriotic advice from Catholic Bishops and, especially, from His Grace, John Cardinal Onaiyekan.

The source reports that the Presidency had, while responding to the position of Archbishop Emiretus of Abuja Diocese John Cardinal Onaiyekan in an interview on Arise Television among other things, expressed fears that President BolaTinubu is determined to win re-election in 2027 ,by all means possible. Onaiyekan decried the dusmissive attitude the President to the concerns to the terrible state of the Nation in all sectors, especially, the hunger, the suffering of the poor and the unprecedented insecurity which has cost the lives of thousands of Nigerians.

Onaiyekan’s interview session was preceded by a visit by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, to President Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa , during which the clerics expressed serious concern over what they perceived as disturbing trends within the polity ,as well as the excruciating economic situation facing the people.

But in response to Onaiyekan’s interview, the duo of presidential spokespersons, Daniel Bwala and Temitope Ajayi berated the retired Archbishop , accusing him of bias and unclerical .

Bwala further accused the respected cleric of fronting for a particular presidential candidate and political party, insisting that Onaiyekan only spoke for Catholics and not for the country’s Christian community.

Similarly ,at his monthly media chat on Tuesday ,the Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister Nyesom Wike , while re-echoing the presidency’s position ,claimed that Onaiyekan is working for some political interests ahead of 2027 polls .

” I am aware of Cardinal Onaiyekan’s political leaning. It is not hidden who he supports . Everybody knows that” Wike claimed.

But on a Channels Television programme ” Politics Today” on Tuesday evening, Amaechi accused the presidency of insulting the Christian community in the country , going by its unprovoked and misplaced tirades against Onaiyekan.

Amaechi , himself a devout Catholic, alleged that the presidency’s unrestrained attack and insult on Onaiyekan is deeply  driven by religious sentiments.

According to him, the Presidency would  not have engaged in such belligerent posture,and unwarranted haul of insults if the Sultan of Sokoto had made a similar statement as Onaiyekan.

“We were being insulted because we are Christians” he stated.

The former Minister of Transportation noted that the treatment and uncouth response to Onaiyekan has laid bare the double standard within the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration .

According to him ,the Sultan, as a Muslim leader of the same standing, would not have been rebuked the same way the Presidency did to Onaiyekan .

However, Amaechi’s comments have been eliciting mixed reactions , with some questioning his real motives of praying up religious sentiments at this critical point in the life of the country.

By Adesina Soyooye

For those urging President Bola Tinubu to either suspend or sack the Minister for Works, Dave Umahi, over the death, at his Uburu, Ebonyi State couutry home, of a Nurse, Mary Habila, they might as well jump into the Atlantic by the Lagos- Calabar Highway which construction Umahi is leading.

Recall that the Nurse, a staff of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, who was seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works, specifically, to attend to the Minister and his immediate staff, suddenly died on May 15, while she was at the staff quarters within the Minister’s country home.

Since then, all kinds of allegations have been made, particularly, against the Minister. There have been, also, all kinds of speculations as to why and how she died.

Without proof, accusing fingers have indirectly been pointed at the Minister.

An infuriated and mourning Umahi was forced to tell his own side of the story including his relationship with Habila. He debunked the report that she was a physiotherapist; he revealed he was a Nurse seconded to the Ministry of Works; he revealed that  she (and others) lived in his staff quarters in Abuja; she disclosed that he regarded Habila as his daughter; he revealed that Habila had always had Health issues and was a regular patient at the Turkish Hospital, Abuja, and that he and his family had been picking her bills. On April 5, for example, he paid to the hospital the sum of N2.2 million. He revealed that her boyfriend was the last person that spoke to her before she died, a fact her  boyfriend also confirmed.

He said more. Habila was a devoted, competent and disciplined staff.

Because of the indirect allegations, Umahi has stood against her funeral and insisted that there must be an autopsy before any funeral. But Habila’s family  insists otherwise. His father insists that she be buried; that he wanted no autopsy; and that nobody was responsible for his daughter’s death. He also said he knew that his daughter was attached to the Ministry of Works.

Inspite of Umahi’s explanations, nothing has calmed down. At least, one association has gone to Court over Habila’s death. Not a few are calling for an independent probe.

An exasperated Umahi has threatened Court action against anybody associating him to, and/or with Habila’s death.

In the midst of all these, not a few associations and individuals have urged the President to either suspend pending an investigation, or drop Umahi from his Cabinet.

In all that, President Tinubu has kept a dignified silence. But no longer.

According to Minister Umahi, some people had  been putting pressure on the President that he be dropped from the Cabinet. But Umahi revealed President  Tinubu’s response.

Speaking at a public function, Umahi confirmed that there were pressures on the President  to drop him at his most troubling period. But according to Umahi, the President ignored them and encouraged him to focus on his job.

Umahi: “After the death of my staff, some people urged Mr. President to sack me. Instead, he told me, ‘Dave, go and build more roads’. The President’s response demonstrats confidence in my leadership and commitment to the ongoing road infrastructure projects being executed by the Federal Ministry of Works.”

Meanwhile, Habila’s body is still in the mortuary. Speculations are that the remains have been moved from Ebonyi State to Abuja.