NIGERIA— Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has defended Cardinal John Onaiyekan amid the controversy surrounding the Catholic cleric’s recent comments on governance, describing him as a man of integrity whose life has been defined by service and sacrifice.
In a statement shared on social media, Odinkalu recounted that when Onaiyekan completed secondary school in 1962 at the age of 18, his outstanding academic performance drew the attention of the then Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
According to Odinkalu, Bello invited the young Onaiyekan and offered to sponsor his education at any institution in the world. However, Onaiyekan declined the offer,
