Buhari, Osinbajo, Jonathan Hail Archbishop Kaigama as Man of Peace

The newly appointed Archbishop of the Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, His Grace Ignatius Kaigama, has formally assumed office as the substantive Archbishop of the Abuja Archdiocese.

He took over the mantle of office from His Eminence Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, who retired on the attainment of the mandatory 75 years of age.

In his goodwill message, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed confidence that Archbishop Kaigama would do justice to his new office.

He said the various positions which Kaigama had occupied especially as the president of the Bishops Conference of Nigeria and chairman of the Plateau State Interreligious Committee for Peace put him in great stead to ably discharge his new assignment.

On his part, former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, described Kaigama as a man of immense experience and a peace builder.

“The Catholic community in Nigeria and the Christendom will no doubt gain a lot as you continue to deploy your wealth of experience as a peace builder in your devotion to service to God in your new office,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo described the archbishop as a man of peace and remarkable humility who is very committed to peace and unity of the country.

He said the coming of Kaigama at this period is very auspicious as the country wants all hands on deck to ensure peace and stability.

While congratulating Cardinal Onaiyekan on his retirement, Osinbajo described him as a man always “associated with truth.”

He expressed the hope that Onaiyekan would continue to speak out against societal vices and not lose his voice in retirement.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who spoke on behalf of the governors at the Archbishop’s inauguration ceremony, described Kaigama as a promoter of peace and one who is not afraid to speak truth to power.

According to Fayemi, the new Catholic Archbishop of Abuja is not new to the NGF as he had a very engaging working relationship with the forum, especially in the area of seeking peace and good governance.

In the same vein, the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the appointment of Kaigama is a confirmation of the trust and confidence that the leadership of the Catholic Church has on him.

Mustapha recalled the exploits made by Kaigama in brokering peace between the feuding Christian and Muslim communities in Plateau State during his stay there.

In his speech, Archbishop Kaigama pledged to discharge his duties to the best of his ability.

The cleric, who said he was initially disoriented when he received the news of his appointment, became emotional, saying he had always been posted to handle challenging assignments.