Gloria Ikegbule
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, recently marked his 59th birthday.
It was a solemn celebration that was used to reflect on the state of affairs in the country, including the continued killing of innocent Nigerians and the growing need to restructure the country.
The cleric expressed disappointment with the continued silence of the federal and state governments on the Catholic Church’s nationwide protest against alleged killings by herdsmen in the country.
During an interactive session with newsmen, Martins regretted that the church was yet to receive an official response from government since the nationwide protest.
He observed that government’s silence in the face of the protest was anticipated, adding that the church was not deterred by the actions of the authorities. He emphasised that the church would continue to seek redress on the issues that led to the protest.
Martins also expressed disappointment that, after the May 22 nationwide protest by the church, more people have been killed and wounded – including a priest in Taraba State – by herdsmen.
“This is unacceptable,” he said. “How long are we going to endure these killings?”
He regretted that, even after the protest, two persons returning from the funeral Mass for the two priests and 19 worshippers killed inside St. Ignatius Quasi Parish in Benue State were ambushed and killed by suspected herdsmen. He was vexed that on Sunday, May 27, 2018, some gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, Jalingo, Taraba State, shot one of the priests working there in the leg and injured several others. He said the reason for the attack was that the herders were not allowed to graze their cattle in the seminary compound.
“We are surprised that there has not been an official reaction since the protest. But we kind of expected it because we know that their hope is that when nobody makes a comment, we will all forget it and everybody will go back to sleep and things will return to normal again.
“But what I can say is that we will not simply go back and forget the issues we brought forward. This is because the issues have to do with the security of the nation, the security of people, which is still very much threatened and indications of Christianity being put under pressure. We will continue to seek ways of putting the issues on the front burner
“President Muhammadu Buhari should discharge himself of the charge of being privy to the problem of these killings by taking all necessary steps to bring the terrorists to book and neutralise them, so that Nigerians can once again breathe a wave of fresh air,” he said.
The archbishop, who has a humble background, reflected that, over the years, the nation’s wealth has been plundered by some of those in positions of leadership. He stressed that the country was in dire need of quality and visionary leadership.
He emphasised that, with the 2019 elections around the corner, the church was urging parishioners to seek elective positions as well as get their voter’s card to actively participate in voting for those who would serve the country selflessly and meet the needs of the common man.
Martins applauded the efforts of the Presidency in its fight against corruption but insisted that the fight must not be selective as perceived. The fight, he noted, must be done according to the dictates of the law in order not to create chaos and permit other forms of corruption to creep into the government.
Martins, who was described as a great man by Rev. Fr. Pius Omofuma, one of his students at the seminary, stated categorically that restructuring Nigeria was the way to go.
He appealed to members of the National Assembly to take a bold initiative and commence robust discussions on how to restructure the country before the next general election.
“Let us go back to the practice of true federalism that will allow each part of the country to grow, such that the country in aggregate can grow for the greater good of all,” he said.