DR. MARTINS TO BUHARI: Restructure this country in the path of true federalism

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins has added his voice to the call for President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently restructure Nigeria in the path of true federalism.

Dr. Martins was addressing a large turnout of priests, religious and lay faithfuls as well as members of the press on Thursday at the thanksgiving Mass marking his fourth year enthronement as the Archbishop of Lagos.

Revealing in retrospect that he had nursed some trepidation shortly before his enthronement, His Grace acknowledged that the last four years of his stewardship in the Archdiocese have been both challenging and fulfilling. Howbeit, the revered clergyman was full of praise for his predecessor,

Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie for his fatherly support over the years and gave a brief chronicle of some accomplishments under his watch. These include

Completion of the Augustine University and St. Albert the Great Seminary; expansion of the parishes and deaneries; establishment of Caritas as a means through which more endowed parishes assist lesser endowed ones and through which he Archdiocese assist other diocese and groups in need of support, amongst others.

He also noted that there has been commendable growth in spirituality and physical infrastructures across the Archdiocese, stressing that these all have only been possible through the collaborative efforts of the priests and lay faithfuls who have been very supportive of his ideas and actions.

Earlier in his homily, Rev Fr. Paul Ijasan, Parish Priest, Church of Assumption, Falomo described Archbishop Martins as a highly favoured clergy who, in true reflection of his motto, ‘Called to serve in love’, has demonstrated immense wisdom, simplicity and humility in his administering of the Archdiocese since the past four years.

In his vote of thanks during the Mass, the Vicar-General, Msgr John Aniagwu, while appreciating the entire people of God for their unflinching support and loyalty for the celebrant, thanked God for the life of Archbishop Martins and prayed that the Almighty would continue to abide with him and give him the enablement to lead the people of God aright.

State of the nation address

Shortly after the Mass, the Archbishop briefed the press on the state of the nation, during which he added his voice to the call for a restructuring of the country.

“The federal structure that we have practiced over the years has not been truly federal and it has only succeeded in making the so-called federating units to be dependent on the centre that doles out money accruing mainly from the sale of oil, rather than encouraging them to develop their potentials.

Dr. Martins frowned at the state of the economy and said we have no justifiable reason for continuing to be in this state of recession that we are have found ourselves in.

“It is very shameful that despite all the gifts that nature has so graciously bestowed us with, we are still being categorised amongst the poor countries of the world. It is most unfortunate that our universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education churn out millions of highly skilled youths each year only for most of them to end up as Okada riders and street hawkers. Is it not shameful that over twenty states have been unable to pay their workers salaries for months now?

“This is the time to tell ourselves the gospel truth by calling a spade a spade. Let us look beyond partisan politics and do the needful by restructuring this country in the path of true federalism, so that each of the federating units can develop at its own pace, unencumbered.”

Visiting the unhealthy cost of running the Nigerian type of democracy, the Father said one of the major burdens strangulating this country is the unnecessary high cost of governance. “A large portion of our annual budget is being spent in paying the bloated salaries and allowances of numerous political office holders, to the detriment of the long suffering workers who barely earn enough to take care of themselves and their families.

“We have said it over and over again that there is dire need for a drastic reduction of the salaries and allowances of our political office holders, starting from the President, his Vice, the governors, ministers, senators, house of assembly members up to local government chairmen and counselors. They must be ready to make sacrifices to move the nation forward,” he counselled.