The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, on Sunday pleaded with the Presidency and the Senate to consider the interest of the citizenry and resolve the current face-off between them.
Martins made the appeal when he spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos after inaugurating St. Joseph’s Medical Centre and a guest building built by parishioner s of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Gowon Estate, Egbeda.
Prior to inaugurating the projects worth N77 million, he administered the sacrament of Confirmation on 785 youths from the Ipaja Deanery.
Confirmation, he said, made recipients soldiers of Christ, ever-ready to preach the gospel to any end of the earth and always work in God’s vineyard.
Martins said that the misunderstanding between both arms of government was uncalled for and could distort the growth of the already dwindling economy and the nation at large.
NAN reports that the sour relationship between the two bodies followed the Senators’ demand that the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, be sacked and the presidency not meeting that request.
The development has resulted in the legislators suspending for two weeks the screening of 27 nominees for appointment as Resident Electoral Commission (RECs) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
While some backed the lawmakers and wonder why the president was insisting on Magu being the Chairman of EFCC, others supported the presidency and blamed the lawmakers.
Similarly, others called for immediate resolution of the misunderstanding with the fear that it portends danger for the country.
Catholic Archbishop of Lagos; Archbishop Adewale Martins, at the
Confirmation of 780 Youth, and Inauguration of St. Joseph Medical
Centre in Lagos on Sunday (2/4/17)
“Indeed the present face-off that we can see here is certainly not helping the good of the nation. People are suffering all kinds of deprivations, our people are having all kinds of difficulties, more than ever before, we are having people frustrated so much as to commit suicide.
“This is becoming more and more prevalent among us, and therefore, one expects that they will bring all their energies together in order that it will improve on the economy, in order to improve on the welfare of the people.
“So, we just want to continue to ask them not to forget that they have a duty to serve the people given to them by God, because God is the source of all power if they occupy that position today, it’s because God willed it and they are going to give account one day,’’ he told NAN.
“Therefore, they should do it with the best of intentions and with the best of desires, one thing that is important is to say is that whatever the case may be, the common good, the good of the people ought to be the primary factor in the relationship between every arm of government.
“If the senate is doing its work purely for common good not because of some selfish reason, or in retaliation for what it sees another arm of government has done, then whatever he is doing must be good.
“But if it’s in retaliation for whatever another arm of government has done or with not a good clear conscience, then obviously, there is something evil about that.’’ (NAN)