Restructuring panacea for Nation’s growth, development — Archbishop Martins

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev Alfred Adewale Martins has reiterated the need for restructuring of Nigeria for its growth and development. Martins in his Christmas Message on Friday urged political leaders not to jettison the call for restructuring.

He called on Nigerians to demand for the building of appropriate and realistic political structures that would guarantee access to good quality of life and self actualisation in line with God’s plans and purpose for mankind.

Martins equally frowned at the recent inhuman treatment being meted on Nigerian immigrants and those of other African countries by some Libyans and their collaborators who sold them to slavery.

According to him, such indignity being meted on Africans by fellow Africans, is not only repulsive and evil, but a clear indictment of the leadership for failing to provide the enabling environment for African youth to have access to basic necessities of life. He urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the economy so as to rescue the nation and set-up a realistic road map that would stabilize the naira.

“We need to be true to ourselves. We cannot be talking of 2019 when little is being done at the moment to address the rot in the system. “Our people are going hungry daily, our youths are dying in their quest for better options to life outside our shores and yet our leaders appear more concern with how to clinch to power.

“I think the time has come for all of us to reason together to resolve and restructure the lopsided political structures we are currently operating and set up realistic goals that would help move us forward.

“Except all these are given top priority, I fear that the 2019 election may end up as a mirage, after all,” he said. The cleric who congratulated all Christians on the occasion of the birth of Christ, urged them to always put their trust in Jesus Christ who is the reason for the season. He said that the season of Advent should also enable us to prepare with hope and expectation for the second coming of our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.

SOURCE:VANGUARD