…wants amendment of 1999 Constitution, says Sharia has no place in a secular nation and should not be “smuggled’’ into the constitution by the National Assembly
“In Nigeria today, there is serious disrespect for human life. In all the six geo-polical zones, there is a disrespect for human life. Killings, kidnappings, banditry, and all manner of criminalities are going on in the Southeast, Southwest, Southsouth, Northwest, Northeast, and Northcentral zones of the country”
By Boye Ajayi
With unrestrained killings, kidnappings, banditry, terrorism and all other criminalities sweeping across the country, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, the Most Rev.(Dr) Alfred Adewale Martins has added his voice to the call on President Muhammadu Buhari to stamp his feet on the raging social disorder without further delay.
“I am seriously concerned today being my 62nd birthday about the scary situation in the present Nigeria where some people are dealing with human life carelessly. One was almost forced to suspend the ceremony due to this development.
“I want us to pray for an end to these killings, kidnappings, banditry, terrorism and all sorts of madness going on in the country. I pray that our continuous prayer would put an end to the killings,’’ Persecondnews quotes Martins as saying at a media briefing to mark his 62nd birthday.
Denouncing ongoing disrespect for human life and the spate of insecurity in the country, the archbishop said: “A nation we all love and wish to identify with has suddenly slipped into agitations, clamouring for constitution amendment, secession, restructuring and outright dismemberment and all what have we.
“But the central tune is that there is insecurity in the land today. This means disunity continues to have better expression. The Christians are saying that they are not getting adequate and the right representation in the government, while the farmers are complaining that their farms are being pillaged and destroyed by the herdsmen and their rampaging cows.
“In all these, we are asking our Commander-In-Chief of the Armed forces, President Muhammadu Buhari to wake up to halt the way our country is sliding into anarchy. There is crisis in all the zones. Because in the end, except the Lord builds the house, the labourers are labouring in vain.’’
Speaking on the way forward, the Archbishop tasked the National Assembly to amend forthwith the obnoxious and vexatious 1999 Constitution which has been the bone of contention by the agitators who feel that it placed the North in an advantageous position.
“I don’t understand the details in the Constitution because I am not a lawyer, however, a lot of people have pin-pointed some loopholes in it .So to that extent, the National Assembly has the onus to work on it. For instance, the issue of state police should be handled well to address insecurity.
“There are so many issues being raised which the legislators need to address promptly for the country to move forward.’’
Reacting to the clamour for the adoption of the report of 2014 Confab as solutions to the current crisis, the Ogun state-born Archbishop disagreed saying, “I believe the report of the conference was not published. There was no formal adoption of its report. It is true that some elements in it could help overcome the present crisis.’’
“However, it needs to be re-evaluated .But it could be reviewed and updated. Whether there is the need to adopt it wholesale, I think 2014 is a long time from now,” he said.
READ ALSO: Nigeria sliding into a state of anarchy
On the issue of restructuring, Martins recalled the promise made by Buhari during his campaign to restructure and wondered why suddenly the whole idea is being jettisioned.
He also deplored the President’s poor response to happenings in the country, while agreeing that Buhari could speak through press release in some cases, the Archbishop was of the opinion that there are some occasions when the citizens will like to hear from their leader and would calm down the situation.
On the huge debt profile of the country under the present administration, he said there is nothing bad in borrowing if it could be channeled into serious infrastructural development, while equally saying “it is bad if it is meant to line private pockets but whichever way, the government must come out clean on it.’’
Asked to comment on why the unity of Nigeria is negotiable, he said: “Her unity is desirable. But if people say the unity is negotiable, their agitations and clamours should be addressed.’’
He condemned the secret plan being hatched to smuggle Sharia law into the country’s constitution, while arguing that it should be restricted to the North.
“Nigeria is a secular state, and as result, there is no need to have Sharia in her Constitution,” he said.
The cleric also expressed serious concern about the unstoppable attacks on schools and the kidnapping of students, describing it as an unfortunate development.
Martins declared:“It is disturbing that the generation of children is being denied their rights. There is a social problem that is being created. I think the Federal Government should take insecurity seriously; if that is solved, the problem of education is solved.”
Comparing his days with the present situation, he agreed that his generation had it better but he quickly added that the present generation is having it better due to their access to social media.
He wants youths and school children to use it for positive purposes as against exploring it for the negative aspect.
The archbishop defended the earlier directives issued to Christians in the country by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to defend themselves in the face of provocation and threat to their existence saying, “if somebody is attacked he has right to defend himself and in defending their rights, they should not be the aggressors.’’
Persecondnews reports that Martins, whose 62nd birthday was celebrated with the “Feast of Justine De Martha’’ was anointed by his predecessor, Archbishop Anthony Olubunmi Okojie.
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