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Archbishop Cautions against “legislative biases, discrimination” in Nigerian State

Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins(left) of Lagos Archdiocese and Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa (right), speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA). Credit: Courtesy Photo

By Jude Atemanke

Lagos, 12 June, 2023 / 11:20 am (ACI Africa).

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos in Nigeria has cautioned members of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) against making laws that are biased towards natives of the Nigerian State.

In what has been described as a “shocking announcement”, LAHA speaker, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, who was delivering his acceptance speech after his re-election as house leader on June 6 said that Lagos being “Yoruba land”, and not “a no-man’s land … we are going to employ all legislative instruments for the support of the indigenes of Lagos. There would be laws and resolutions in the areas of economy and commerce, property and titles.”

In a June 10 press statement, which the Director of Social Communications of Lagos Archdiocese, issued, Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins faults the speaker of LAHA for making remarks that imply he is set to spearhead discriminatory laws in Nigeria’s largest city that is cosmopolitan. 

Archbishop Adewale calls on LAHA “to purge itself of legislative biases and discrimination, and work towards enacting laws that are for the common good and take care of the interest of all the residents of Lagos State.”

He explains, “In the light of the tension and clear divide between indigenes and people of other tribes living in Lagos that were created by threats, words, and actions of people from all sides during the last elections, the statement credited to the Speaker does not seek to calm situations and heal the wounds that were inflicted in that period.”

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“While we cannot wash away the fact that Lagos State has its own original indigenes, we cannot also wash away the fact that most of those who live, work and are indeed part of the government of the state were originally from elsewhere and everyone needs to be protected,” the Nigerian Catholic Archbishop says in the statement that Fr. Anthony Godonu issued.

He goes on to describe as “very unfortunate and unacceptable any legislation that discriminates against people of other tribes with whom the Lagos indigenes have lived together in peace for decades.”

The 64-year-old Catholic Church leader urges Lagos State legislators to be “circumspect in carrying out their legislative duties so as to maintain the peace and good neighborliness that has characterized the state.”

He adds, “No one destroys what he loves, if the State legislators love Lagos State, they would make only laws that will help to preserve, enhance and ensure the sustenance of peaceful co-existence in the State.”

“We therefore admonish the Lagos State House of Assembly to tread with caution in making laws so that they pass only laws that mean well for the state and would not be used as instruments of bigotry and ethnic discrimination,” he further says.

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The Catholic Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in January 1998 as Bishop of Nigeria’s Abeokuta Diocese, and has been at the helm of Lagos since August 2012 advocates for “fairness and justice” in the Nigerian State.

“No doubt, the LAHA has a very important role to play in our democratic processes, but this role must be played with fairness and justice to all Nigerians living in the State,” he says, and adds, “This is the time for healing the hurts that came from the 2023 General elections, and we must all work together for the good of our state and Nigeria at large.”

Archbishop Adewale commits LAHA members into the hands of the Almighty God to “guide and direct them so that they may have the gift of the spirit of true discernment that will help them to help in the delivery of the gains of democracy to all the people of Lagos State.”

Jude Atemanke

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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