Catholic Lawyers Discuss Christianity Politics at 4th Annual Dinner in Lagos
In the past four years or so, the annual dinners of the National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL) in the Lagos Catholic Archdiocese have rightly come to be seen as occasions, not just for fine dining, stimulating conversation and networking, but also as occasions to interrogate the state of affairs in our nation, Nigeria, with a view to identifying the fundamental causes of the country’s hydra-headed problems and contradictions, but also to proffer solutions by setting a practical and proactive agenda for meaningful, positive action by all stakeholders in the maintenance of the peace, security and prosperity of the nation.
As NEWSWIRE Magazine’s correspondent in Lagos reports, the 2018 edition of the NACL annual dinner – the 4th since its inception – was no exception. Held on Thursday, July 12, 2018 at the majestic Oriental Hotel in Lekki, Lagos, the event was convened under the thought-provoking theme, ‘The Christian and Politics: the Way Forward,’ and was graced by the presence of retired and members of the Bench – such as the former Chief Judges of Lagos and Rivers States, Hon. Justices Ayotunde Philips and Daisy Okocha, respectively, as well as top government functionaries, senior advocates of Nigeria, the clergy, among others.
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In separate addresses of welcome, the President of NACL, Lagos archdiocese, Ms. Geraldine Wey, and the chairperson of the dinner planning committee, Mrs. Obele Akinniranye, both situated the occasion against the backdrop of the current state of affairs in Nigeria as she prepares to go the polls in 2019 to elect a new set of leaders at various levels and arms of government. Turning to the theme of the event, they queried the role of professed Christians serving in various capacities of public office, and how they have discharged these according to the fundamental tenets of the faith and creed of Christ. They warned of the dangers of leaving the onerous duties of civil governance in the hands of society’s worst elements, and urged Christians, and especially Catholics, to get involved in politics and public life. The role of lawyers – who constitute society’s social barometer and the guardians of its moral welfare –in sensitizing their fellow citizens on the issues at stake, influence the quality and tone of leadership in terms of policy, and hold elected leaders to account, is hugely significant.
This set the stage for the keynote speech by the special guest on the occasion and former secretary general of the Catholic Secretariat, Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, whose citation was read by the former president of the NACL, Mr. Chukwuma Ezeala.
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In his hard-hitting style, the clergyman, who preferred to speak under the theme, ‘Let Your Light Shine: Nigerian Christians and the Imperative of Prophetic Engagement for Societal Transformation’ called on Christian believers to truly be the light of the world, and the salt of the earth, as decreed in the Word of God. This, he said, means dispelling the mist of falsehood in order to let in the sunshine of truth,and human rights. This stance, he acknowledged, sometimes entails great sacrifice and victimization by the forces of darkness, greed and falsehood. But Christians must never be deterred as the ascendancy of darkness over light in our country is but a temporary occurrence. Christians, he said, can longer be silent on the serious misgovernance this nation has gone through in the past – and continues to undergo at present. They must insist on the equitable distribution of nature’s bounty amongst her people. As corrupt and unscrupulous political players continue to corrode our democratic spirit and culture, Fr. Ehusani said, enlightened Christians must stand with the poor in demanding a higher standard and quality of life. The work of enthroning alternative socio-economic structures capable of pulling down the walls of hatred, ethnic bigotry, religious intolerance, greed and other evils. Describing the legal profession as a divine calling, Fr. Ehusani called on the assembled lawyers to emulate the example of historical figures who, as lawyers, used their legal profession as a weapon to fight for peace, progress, human rights and justice – such as Mahatma Gandhi; Nelson Mandela; Gani Fawehinmi; and Femi Falana, SAN. Far from being a ‘dirty’ game, he said, public service can be a force for good, especially if the one offering to serve is a child of God. Fr. Ehusani whose activism came to national attention during the harrowing days of the fight against military dictatorship, said ‘lawyers cannot be silent and indifferent. If they do so, they have already taken the side of the oppressors of the poor.’ Instead of defending only the rich in our society because of their deep pockets, lawyers must also do more to defend the poor in similar circumstances, and to do away with those provisions in our country’s laws which thieves and murderers have always exploited to get away with their crimes.
‘The time of the revenge of the poor is near,’ the clergyman thundered, and called on Catholic Lawyers to not only fight for a discontinuation of the present leadership model in the country, but to prepare to offer an alternative – in the form of a government in waiting, one which will employ strategy – in terms of cost, time and energy – on reaching clear targets (on education, health, agriculture, finance, etc.)He ended by calling on the Lawyers, as members of the Nigerian elite, to begin the task of taking over government in Nigeria by forming long-term movements whose aim is not just the next election but the next two or three elections and generations beyond.
According to NEWSWIRE’s correspondence, Fr. Ehusani’s well-received remarks were followed by an interactive session, after which there was a raffle-draw in which the lucky winners were presented with various gifts, as the 4th Annual Dinner of the National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL) in the Lagos Archdiocese came to a glorious conclusion.
See photos below:
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