Lawrence Enyoghasu, Lagos
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev Alfred Adewale Martins has urged the Federal Government to ensure that the palliatives meant for the masses are not diverted to wrong quarters.
He said this just as he directed the distribution of 4,225 bags of foodstuffs to Catholic church parishes in Lagos State.
At the handing over of the palliatives recently at St Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, the Archbishop who was represented at the brief ceremony by the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Msgr Anthony Obanla, added that the palliatives were part of the commitment of the church to ensure that she provides some form of succour to God’s people during this period of the lockdown.
Earlier in his homily to mark the feast of the Divine Mercy held recently, Archbishop Martins called on the Federal Government to review its feedback policy
concerning the COVID-19.
His words: “We must not fail to admonish Federal and our state governments to continue to review their strategies for distributing palliatives to the poor. Government must listen to the feedback from the people all the time.
“There must be a mechanism for ensuring that those who are given the responsibility of distributing these relief items do not convert it to political purposes or advantage, such that people from other political parties are left out. Government must ensure that the relief packages are not converted to personal use or personal advantage. Let it be known, that anyone who diverts whatever is meant for the poor to other purposes should expect the anger of God to be visited upon him or her because when the poor cry to the Lord, He listens to them.
“The success of the efforts to curtail the spread of Coronavirus, to a large extent will depend on how the most vulnerable people are taken care of. If the people are taken care of and supported, their behaviour pattern will change, they will pay attention and adhere to physical distancing, washing of hands with soap etc. It is of utmost importance that the strategy for distribution of the relief packages should be reviewed and re-directed as feedback is received.
“The increase in the rate of crime and violence arising from the lack of adequate income especially for those who are dependent on what they earn per day, need greater attention beyond palliatives. The increase in the number of people reportedly brutalized or even killed by security agents because they break the lockdown rule is becoming alarming.”
While making the presentations, Msgr Obanla explained: “The Archbishop has directed that these bags of foodstuffs should be distributed to the most vulnerable in all the over 184 parishes in the archdiocese through the deans. If you could recall, the archbishop, on behalf of the archdiocese, also donated some foodstuffs to the Lagos State Government to help alleviate the sufferings of Lagosians. This, once again, shows that the church is very committed to ensure the welfare of the people.”
According to him, though the archbishop was aware that many parishes in the archdiocese have since the lockdown commenced distribution of food palliatives to the people, he had, as the father of all, approved the distribution of the additional palliatives to consolidate on the gains so far achieved.’
Msgr Obanla urged the people of God to also pray for the generous donors of the palliatives, noting that the church was merely a means through which God reaches out to His children.
The palliatives, according to the Director of Social Communications, Rev Fr Anthony Godonu, consisted of 4,000, 4,225 assorted bags of foodstuffs. They were recently handed over to the deans of the 15 deaneries that make up the Archdiocese of Lagos.
On hand to receive the palliatives on behalf of the other deans of the Archdiocese were, Very Rev Fr Patrick Obayomi, Dean of Ikeja; Very Rev Fr Anthony Fadairo, Dean of Maryland and Very Rev Fr Michael Okonkwo, Dean of Yaba deanery.