World Communications Day ‘17: Adewale-Martins urges media to ‘fear not’

ITRealms:

Rev. Sr. Stephanie Olagunju, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, Monsignor Benard Okodua,
who stood-in for Archbishop Adewale Martins. With them are
Mrs Grace Achum, Mr. Futnatus Dawodu, at the press conference.

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins, has urged Nigerian media and communications practitioners to remain steadfast in discharge of their duties, so as to make leadership accountable at all times, reports ITRealms.

Speaking through the Episcopal Vicar, Mainland Region, Monsignor Benard Okodua, at a press conference to mark the 2017 World Communications Day at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Onikan-Lagos, the Archbishop asked media and communications practitioners in general to remain vocal in exposing wrong values in the Nigerian society, including gay marriages, and domestic violence to name a few.

He noted that there is so much selfishness and insincerity among the political elites, because those in authority do not know why they are in position of authority, coupled with huge sums of money being discovered here and there without being claimed or accounted for.

According to him, such as domestic violence was not as high as it is today, but “it has increased because of lack of communications; following economic recession, and social causes, but could be controlled.”

Media, the Archbishop said, could help by speaking against these vices as he prayed for economic improvement, with so much confidence it will bring about reduction in domestic violence and growing divorce, for instance.

He also warned that Nigerians should not expect miracle from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, just as the church wishes Buhari and his team well for them to succeed.

He further advised christians to embrace politics so as to improve the lot of the people rather than staying away.

Nigeria, he said, has reached a stage of which people should be free to air their views without any fear of molestation, buttressing the theme of this year’s World Communications Day.

He further condemned gay marriage, saying it’s against the will of God for man, which was precisely stated in the Bible which is good for humanity and culture.

Gay marriage, he insisted, is not the way of rearing children as directed by God and pointed out that the Nigerian nation, belongs to all Nigerians, asserting that Nigerians, especially Catholic media and associated communications practitioners should not be afraid in carrying out their responsibilities.

ITRealms recalls that the message of His Holiness Pope Francis to the 51^st World Communications Day, 2017, focused on ‘Fear not, for I am with you (Is 43:5)’.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Pix 1: Some members of the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CAMPAN) with the officiating priest, Monsignor Benard Okodua and Monsignor Gabriel Osu after the mass in commemoration of the 2017 World Communications Day at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Onikan-Lagos on May 28.