Saint Leos Catholic Church, Ikeja, Lagos, has lamented the state of leadership in Nigeria, stating that tribalism has denied the country access to quality leadership.
The church lamented that the country continues to sideline competent citizens in favour of ethnic considerations, thereby weakening its leadership pool.
Vicar General, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor John Aniagwu, stated this at the inauguration of St. Leo’s Commandery 1010 and Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Laux 887 of the Knights of St. John International in Ikeja.
“Right now, people are not valued for what they can do or who they are. The first question asked is: Which tribe are you from? In the process, we lose the services of people who can really work for this country because we discriminate against them,” Aniagwu said.
Aniagwu, who is the outgoing parish priest, stated that this culture has left Nigeria with second-rate leaders, explaining why the nation lags behind its peers.
“The Nigeria of today cannot be compared with the Nigeria of 40 years ago. Certainly, you cannot compare Nigeria today with many other countries on our own continent. If you list the 10 best countries in Africa in terms of progress, Nigeria will not be among them, maybe not even in the first 20,” he said.
Aniagwu urged Nigerians to uphold values of accountability, honesty, integrity, and meritocracy, urging everyone to work together irrespective of tribe or religion.
Chairman of the Media Organising Committee and Knight of Saint John, Vincent Okobi, urges Christians to always be embodiments of peace and love one another.
His words: “We should learn to preach unity, by showing love at all times, by removing tribalism. Christ is for all. We are all one. We should learn to preach unity. We should learn to preach virtues that will uplift.
“We should show love to one another. We should assist each and every one of us. Even when people are ashamed to come to us, let us go to them when we know they really need help. If we help each and every one, if we help each other, it’s easier to preach Christ because Christ is love.”
President of Commandery 1010, Franklin Ezeji, at the inauguration described it as a covenant to uphold the sacred traditions of the order.
He urged the newly inducted knights to remain committed to their call and uphold their duty as defenders of the Catholic faith.
