–

HE IS not by any means a short man. But his moderate build and height are not in any way imposing or intimidating. Instead they complement his humble and friendly disposition which makes it very easy for one to be at ease in his presence even if the meeting is just taking place for the first time. And so it was that despite his tight schedule, Alfred Adewale Martins, archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, accepted to grant an interview to Realnews in the wake of the sudden and surprising resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. He must have thought that the interview will only centre on the Pope’s resignation which takes effect February 28 – a development which is coming almost 600 years after Pope Gregory XII resigned from office in 1415 to end the western schism.  Contrary to expectation, the Realnews team engaged him in a number of burning national and international issues. The issues discussed ranged from the Catholic Church’s suspension of  its participation in the activities of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, at the national level, prosperity preaching, which he said, distorts Christ’s message, leadership failure in the country and its resultant corruption, poverty and Boko Haram insurgency to  ordination of women priests.  In the delectable interview, Martins spoke with fervour and candour. His choice of words made an instant impression and left one in no doubt that he meant exactly what he said. It was also a wake up call on the leadership of the country and CAN to do something to move the nation forward. All these and more are captured in this issue of our cover entitled: Why Corruption and Poverty Thrive in Nigeria. It is a must read. Enjoy it.

— Feb. 25, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT