By Olayinka Latona

Catholic Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has joined other Nigerians to express his opposition to the N37 billion allocated for National Assembly Complex renovation project.

The bishop urged President Muhammadu Buhari and members of the National Assembly to have a rethink over the huge amount earmarked for the renovation of the NASS complex.

Martins made the appeal while addressing journalists on the 53rd World Day of Peace held at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos, with the theme ‘Peace as a Journey of Hope: Dialogue, Reconciliation, and Ecological Conversion’.

The bishop said the project is coming at a time when the majority of basic national infrastructure such as roads, educational sector are in their dilapidated state.

ALSO READ: Man competes with sex worker, dies after seventh round

According to him, “peace and progress can be attained in the country if elected leaders are selfless and responsive to the needs of the people, rather than engage in self-serving projects like the renovation of the National Assembly.”

In his words: “The renovation of the National Assembly with so much money is certainly a matter of concern for every right-thinking Nigerian.

“If the members of the National Assembly themselves are recognising the fact that so much money to be put into the renovation of a building that is solid without structural defect is certainly pointing out that they do not take in cognisance the situation in Nigeria.

“There are lots of schools that are in need of renovation all over the country, I am sure that if our educational institutions are to get a fraction of that money, education will be better delivered in the whole nation.

READ ALSO: N37 Billion Renovation of NASS: It has nothing to do with NASS — Spokesperson

“Members of the National Assembly should have a rethink on using that outrageous amount on renovating a building. They should feel the pulse of the masses. If they are leaders, I think they should be able to listen to us and get a good grasp of what the major concern of the masses are.

“I, like many other Nigerians, don’t think we need such huge amount in renovating the National Assembly,” he noted.
The archbishop also asked President Buhari to consider dialogue as one of the vital tools that can solve the issue of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, adding that as long as their leaders are being held it is natural that it will be difficult to have peace with these groups,” he said.

Vanguard News Nigeria.