The 2017 annual lecture of the Catholic Brothers United, CBU, one of the pious associations at the St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland Lagos, is focusing on the country’s current recession and ongoing efforts of the government to turn the economy around and engender overall growth of critical sectors of the economy.
The CBU in its determined efforts to support national development through the annual lecture platform through which it generates discourse among major stakeholders in both the political and economic space is set to hold the event which is the 18th in the series.
This year’s lecture with the theme, ” Proffering Solutions To The Current Economics Recession: The Religious Perspective” is to be delivered by His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Archbishop of Abuja.
According to president of the CBU, Emmanuel Okoro, the topic is timely given the sustainable efforts and commitment by the federal government to exit the country from the present economic woes.
Okoro said the CBU as an association made up of professionals, entrepreneurs and business men sees the body as a stakeholder in the ongoing economic restructuring process and as also considers it a duty and national assignment to support genuine and determined activities to move Nigeria away from poverty.
He observed that religion should not be separated from the society as religion plays important role in shaping the entire society, by engaging public office holders, government officials as well as policy makers in issues of national development.
“Religion impacts discipline, spiritual knowledge and right attitude to the people particularly the youths by encouraging them to be worthy ambassadors as well as imbibe the culture of patriotism in their daily lives, and so our annual lecture which has been sustained for the last 18 years has made significant impact through robust discourse and solutions they have proffered in the previous lectures.
We have had in attendance personalities like former governor including, Donald Duke! Chris Ngige, Peter Obi, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chinelo Anohu-Amazu former director general of the National Pension Commission, His Eminence, Adewale Martins the Archbishop of Lagos state to mention but a few” Okoro said.
He said the teeming youths in the society as well as operators in the economy will benefit from the robust discussion by his Eminence given his pedigree and statesman position in national issues.
Okoro said Cardinal Onaiyekan is a national figure with vast knowledge on Nigeria’s political and economic problems and stands a better chance to critically analyse the environment and offer solutions from religious perspective that could hardly be matched.
“He is a highly respected religious figure with international repute and has maintained a strong will in publicly engaging authorities in matters of national interests devoid of myopic ethnic or religious considerations, and most of his advice have helped in no small measure in shaping the system” Okoro added.