- Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, Guest of Honour
- Sen. George Akume, SGF, Chairman
- Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Host Governor
- Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Guest Speaker
- Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins, Chief Host
- Falana, Ozekhome, Ogbechie, Usman, Anoliefo, Discussants
- Liborus Oshoma, Moderator; Soni Irabor, Compere
Nigeria’s oldest surviving newspaper, The Catholic Herald is set to hold its Centenary Lecture and Awards presentation themed, “The Nigerian State: Transcending Challenges; Attaining True Nationhood.” The event is scheduled to take place at ‘The Hall’, Musa Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. It will be chaired by Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, while the Host Governor is Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State. The Lecture will be delivered by Most Rev. (Dr.) Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto.
The Centenary Lecture aims to examine the pitfalls to forging a strong nationhood and recommend the way forward to achieving the much needed national cohesion. In a statement on Friday, the Publisher of the newspaper, Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos and Chief Host of the event noted that none is more qualified to chair such a solemn discourse as Senator George Akume, a citizen whose credential is steeped in rich and robust experience as a civil servant, public administrator, politician and high-calibre national leader.
Archbishop Martins said, “He has, in the past 24 years, been a principal actor in the executive and legislative arms of government. In those capacities, he has made salient contributions, at subnational and national levels, to the building of Nigerian statehood under a democratic dispensation.”
“More so, Bishop Kukah is an authority that we can always bank on for a critical topic such as this. His enduring figure in the endless quest for peace in Nigeria sometimes casts him as the “lone voice in the wilderness” who speaks truth to power. Hence, if there is anyone who can bring the required intellect and gravitas to The Catholic Herald Centenary Lecture theme, it has to be Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto.”
The Discussants include two prominent lawyers cum activists – Mr. Femi Falana, SAN and Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN as well as eminent personalitists – Hadiza Bala Ahmed, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Policy and Coordination; Sir Chris Ogbechie, an academic and Dean of Lagos Business School as well as Very Rev. Fr. Raymond Anoliefo, Provincial Coordinator, Church and Society, Lagos Ecclesiastical Province (LEP). Nigeria’s famous lawyer, right’s advocate and public analyst, Mr. Liborous Oshoma Esq is slated to moderate the panel discussion while ace broadcaster, Soni Irabor is the Master of Ceremony. Expected also at the event are top-level decision makers in government, political chieftains, religious leaders, royal fathers, elder statesmen, scholars, human right activists, lay leaders, the media and other relevant stakeholders to address issues that have over the decades continued to adversely affect our national cohesion.
The Catholic Herald Centenary Lecture and Awards presentation is a three-part event – Lecture/Panel Discussion, Unveil of Centenary legacy project – State -of-the-Art Audio-Visual Studio and Awards Presentation. The ceremony on Saturday will bestow deserved honours on eight notable recipients who were screened and found worthy of the awards by The Catholic Herald Weekly Newspaper Board of Editors.
Among them are a cleric, captains of industries, a top public servant, lay persons as well as lay organisations who have demonstrated uncommon Christian character, passion, innovation and unfettered commitment in service delivery to the Church and country, touching lives and impacting on humanity.
