The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most. Rev. Adewale Martins, on Saturday clocked 65 and called on Nigerians to demand better governance from their leaders.

Mr Martins, at a media conference to commemorate the anniversary in Lagos, said that such action was necessary to ensure quality service.

Mr Martins, at the conference, held at the Holy Cross Cathedral focused on the state of the nation.

He said that leaders have an obligation to give the people quality representation that would have positive bearing on the people.

The archbishop said that the best of policies should be implemented to give succour to the people.

According to him, the present administration since inception has instituted various policies: some laudable, but some with negative bearing on the life of the people.

He said, “The manner and timing of the removal of the petroleum subsidy has adversely affected the life of the common man with its attendant high cost of staple foods, transport fare and poor medication because of increase in pharmaceutical products. The multiple taxes question the sensitivity of the government toward the hunger the people are faced with.

“For the government to continue to ask people to sacrifice for a better tomorrow, the government should be seen to do likewise by cutting down the cost of running the government, without which the government will be portrayed in a bad light.”

He urged the government to make drugs cheap by reducing taxes to firms, noting that many of them were relocating to neighbouring countries because of the high cost of doing business.

He stated, “Ensure constant electricity power supply to encourage small and medium enterprises to function for many idle youths to be employed.’’

Mr Martins regretted the mass failure in the last Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, but noted that most candidates from Catholic schools, from his inquiry, scored above 200 marks.

He said that more funding was needed in the education sector to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

The archbishop called on the government to implement people-oriented policies that would not be too difficult for the populace to bear.

He also urged Nigerians to make their leaders accountable.

Mr Martins thanked God for the gift of life and His direction in the leadership of the church.

Some Christian faithful, in an expression of joy for the archbishop’s milestone of 65 years, presented him with gifts.

(NAN)