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By Philip Nwosu
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has called the governments at all level to mitigate impact of subsidy removal, naira devaluation and others on the citizenry and also prioritise welfare of Nigerians.
The Catholic Archbishop cleric, who spoke to the media on the occasion of the World Day of Peace, urged the present government to ensure that the result of the sacrifices Nigerians are being asked to make comes sooner for the people to appreciate that they a government that cares
He also called on the government to be decisive in handling the killings in Plateau State saying that punishment must be effected on the suspected killers of the residents of Bokkos
On the recent pronouncement by Pope Francis on gay union, the Archbishop stressed that the position of the church on the matter was clear independent of amendment by laws of men, urging people to read the document by the released by the Pope and not depend on third parties for interpretation.
On speculation that the church had endorsed same sex unions, the cleric noted that the Pope or the church does not have the power to legalise or turn around which Christ established.
He said: “What Christ, the church and nature have established over the years is that marriage is between a man and a woman, who are in a stable relationship that can bring children into the world.”
That was said repeatedly in that document by the Pope.
And that has been the position of the church and its teachings over time. Gay unions do not qualify to be one of those things that the church can say it is endorsing. Gay union is not marriage in the real sense of the word.
“Yes, of course, it is said in that document that persons, who may be involved in that kind of union, can be blessed. When they say the person can be blessed, it doesn’t say the couple or that the two people can come and receive blessings that look like that of marriage.
They cannot.” He said the fact that the church condemns the sinful practice does not mean the church condemns the sinner.
“We can pray for them so that the grace of God that can reform people can be given to such persons. That is what the document is all about”
Earlier the Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis in his message on World Day of Peace called on the global community of nations to work together in order to adopt a binding international treaty that regulates the development and use of artificial intelligence in its many forms.
He said the goal of regulation, naturally, should not only be the prevention of harmful practices but also the encouragement of best practices, by stimulating new and creative approaches and encouraging individual or group initiatives.
The Pope marks the World Day of Peace with a special message every January 1, inviting all people to reflect on the important work of building peace.
This year’s message is the latest in a long tradition of messages for this day that began with St. Paul VI in 1967 and continued with St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.
In the 2024 message titled: Artificial Intelligence and Peace, the Pope said progress in information technology and the development of digital technologies in recent decades have already begun to effect profound transformations in global society and its various dynamics.
According to him, new digital tools are even now changing the face of communications, public administration, education, consumption, personal interactions and other aspects of the daily lives of peoples all over the world.
He explained that Artificial intelligence, ought to be understood as a galaxy of different realities. We cannot presume a priori that its development will make a beneficial contribution to the future of humanity and to peace among peoples.
He said that the positive outcome of AI will only be achieved if people of the world show themselves capable of acting responsibly and respect such fundamental human values as “inclusion, transparency, security, equity, privacy and reliability”
“We need to remember that scientific research and technological innovations are not disembodied and “neutral”, but subject to cultural influences. As fully human activities, the directions they take reflect choices conditioned by personal, social and cultural values in any given age. The same must be said of the results they produce: precisely as the fruit of specifically human ways of approaching the world around us, the latter always have an ethical dimension, closely linked to decisions made by those who design their experimentation and direct their production towards particular objectives.
“This is also the case with forms of artificial intelligence. To date, there is no single definition of artificial intelligence in the world of science and technology.
“The term itself, which by now has entered into everyday parlance, embraces a variety of sciences, theories and techniques aimed at making machines reproduce or imitate in their functioning the cognitive abilities of human beings. To speak in the plural of “forms of intelligence” can help to emphasize above all the unbridgeable gap between such systems, however amazing and powerful, and the human person: in the end, they are merely “fragmentary”, in the sense that they can only imitate or reproduce certain functions of human intelligence.
“The use of the plural likewise brings out the fact that these devices greatly differ among themselves and that they should always be regarded as “socio-technical systems”.
“For the impact of any artificial intelligence device – regardless of its underlying technology – depends not only on its technical design, but also on the aims and interests of its owners and developers, and on the situations in which it will be employed.”
FG, Lagos to kick off Medical University before end of 2024- Sanwo-Olu
By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced the intention of the state government to establish University of Medical Science.
The governor revealed that the institution which will be establish in collaboration with the Federal Government would kick off before ending of the year.
He said the first ever University Medical Science in the country would address the challenge of mass brain drain in the sector, popularly called, “Japa” syndrome.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed this while inaugurating an 80 bed hospital donated by the Chief of staff to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila in Surulere.
The health care facility which was a Iyun Primary Health Centre before being upgraded to full fledged hospital, was built by Gbajabiamila and renamed by Local Government Authority in the area to Femi Gbajabiamila General Hospital.
The hospital situated at Iyun Street, off Funsho William Avenue was handed over to the state government on Tuesday by the Gbajabiamila and the local government authority in the area.
Speaking on the project, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the hospital was inline with his THEMES plus agenda and it would serve numerous communities in the area.
The governor expressed optimistic that with the secondary health facility, general hospital, maternal mortality would be reduced.
“What a way to start an eventful and impactful year for all of us, 2024 and there is no better time, there is no better space, there is no better moment to start the new year, but to hit the ground running.
“Today, people of Lagos, we are at the fourth commissioning today. We were at Lagos State University, LASU, where we commissioned and handed over an international conference center for the university.
“This was right in our education pillar. Next, we went on infrastructure pillar making Lagos a 21st century, where we handed over a strategic road called the Babs Animashaun Road from a single two lane to a dual carriage road with two bridges constructed to connect the Surulere people, to Orile Igamu.
“A journey that hitherto take 30 minutes has been reduced to less than five to seven minutes. That is another promise.
“Another on the pillar, is youth engagement and gender equality. When built and handed over a multi use sanctuary, Youth Development Center that has a multidimensional use from an auditorium to a basketball tennis court, to a lawn tennis court, to all sort of a gym which will resonate well with our youth, with our people in entertainment, with our people in sports, which fit also on another pillar of economic affairs.
“And here is another pillar of economic agenda, the health. Level, this is meaningful development working at the highest level.
“This is also an opportunity for me to announce another bold initiative of the Lagos State Government to establish University of Medical Science before the end of this year.
“This is a strategic for us. This is a strategic intervention for us. This is a strategic moment for us. By the end of this year, Lagos State Government in collaboration with Federal Government will be setting up a University of Medical Science in the state.
“Why, are we setting up a health or a Medical University, it is to solve two problems brain drain created by Japa syndrome,” he said.
