The Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and all elected officials at the federal and state levels on their assumption office.
In a statement by the Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Revd. Akinpelu Johnson and the Synod Secretary, Canon Adesanya Ashaolu, at the end of their four-day deliberations at the second session of their sixth synod, prayed for God’s guidance for President Tinubu to “lead the country at a precarious time, when the continued unity of the country is questioned, and the national economy and security are in dire straits.”
They also commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for ensuring that Lagos State enjoyed relative peace in his first term in office.
They urged him to keep the state as a home for all by mending threats to the harmonious relationship that existed between all residents of Lagos State during the last elections. They further called on him to curtail the activities of “area boys and cultists on innocent and hardworking Lagosians” and fast-track the ongoing road constructions to ameliorate the plight of the people.
The church urged the government to muster the political will to ensure prudence, transparency, fairness, and probity in the management of the foreign exchange regime.
It asked that the final leg of the Naira rebranding exercise should avoid the mistakes of the recent past by putting in place a seamless process and system that does not inconvenience the populace.
Whilst commending the improvements in the security situation, especially in the Northeast and North West, they decried the incidences of unknown gunmen and several militias that have made life there unbearable.
On the theme of the synod, “Confirmation, Our Youth, and the Eucharist: Sustenance for the Journey ahead”, they declared that “Confirmation remains a tradition of the Church as a solemn public confession of faith when the candidates confirm and ratify the promise made for them at baptism and rededicate themselves to God. The Eucharist is the spiritual food that confirmation allows every communicant to receive. In admitting our youth through confirmation to receive the Eucharist, the Church must nurture the youth and make them appreciate the benefits and power in it.” Adding that “Baptism, Confirmation, and participation in the Eucharist are important steps of a lifelong process of growing in the knowledge and faith of God, through Christ.”
An annual festival of the bishop, a synod allows delegates from all parishes in a diocese to gather annually to discuss issues of faith and affairs of the society. A highlight of the synod is the State-of-the-Church address called the Presidential charge delivered by the diocesan bishop. It sets the tone for the discussions at the opening ceremony. Leaders in Christendom and the State also attend and send messages to the synod. Its key decisions guide the direction of what the diocese would emphasise in a year.
This year’s synod took place at three venues: The Cathedral of St. Jude, Ebute meta, All Saints’ Church, Yaba, and the Anglican Church of the Messiah, Okota.