Why we need a new secretariat – Archbishop Abegunrin By Adewale Kupoluyi and Simon Senaya

Strategic plans are ongoing for the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan to have a new secretariat building to host important offices. To realise this, a number of events have already been lined up. One of this is the maiden edition of the ‘Luncheon With the Archbishop’ programme, which holds on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the Church of the Ascension, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, starting at 11am. The Lay Apostolate Harvest thanksgiving would also hold on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Orita-Challenge, Ibadan, beginning by 10am, which would have the Archbishop as the Chief Celebrant. This Archdiocesan Secretariat Building Project would house the Chancery, Laity Office, Catholic Men Organisation (AICMO), Catholic Women Organisation (AICWO), Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (AICYON), chapel, multi-purpose hall, and other key offices in the Archdiocese. In this interview, the Archbishop of Ibadan Archdiocese, Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin spoke on a number of issues including why it is desirable to have a new secretariat. Present at the interview session were the President, Archdiocesan Laity Council, Mr. Olujide Oladokun and Chairperson, 2024 Lay Apostolate Harvest Planning Committee, Mrs. Christiana Folorunso. Excerpts of the interview:

How is the Archdiocese of Ibadan doing, Your Grace?

Your question will be answered with only one sentence. Because we all belong to it, we are all feeling it. Ibadan Archdiocese is in dire need of support because we are not receiving the kind of support we need; that the diocese should move forward, but of recent, we thank God that people are coming up to really to know their duties, servility as Catholics, that’s important. Because sometimes, we feel that some people are doing it, so I’m not involved, it’s a bad attitude. If everybody will say it is mine, that will be good. So far, we are gaining that ground now.

Thank you, Your Grace. So, why is the Archdiocesan Secretariat Building Project important?

Well, it is important because that is (where) every activity will converge, as for administration; as an administrative centre. Now, when you look at it, if you travel around this Province, we are the only one, who has no secretariat. We have one where we are now, but it’s not like it at all. If you go to Ilorin, Osogbo, Ekiti, Oyo, Ondo; they have sizeable, very beautiful, well-furnished secretariats that you call the Chancery. But here, we are just managing, we are doing all our work well, even including what extends to all other dioceses and archdioceses, but then, it is not the real thing we should have. We need a better one.

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Your Grace, what are your expectations in terms of support by the priests, religious and the laity towards the success of this building project?

Well, it’s not just this building project. I’m here for the laity, priests and religious. So, my expectations of them is that they should work with me; all of you. Don’t leave things to me. They should work with me. Let us work together for the progress of the Archdiocese. Otherwise, if you’re not here, I shouldn’t be here at all.

Any piece of advice for members of the Lay Apostolate Harvest Planning Committee and the Archdiocesan Laity Council entirely? 

Well, let me take it from the Archdiocesan Laity Council. You know, it seems that some people are not aware that I am part of the laity yet in the Archdiocese. Some people are struggling to make things work, but some are folding their hands and watching, as if they are not members of the laity and that’s the problem we have, if all members of laity should put their hands on deck, then things will go smoothly for us. When there’s a meeting, we send some people to come and represent each Parish, but then, that interest of everyone is not there. Oh, it’s our own, let us do it. They see the exco or the delegate as the laity, but they are wrong as only the priest and religious are not laity, every other person is a lay person, but people don’t understand it that way. I’ve said it before that why lay people do not support their own project or their own affair. I gave an example in one of the churches one day I said, as I was celebrating Mass. As an impromptu, I said I want a thanksgiving, everybody will get up and donate generously, but when you say its for the laity, everyone won’t get up and when they do, they put something little in the offering. People don’t understand that the church is theirs and they have to support it. Let us claim it, have a claim for your church, say this is mine. Don’t see it as a foreign church or priests’ church, or the archbishop’s, or the laity church, or the religious church. Rather, it belongs to all of us.

Is there any special message that you have for the people of God?

Well, for the people of God, apart from this chancery project, I have been speaking to my priests and I think I will soon fix a date to talk to the lay leaders; that is people from all parishes – priests, the chairmen, presidents and of course, the Archdiocesan exco, and the deans that we have to wake up a little more and that is because I will soon retire and I want to say that I will hate that what I am going through, the next archbishop will also go through it. I want us to put an end to that question of onlooking. I want us to put an end to that. I love Ibadan and I am happy being here in Ibadan, not because I’m an archbishop, but I have been happy since I came in 2014. But then, there are certain things that I have been going through that If I complain, it would be as if I am not happy, but I am saying these things because I am going away. I don’t want the next archbishop to experience the same thing I experienced. I am not complaining because I am at home and I’ve been enjoying myself and happy with the people I am working with; the laity, religious and diocesan clergy … You realise that I receive all my visitors here in the office. It wasn’t like that in Osogbo, where people send their children to come and visit me. You can’t send your children here. My point is that people have not been able to look closely to see that I am not, not a matter of enjoyment, but to see that my position is not correct the way it is, to really add something to it, they didn’t. And I am not a man, who likes to complain, I am not. If I had been complaining for the last 10 years, people would see me as a man, who doesn’t want to work. But what matters to me is the work, which I do to other dioceses to the Province, to the national, and to the international (levels), too.

So, what I am asking is that we would rise up and I have told my priests not leave it to two or three or the excos of the laity. So, I’m calling a special meeting of the laity, religious and diocesan priests, to discuss what we are going to do to get prepared for the one coming … I am to step out on the 29th of September. They may ask me to continue for weeks, months, I don’t know, but in case I step out on the 29th of September, I want to be happy with anybody; well settled. My retirement house is almost ready, they are yet to finish with the landscaping now, it remains to wash and paint, and also to furnish. So, I am thinking that, as soon as I finish this house, I am going to pack in immediately, before September. I would like us to start the new house for the new archbishop, and it may get to the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), who knows. But he may be younger than me. When I came here, I was 66, I was already a grandpa, but, then I still had some strength, but what if a young man comes, he would spend more years than I did, would he be hibernating like me? So, as soon as this is done, I would propose that they go and bring all you have and their friends, let us start something immediately in preparation for the one coming … So, that is my concern, once again, I am happy to be here, I have never quarreled with anyone and I don’t know if anyone is quarreling with me (laughter). So, I am a Catholic. Wherever Catholics are, they send me there. As a priest, I worked in many places and people think that I was not happy, but I was happy because as a priest, wherever you accept God’s work, wherever you find a human being … I am just calling for everybody’s support. That’s just it. It is our church and only one church you have. Let us make this church a noble one. Support it as our own, let us claim our church and God will support us in Jesus name. Thank you so much. God bless you.