Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako has called on Christians to actively participate in politics as a way of contributing to national development and adding value to governance in Nigeria.
Governor Lalong spoke while addressing the 14th Annual Conference of the Association of Papal Knights and Medalists in Nigeria, held in Jos.
Lalong said the theme of the conference, “Fratelli Tutti: Path for Credible Elections for Good Governance in Nigeria,” is very appropriate as it will discuss issues about leadership recruitment and the delivery of good governance in Nigeria by the political class and bureaucrats.
He said, “Many have suggested, and rightly so, that Nigeria’s many challenges stem from poor leadership.”
“However, a lot of people forget or do not realize that leadership does not begin and end with elections. It starts much earlier and continues afterwards. As someone who has been in politics most of my adult life, I can say without fear of contradiction that leadership recruitment begins with the consciousness of the society on what kind of leadership it desires. This determines the level of participation, or lack thereof, of the citizens in the process that identifies, adopts, and presents candidates for elections.
“Sadly, many of our brothers and sisters shy away from getting involved and would rather criticize, castigate, and sometimes pull down those in office.”
Lalong said that while he appreciates the fact that the Catholic Church has a robust platform for encouraging and pushing its members to participate in politics, so much still needs to be done within the entire Body of Christ in Nigeria to ensure that more Christians occupy decision-making offices.
“As children of light, we must be at the table of governance in order to stop darkness from taking root and dominating. That is why I appeal to the Church to continue to create avenues for constant engagement with Christian politicians for proper articulation of its interests and evaluation,” he said.
The National President of the Association of Papal Knights and Medalists, Rt. Hon. Dame Esther Uduehi said the body is made up of Catholics that have been honoured by the Church for their contributions to the propagation of the gospel and for touching humanity in positive ways.
She raised concerns over the rising cases of religious intolerance, crime, terrorism, and banditry, which have affected not only the economic and social lives of the people but also restrained their freedom to practice their faith.
Dame Uduehi praised the signing of the new electoral law, which she said will guarantee free, fair, and credible elections where leaders who have the interests of the people at heart are elected.
Chairman of the occasion and Director General of the ITF, Sir Joseph Ari, said the conference provides an opportunity to further discuss how the Church and its members can contribute to the democratic process and also highlight the issues that pertain to the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He said the association has all it takes to support the church in all its activities and also assist society in addressing very critical challenges impeding its growth.
Chairman of the Jos Province, Retired Justice Pius Damulak, said the province was privileged to host the National Conference for the second time, urging the participants to proffer suggestions on the way forward towards ensuring that Nigeria conducts an election that meets the aspirations of the citizens.
While declaring the conference open, the Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Most Rev. Dr Matthew Ishaya Audu, represented by Monsignor Professor Cletus Gotan, welcomed the Papal Knights and Medalists to Jos and said the meeting was timely, especially going by the theme chosen.
He said what Nigeria needs is not religiosity but righteousness, which is founded on love, truth, fairness, equity, and selflessness.
He said the 2023 elections provide room for citizens to freely choose their leaders based on informed positions and not sentiments or misinformation.
Earlier, a mass was held at the St. Louis Parish Church to usher in the conference.
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