Simon Bako, the governor of Plateau State, has urged Christians to get involved in politics in order to improve administration in Nigeria and contribute to national progress.
At the 14th Annual Conference of the Association of Papal Knights and Medalists in Nigeria, which took place in Jos, Governor Lalong delivered a speech.
Lalong said the title of the conference, “Fratelli Tutti: Path for Credible Elections for Good Governance in Nigeria,” is very apt as it will explore concerns like leadership recruitment and the execution of good governance in Nigeria by the political class and bureaucrats.

“Many have suggested, and rightly so, that poor leadership is the root of Nigeria’s many challenges,” he remarked.
But a lot of people overlook or fail to understand that leadership is a lifelong endeavor that extends beyond elections. It begins considerably sooner and goes on from there. Having spent the majority of my adult life in politics, I can state without fear of rebuke that society’s awareness of the kind of leadership it needs starts the process of recruiting new leaders. This establishes the degree of popular participation—or lack thereof—in the selection, adoption, and introduction of candidates for public office.
“Unfortunately, a lot of our brothers and sisters would prefer to criticize, condemn, and occasionally bring down those in office rather than get involved.”

While Lalong acknowledges that the Catholic Church has a strong platform for enticing and pressuring its people to enter politics, he emphasized that much more work needs to be done within the Nigerian Body of Christ as a whole to guarantee that more Christians hold positions of authority.
“We must participate in governance as children of light to prevent darkness from spreading and gaining power. For this reason, I implore the Church to keep opening doors for ongoing communication with Christian legislators so that its interests can be appropriately expressed and assessed,” he stated.

Rt. Hon. Dame Esther Uduehi, National President of the Association of Papal Knights and Medalists, stated that the organization is composed of Catholics who have received honors from the Church for their services to the spread of the gospel and for positively impacting humankind.
She expressed concern over the rise in crimes, terrorism, banditry, and religious intolerance, which have impacted people’s social and economic lives and limited their ability to practice their faith.
Dame Uduehi applauded the new electoral law’s signature, stating that it will ensure free, fair, and credible elections that will elect leaders that prioritize the needs of the people.

Sir Joseph Ari, the occasion’s chairman and Director General of the ITF, stated that the conference offers a chance to talk more about the ways in which the Church and its members can support democracy while bringing attention to issues related to the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He asserted that the organization have all the necessary resources to back the church in all of its endeavors and help society overcome grave obstacles that stand in the way of its development.
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 topic chosen.
He stated that righteousness—which is based on love, truth, justice, equity, and selflessness—is what Nigeria needs instead of religiosity.

According to him, voters would have the freedom to select their leaders in 2023 based on facts rather than opinions or false information.
To kick off the conference, a mass was celebrated earlier at the St. Louis Parish Church.