Religious group identifies with Nigerians’ sufferings, calls for good governance

The Association of Papal Knights and Medalists in Nigeria (APKMN), has called on the government at all levels to provide good governance as the dividend of democratic rule, saying it identifies with the sorrow, pain and hardship of Nigerians, who continue to suffer marginalisation, exploitation and economic deprivation.

“Conference highlighted the tremendous anxiety and uncertainty in the country as Nigerians face the challenges of unemployment, inflation and insecurity due to bad governance, resulting in high rate of crime among the youth, such as, fraud, money-making rituals, drug abuse and trafficking,” the group said at the end of its 16th annual conference held between November 14 – 17, 2024, in Lagos.

Themed, ‘Living an Authentic Catholic Life: Challenges and Opportunities in Nigeria’, the conference, which commenced with a mass presided over by Alfred Adewale Martins, the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos Province, issued a 14 point communiqué at the end.

The communiqué was jointly signed by Steve Adehi, national president and RoseMary Azimi, national secretary of APKMN.

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The group further observed that secularisation and globalisation has led to desacralisation of the innate values held by Catholics, with many being polarised. It stated that the art has exposed many families to harsh wind of poverty, cynicism, capitalism, materialism, despair and thereby diminishing the witness value of Catholics.

According to the group, the conference highlighted the urgent need for re-orientation, ethical and moral re-evaluation among the people and government, with the need to uphold the rule of law, stand united, and work for the common good of all.

Among the resolutions reached at the end of the conference include: “Go back to the roots and basics of our faith to uphold our Catholic heritage, traditions, and practices; Stand united with the Church to promote new evangelisation; Renew our commitment to the study and application to life of the Catholic Social Teachings and other documents of the Church, among others.