President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday felicitated with Christians and all Nigerians “on the joyous occasion of Christmas of the year 2019”.
Buhari, in a message he personally signed, enjoined all Nigerians to imbibe and demonstrate the essence of the season of love – goodwill among all the ethnic groups in the country.
He called on Nigerians to give and share; strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and good neighbourliness, and focus on “all that binds us together as one united country”.
“I, therefore, urge our compatriots to shun all actions which negate the spirit of the season. However, celebrating the spirit and virtues of Christmas need not be a one-day affair, but rather, ought to continue into the New Year,” Buhari said.
“It is in line with the spirit of Christmas that I call on all elements whose actions are opposed to what the season represents, especially insurgents, terrorists, armed robbers, kidnappers and economic saboteurs, to retrace their steps and join people of goodwill and common humanity. If they fail to heed this call, they will meet their end as the armed forces, security and law-enforcement agencies are poised now to confront and defeat them,” he said.
In a similar message, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Representatives, urged Nigerians, especially Christian faithful, to offer special prayers for the continuous unity and peaceful coexistence among the citizens.
Gbajabiamila also urged Christians to use the occasion for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ to pray for the country to overcome its challenges, including insecurity in some parts of the country.
“I wish to join millions of citizens to congratulate my Christian brothers and sisters for witnessing and marking this year’s Christmas peacefully. Christmas is a period of merrymaking, but beyond that, it is also a period for us all as a people to take time and pray for our country,” Gbajabiamila said in a statement by Lanre Lasisi, his special adviser on media and publicity.
“I admonish my Christian brothers and sisters to pray for our continuous survival in peace and unity as a country. I also urge them to emulate all that Jesus Christ stood for: his love for humanity, his peace-making nature, his magnanimity, his accommodating mind and everything the Christ was known for. Once again, I wish all Nigerian Christians merry Christmas,” he said.
Godwin Obaseki, Edo State governor, urged Nigerians to show love and reflect on the teachings of Jesus Christ as they mark the Christmas celebration.
“Christmas season is an auspicious occasion to show love and reflect on the life of Jesus Christ, whose birth we are commemorating,” Obaseki said in a statement. “As we celebrate with our friends, relatives and neighbours, I enjoin you to spread the message of oneness, love, generosity and hope for greater things as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.”
Muhammad Bello, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in his Christmas message urged Christians to imbibe the virtues of humility, courage, honesty and love for one another which Jesus Christ epitomises, while Ndudi Elumelu, minority leader of the House of Representatives, urged Nigerians to use the occasion of Christmas to rekindle their love and respect for one another which, he said, are necessary to promote coexistence in the country.
On its part, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) enjoined Christians and all Nigerians to imbibe the many positive lessons of the birth of Jesus Christ to rededicate themselves for the greatness of Nigeria.
The APC said the special day is as momentous as it is significant, and called on all Nigerians to fully appreciate the need to redouble their efforts in the quest to ensure the peace, progress, stability and economic prosperity of their great country.
According to the ruling party, achieving these noble objectives would only be realised if exemplary virtues such as peaceful disposition, sacrifice and tolerance, which Jesus Christ’s life embodied, are practised in Nigerians’ day-to-day life.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC national publicity secretary, in a Christmas message said while the President Buhari-led APC government truly appreciates all Nigerians for their support and cooperation so far, the party called for more support in order to ensure that Nigeria continued on the trajectory of sustainable economic growth, development and prosperity.
“We assure all Nigerians that the Federal Government would not shirk in its onerous duty to keep all Nigerians safe this Christmas and beyond,” he said.
JAMES KWEN, Abuja
