As Nigeria joins the world to celebrate this year’s Christmas, President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, have appealed to citizens of the country to emulate the peace and love that are characteristics of Jesus Christ and on which the Christian religion is built.
Both gave the admonition in separate statements to mark the Christmas Day which is celebrated worldwide by Christians.
While felicitating with citizens of the country, President Jonathan said: “I join all of our Christian compatriots in giving thanks to God Almighty for the divine gift of Jesus Christ the Messiah whose earthly incarnation we commemorate today.
“As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who the Prophet Isaiah heralded as the Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor, I believe it is very appropriate that we all, Christians and non-Christians alike, reflect more deeply on the virtues and ideals which the Messiah espoused during his earthly mission.
“To my mind, there can be no doubt that the greater internalization of the virtues of love for our fellowmen, tolerance, Godliness, honesty, fairness to others, selflessness, and peaceful co-existence with others, by all adult Nigerians, and the inculcation of the same in our youth, will definitely help our dear nation to overcome most of its present challenges.
“Peace and love for others, especially, were a constant refrain in the Messiah’s teachings and admonitions to mankind.”
Continuing, he said: “therefore, as we celebrate his birth, I urge all Nigerians to offer special prayers for a greater manifestation of divine peace in our country and the vanquishing of all demons of hatred, divisiveness and disunity in our midst.
“As we celebrate Christmas, let us also remember and offer special prayers for all of our countrymen, women and children who have suffered and continue to suffer untold hardship, deprivation and death at the hands of terrorists and insurgents.
“Let us also continue to pray for our gallant soldiers and security agents who remain at the forefront of the national effort to overcome terrorism and violent extremism, even as the rest of the nation celebrates Christmas and the coming New Year.
“In this season of goodwill, I urge all patriotic Nigerians to rededicate themselves to doing all within their powers to support the brave men and women of our armed forces in the ongoing war against terrorism, and also support the Federal Government’s efforts to provide more succour to the hapless victims of terrorist atrocities.
“The Victims’ Support Fund which we have established to raise additional funds to assist our compatriots who have been adversely affected by continuing insecurity in parts of our country remains active.
“I call on all individuals and corporate organisations who have not yet done so, to donate more generously to the Fund which is being efficaciously deployed to ease the sufferings of victims of terrorist violence in the country.
“Dear Compatriots, we are also celebrating this Christmas against the background of preparations for next year’s general elections.
“I seize this opportunity to reassure the nation that my administration will give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) all necessary support to ensure that it delivers very free, fair, credible and acceptable elections in 2015.
“National security agencies will also be given all necessary support to enhance their ability to ensure that the elections which should strengthen democracy in our country are peaceful and violence free.
“I urge our political class to be law- abiding and place the greater interests of our nation above all personal or sectional interests in the countdown to the elections.
“Let us all be more statesman-like, conduct issues-based campaigns, and eschew the promotion of falsehood, division and hatred of others as we seek the votes of our countrymen in what should be a peaceful competition among contending points of view for the progress and development of our dear nation.
“I remain convinced that God Almighty is still with us as a nation even in the midst of our current challenges which we shall surely overcome with greater unity of purpose, dedication, commitment and perseverance.
“Let this year’s celebration of the birth of Christ the Messiah rekindle, strengthen and reaffirm our faith in our national ability to overcome all challenges, with God on our side.”
On his part, Governor Fashola enjoined Nigerians to embrace the virtues of peaceful coexistence and refrain from fanning the embers of disunity.
The Governor, in the Christmas goodwill message to the residents of the State maintained that as the 2015 general elections approaches, it is only through peaceful co-existence that Nigeria can make the desired progress.
“I urge you to continue in this vein, for it is only by living in peaceful and harmonious co-existence, by respecting each other’s right to live freely and peacefully and by being our brothers’ keepers that we are truly celebrating the essence of Christmas,” he reiterated
While appealing for vigilance from the people during the 2015 elections, he said the people must be assertive in ensuring that irrespective of the frustrations that they might be going through, they must exercise their civic rights and vote rightly.
He said the security challenges which the country is facing now should not be used as an avenue to create division along ethnic and religious lines by some politicians who are blanketly engaging in name-calling of political opponents.
Governor Fashola said Nigeria has always been a heterogeneous nation and that the people should resist any attempt by any leader to now highlight such ethnic differences to further their selfish ends.
He also urged the people to be safety and security conscious, especially during the festive period by not indulging in drinking and driving and reporting all suspicious activities around them to security agencies by using the Toll free lines 767 and 112.
“The period of Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ who is the symbol of Christianity and the harbinger of peace, love and good tidings and there is no better way to celebrate the season than by showing love and being our brother’s keeper,” he said.
The Governor charged all residents to ensure that all the positives of Christmas does not end with the festive period but that everyone must consciously act to keep the generousity, the bonding, the restraint, the love and the happiness that makes Christmas a special season into the people’s daily lives so that every day of their lives after Christmas would be a special day.
“This is very much possible because it does not happen by accident and because we make Christmas happen by giving, by loving and by sharing and smiling. If we do it every day, you can just imagine what the world would be like if every day was Christmas,” he said.
While wishing all Lagosians “a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New year in advance,” Fashola further urged the citizens to emphasise only those things that unite and de-emphasise all those things that separate.
Meanwhile the governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose has called on the people of the state to use this period to reflect on the past , present and the future of the state in term of what individual can contribute to the state to complement the efforts of the present government to make life worth of living.
The Governor made the call in his Christmas message to the people of the state through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi on Wednesday.
Fayose also enjoined all and sundry to see that the importance of the birth of Jesus Christ to the whole world is being the saviour of mankind, the author and finisher of our faith.
He maintained that if Christ had not been born, who knows what would have become of our sins which He has redeemed.
He asked for the cooperation of the people of the state as he continues to meet their yearning, which he said he was determined to maintain in this administration. He added that all sons and daughters of Ekiti state should continue to pray for the government, saying that it is only through prayers that our Lord Jesus Christ can solve all the problems inherited by the present administration.
He also enjoined motorists and motorcyclists as well as other road users to be extra careful during this season while driving or riding to avoid accidents.
