A message from President Jonathan
Dear Compatriots,
I greet and felicitate with you all once again as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 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.
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.
I wish
you all very happy Christmas celebrations.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR
President,
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