President Muhammadu Buhari, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and governors have called on Nigerians to show love and live in peace with one another as they mark this year’s Christmas.
In his message on Saturday, Buhari urged them to set aside their differences and celebrate the joy and love that the season brings.
“I heartily rejoice with our Christian brothers and sisters on the occasion of this year’s Christmas,” Buhari, who leaves office next year, said.
“Many of us look forward to this festive season as a time to travel, share gifts, spend quality time with family and friends, attend special carols and events, and generally relive the good moments of the year. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves, Christmas is a period when we come together to rejoice and set aside our differences.”
Christmas in the past seven years, he added, has brought some cherished memories with the 2022 edition coming as his last one as Nigeria’s leader.
Hours after Buhari’s comment, CAN came with another message of hope for the country which the body said is in a “precarious situation”.
The CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, who signed the message, said Nigeria is suffering from insecurity, a harsh economy, and others.
Inflation is running at more than 21 percent — the worst since 2005. According to the latest official figures, 63 percent of Nigerians — 133 million people — suffer from “multidimensional poverty,” a metric that includes child mortality, access to electricity, and clean water.
Despite these, the umbrella Christian body said “religious and political leaders, as well as the media, should use this Christmas season to reinforce the hope of the masses in a better, more peaceful, and secure Nigeria come 2023.
“Let the Yuletide season be a period of strengthening ourselves and others; reminding one another that there is no difficult situation that the presence of Jesus cannot address; giving hope to the hopeless; comforting the oppressed and being the voice of the voiceless.
“The prophecies of the birth of our Lord assure us His enduring presence which delivers from all troubles and will surely restore the dignity and joy of our dear country, Nigeria.”
‘Love At Its Heart’
State governors in their Christmas messages also re-echoed hope and love, telling Nigerians that though the country may be facing several challenges on different fronts, things will pan out better.
“I join the Christian faithful in our dear Rivers State and the entire world in celebrating the joyous occasion of Christmas,” Governor Nyesom Wike said.
“As we remember the true meaning of this glorious festivity, may we emulate the Lord Jesus Christ’s love, and kindness by extending our hands to the less privileged among us.”
On his part, Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State described Christmas as a period marked by love, compassion, sacrifice, selflessness, and forgiveness among others.
“I celebrate with all Christians on this joyous occasion of commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Love, compassion, sacrifice, selflessness, and forgiveness are the basis for the celebration so I urge all Nigerlites to use this period to reflect and practice these principles for a better society,” his message read.
Governor Ademola Adeleke shared similar sentiments with his Niger counterpart and reminded Nigerians not to forget the essence of the season.
“This season is another opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the true teachings of Jesus Christ, which has love at its heart. In love, we will have no trouble enduring each others’ differences and live in harmony, which holds the key to prosperity,” he added.
“As much as I share in the joy that comes with the period, may I indulge us not to forget the very essence of the celebration, and in that regard, ensure we use the occasion to bond with our neighbours and more, help the needy.”
“I just want to assure our citizens that the government and the people of Lagos State will continue to be law-abiding,” Governor Sanwo-Olu told Lagosians in his Christmas message.
“We will continue to live in peace and harmony among ourselves, and even as we go into this yuletide season let us celebrate with moderation and know that the season is for us also to reflect and ensure that as New Year comes in, it is for bigger and greater things to happen.”
In the same vein, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom called for peace and religious tolerance between and among different adherents of faith as the antidote to occasional conflicts in the country.
Ortom in a goodwill message to Nigerians to commemorate this year’s Christmas celebration, called for inter-religious cooperation that will engender peace and harmonious coexistence. He urged Christians in the country to remain steadfast in prayer to the almighty God to intervene in the myriads of security, socio-economic and political challenges facing the nation.
The governor enjoined Christians not to undermine the essence of the Christmas celebration on the altar of merriment, saying, “The sanctity of the birth of Jesus Christ which is the reason for the celebration is to re-enact the spirit of love, peace, good neighbourliness and forgiveness which our saviour preached.”
Joining to send Christmas goodwill message to Nigerian Christians, the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, enjoined Christians to spread the messages of love, peace, hope and tolerance which Jesus Christ preached by personal example.
He said the life and teachings of Jesus Christ enjoins His followers through holy living to be the light and salt that make the world brighter and better for mankind.
Senator Lawan assured that the National Assembly will continue to promote good governance to overcome the development challenges and set Nigeria firmly on the path of progress, peace and unity.
See Buhari and CAN’s full statements below:
PRESIDENT BUHARI’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2022
I heartily rejoice with our Christian brothers and sisters on the occasion of this year’s Christmas.
Many of us look forward to this festive season as a time to travel, share gifts, spend quality time with family and friends, attend special carols and events, and generally relive the good moments of the year. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves, Christmas is a period when we come together to rejoice and set aside our differences.
For me and my family, this year’s celebration is unique. It is my last as your elected President. Twenty-two weeks from now, this administration will hand over to another.
In the last seven years, I have had the privilege of receiving members of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) community on Christmas homage, except the year the COVID-19 pandemic denied us that opportunity. I will fondly remember them as my benevolent landlords and friendly neighbours.
It is crucial that I remember this about my closest neighbours because there is no better way for us to celebrate Christmas as a people than showing genuine love, care, compassion and empathy for one another.
We must never lose sight of the symbiotic relationship between Christmas and hope; Jesus Christ and humility, Christianity and grace.
In this season of love, joy and peace, let us not fail to remember those who really wish to celebrate but are constrained in one way or the other by reaching out to them.
Together we can make this celebration a spectacular one by renewing our pledge and common resolve to work for the unity and prosperity of our dear country.
Until my last day in office, I will continue to provide political and material support to sub-national governments, the Armed Forces, institutions and individuals working wholeheartedly for the peace, unity, stability and progress of Nigeria.
The advances we have made so far on the economic front, especially in infrastructure; food security, anti-corruption, security, energy sufficiency, among others, will need to be built on.
This joyous season has coincided with the period of campaigns to usher in a new administration. I urge you to be circumspect and vote for those that will maintain the momentum we have created for the greater good of the country.
It is another opportunity to show the rest of the world that Nigeria is indeed ready to consolidate its democratic credentials as has been noted in international circles. Let the peace and joy that pervade this period continue well into the new year up to the elections in February and beyond.
I want to assure Nigerians that those who violently seek to disrupt the peace of our nation have lost the battle.
Our country is blessed with a wealth of human and material resources. Let’s celebrate our blessings this season with the trust that a better dawn awaits Nigeria.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas.
Muhammadu Buhari
December 24, 2022
CAN PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
December 24, 2022
Christmas: Be hopeful, God has not forsaken Nigeria
1. Another season of Christmas is here again. It is that time of the year when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the living Son of God. As people who believe in Him, we are reminded of the unfailing and never-ending love of God for us. The story of Christmas tells us of God’s loving intervention in the human situation of helplessness and hopelessness.
2. Jesus is the promised Messiah, who fulfils God’s promise of eternal salvation and deliverance for His people at a time when they were neglected, exploited and oppressed by selfish and corrupt leaders (Isaiah 11:6-10). It is in this context that the significance and importance of the birth of Christ radiates brilliantly for us, as a people and a nation, because we are expecting the coming of a new leadership ordained by God to restore the fortunes of our country and ensure peace, justice and righteousness in the land.
3. This year, we are celebrating Christmas in Nigeria amidst uncertainty, fear, untold suffering, hardship and pain in the face of a harsh economy, record inflation figures, worsening poverty situation and a weakened security system due to bad governance. This precarious situation in our national life can be likened to the sufferings, helplessness and hopelessness of the Israelites as a result of the decisions of their leaders to forsake God and pursue after their bellies which they have made into gods through greed, selfishness and blatant corruption.
4. Nevertheless, the message of Christmas informs us that God will not abandon us, rather, He will continue to intervene in the affairs of mankind through Jesus Christ, the Messiah He sent to save the world. We should resist the temptation to speak the language of despair and division over our lives and our nation. Let the story of Christmas provide us with inspiration to speak the language of peace to our neighbours regardless of differences in religion, ethnicity or political leanings.
5. Our political leaders, especially those jostling for the opportunity to lead our country out of the woods in 2023, should use this Christmas season to reflect on the words of the new-born Messiah who, when it was time to inaugurate His rescue mission in the world, expressed the consciousness that He was anointed to preach the good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free, and proclaim the year of the Lords favour (Lk 4:18-19). They should be prepared to ensure justice by insisting that the resources and positions in governance are shared equitably among people of all regions and tribes. Equitable distribution of positions will help us to harness the abundance of potentials in our dear country for national development.
6. As we gear up to elect new sets of leaders at both the federal and state levels in the first quarter of 2023, Christmas is a reminder that God has not forsaken us. Therefore, we should pray to God to open our eyes to be able to discern and vote for those who will govern the nation with godly fear and devotion. Let those contesting for elective positions realize that the forthcoming election is not a do-or-die affair; rather, it is God who gives power to whoever he pleases. They should eschew violent conduct and toe the path of honour and peace as they campaign for votes.
8. We should not allow fear of insecurity and violence cause us to stay away from voting during the 2023 general election. Let us remember that the spirit we have received from God through the coming of Christ into the world is not of fear but of power, and of love, and of sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). Religious and political leaders as well as the media should use this Christmas season to reinforce the hope of the masses in a better, more peaceful and secure Nigeria come 2023.
9. Let the Yuletide season be a period of strengthening ourselves and others; reminding one another that there is no difficult situation that the presence of Jesus cannot address; giving hope to the hopeless; comforting the oppressed and being the voice of the voiceless. The prophecies of the birth of our Lord assures us His enduring presence which delivers from all troubles and will surely restore the dignity and joy of our dear country, Nigeria.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year in advance!
Signed:
Archbishop Daniel C. Okoh
CAN President
