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.
