President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed confidence that all the “issues which inflict pain and trauma on us will soon be history”.
The President stated this on Friday in his Christmas message to rejoice with Christians in Nigeria as they join fellow believers all over the world to celebrate this season.
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He urged Nigerians to utilise the opportunity of the festive period to encourage one another so that the “machinations of the wicked ones in their midst would find no place to thrive”.
Buhari said despite the remarkable successes generally recorded on security, “we still have some challenges”.
“Our courageous security forces, bolstered by the necessary support from this administration, daily confront the wicked ones amongst us, who continue to threaten the peace of the land.
“Recently, during the meeting with fellow Heads of State of the ECOWAS, I discussed the need to intensify efforts to jointly confront this menace causing instability in our sub-region.
“Christmas is a season when hope is rekindled. Hope, peace, joy, love are the recurring themes of this time. It is in the midst of hardship that the true test of a nation emerges. I urge Nigerians to invoke the indomitable spirit in us and see the present order of things as a phase that will also pass, just like other unsavory situations in the nation’s history.
“This government will not abandon the promises made to Nigerians for a better lease of life. The diversification of the economy embarked upon is yielding fruits. We shall continue to create opportunities for our teeming youths to ventilate their tremendous energy.
“As we felicitate with family, friends, colleagues, associates, let us spare moments to reach out to the less privileged.
“Let us also pray and give words of encouragement to our gallant security personnel fulfilling their oaths to keep us safe.
“I assure my compatriots that this administration remains resolute at ensuring that the standard of living of the average Nigerian is elevated.”
On COVID-19, the President used the opportunity to appeal to citizens to embrace vaccination, which he said remained the best scientifically known bulwark against the pandemic.
“Recent events have shown that vaccination greatly reduces the effects of the virus on the human body.
“I will also urge those that have taken the two doses to go ahead and take the booster as advised by the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC),” he further advised.
