Osinbajo, Gbajabiamila, Tinubu, Amaechi call for prayers, patriotism
Govs, others greet Christians, seek peaceful co-existence
Abubakar Auwal (Sokoto), Muideen Olaniyi, Abbas Jimoh, Balarabe Alkassim, Chris Agabi, Saawua Terzungwe (Abuja), Lami Sadiq (Kaduna), Abiodun Alade, Abdullateef Aliyu, Christiana T. Alabi (Lagos), Abubakar Akote (Minna), Victor Edozie (Port Harcourt), Peter Moses (Abeokuta), Mumini AbdulKareem (Ilorin), Bassey Willie (Yenagoa), Haruna G. Yaya (Gombe), Dickson S. Adama (Jos), Usman Bello (Benin) & Ahmed Ali (Kafanchan)
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev Fr Mathew Hassan Kukah, has alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari has divided Nigerians on the basis of ethnicity, religion, and region.
In his Easter message, the bishop said, “This carefully choreographed agenda” had made Nigerians vulnerable and ignited the most divisive form of identity consciousness of the people.
He said the level of destruction under Buhari had never been witnessed in the history of the nation.
“Years of friendships, cultural exchange, and collaboration built over time have now come under serious pressure from stereotyping. Notwithstanding these challenges, religious leaders must recover and deploy their moral authority and avoid falling victim to the schemes of politicians and their material enticements,” he said.
Kukah accused the president of showing far greater commitment to integrating repentant terrorists than getting children back from kidnappers or keeping our universities open.
“It speaks volumes when the president and his military hierarchy choose to believe these young men who took up arms and for years waged war against their country, killed, maimed and wasted thousands of lives, destroyed entire communities and now, they are being housed, fed, clothed with public funds.
“All this while their victims have been forced to make the various IDP camps their new homes! Where is the justice for the victims and the rest of the country they have destroyed?” he asked.
The bishop stated that the challenge of fixing Nigeria is enormous and requires joint efforts because everything in the country is literally broken down.
“Our country has become one big emergency national hospital with full occupancy. Our individual hearts are broken. Our family dreams are broken. Homes are broken. Churches, Mosques, and infrastructure are broken.
“Our educational system is broken. Our children’s lives and future are broken. Our politics is broken. Our economy is broken. Our energy system is broken. Our security system is broken. Our roads and rails are broken. Only corruption is alive and well,” he said.
Kukah said the greatest challenge is how to begin a process of reconstructing the nation beyond the 2023 elections.
“The next president of Nigeria must be a man or woman with a heart, a sense of empathy and a soul on fire that can set limits to what human indignities visited on citizens that he or she can tolerate.
“We have no need for any further empty messianic rhetoric laced with deceitful and grandiose religiousity. We need someone who can fix our broken nation, rid our people of the looming dangers of hunger and destitution,” he said.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, could not be reached for comments on the allegations yesterday.
A text message sent to him by one of our correspondents was not replied as at the time of filing this report.
Peace will be restored despite challenges – Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has assured Nigerians of the restoration of peace and a more prosperous future for all regardless of current challenges.
He gave the assurance yesterday while speaking with journalists shortly after the Easter Sunday service at the State House Chapel, Aso Villa, Abuja.
“There may be things that appear dead but the power of the resurrection is one that assures us that life will come after death, so we are completely confident especially for our country that everywhere we suffer deprivation, there will be restoration, and that is the promise of the resurrection.”
Speaker, deputy urge Nigerians to support government
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and his deputy, Ahmed Idris Wase, have congratulated Nigerian Christians on the celebration of this year’s Easter.
Gbajabiamila in his message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, said the period called for sober reflection and dedication to nationhood.
He urged Christians to be their brothers’ keepers at all times and use the period of Easter to pray for unity and peace in the country.
He also called on all citizens to support the government in its efforts to tackle the insecurity in the country.
Wase in a separate message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Umar Muhammad Puma, enjoined Nigerians to be strong and prayerful amidst current security challenges bedevilling the country.
Tinubu, Amaechi urge Nigerians to emulate Jesus
The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has urged Nigerians to emulate the morals and ethics of Jesus Christ in their personal and public lives.
The former Lagos governor in a message he personally signed on Sunday said, “Jesus sacrificed himself for the wellbeing of others. For his goodness, he was ridiculed, tried, and convicted in the worst of ways. The wrongdoers thought they defeated him. They indeed were wrong.
“He overcame their cruelty to achieve that which he was brought into this world to achieve. He withstood so much to reach his destiny. In so doing, he brought forth a new faith that has been the fountain of spiritual uplift to billions of people for over two centuries,” he said.
Tinubu added that Nigeria would enjoy a rebirth and claim its greater triumph, despite being written off by skeptics and critics.
He called on Nigerians to reach out to one another as never before and, together, build the nation as never before.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in his own message called on Nigerians to be kind, open-hearted, and accommodate one another.
The presidential aspirant said oneness and unity of purpose would bring growth and uplift the nation.
He said, “We need to come together as Nigerians to tackle our challenges, fight our battles as one united front, and make our country better.
Bello, Wike, Abiodun, Ayade seek peaceful co-existence
Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel-Berje, charged Christians to reflect and imbibe the virtues of love, selflessness, forgiveness, perseverance and sacrifice.
The Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, in a message signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said Easter is a period of fresh beginning, forgiveness, love and friendship.
He urged the privileged to reach out to the less privileged to deepen the culture of true Christianity.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, urged Christians to be their brothers’ keepers and share with those who don’t have, noting the essence of the celebration was to show love and be good neighbours.
El-Rufai, Yahaya, Uba Sani urge Christians to pray for Nigeria
Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has called on Nigerians to use the Easter period to pray for peace as well as promote harmony across communities in the country.
El-Rufai in a message urged all residents of Kaduna to work together to uphold the state, its hardworking people and their accomplishments from those who seek to menace and destroy.
The senator representing Kaduna Central, Uba Sani, urged for prayers for the safe return of all the people currently in captivity of criminal gangs across the country.
The Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, in a message issued by the Director General of Press Affairs, Ismaila Uba Misilli, urged Christians to continue to pray fervently against the socio-economic and security challenges in the country.
He stated that the country was in a trying moment, adding that he was optimistic that with collective commitment, sacrifice and by turning to God through prayers, the country shall overcome all the trials and emerge stronger.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has urged the Christian faithful to continue to live in peace and harmony with believers in other faiths, noting that good neighbourliness, selflessness and patience were among the several lessons taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ.
In a message issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, the governor implored Nigerians to use the occasion to seek the face of God for continuous peace in Lagos State and an end to insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and other security challenges in Nigeria.
Let’s unite to fight evil forces – Kwara Gov
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, called on Nigerians to use Easter to seek God’s favour for the country and reunite against all forces of evil that seek to tear the country apart and terrorise its people with violence and economic sabotage.
Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, called on Nigerians to use the period to reflect on peace, love and hope for a better Nigeria.
He called on the people of the state to be security conscious and report any suspicious movement of persons or activity to the security agencies in order to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Kaigama urges Muslims, Christians to parley on insecurity
The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Revd Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, has urged the Muslims and Christians to use the simultaneous occasion of the Easter celebration and Ramadan fast to unite against insecurity and other challenges facing the nation.
He made the call on Sunday in his Easter Sunday homily delivered at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Abuja.
Kaigama said it is only when citizens stop offending God and one another that the negative and harsh social realities being witnessed today will be greatly minimised.
We’ll expand people-oriented policies – APC
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the welfare of Nigerian citizens is its priority, stressing that it would continue to expand the implementation of people-oriented policies and programmes.
In an Easter message, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, urged Christians to pray for the unity and security of the nation.
The statement read in part, “We will continue to expand the implementation of people-centered programmes to provide increased jobs and gainful opportunities, strengthen and diversify the economy; vastly improve the security of lives and property, complete ongoing projects and upgrade of our transport infrastructure, and other social investments designed to uplift the poor and other economically-disadvantaged fellow citizens.
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