Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has called on Nigerians to emulate the virtues of forgiveness and self-sacrifice as exhibited by Jesus Christ in order to move the nation forward.
Mr Uche Anichukwu, Special Adviser (Media) to the Deputy Senate President in a statement, said Ekweremadu gave the advice in his Easter message adding that recrimination, unforgiveness and selfishness were major clogs in the nation’s wheel of progress.
He said: “The Easter celebration is another reminder that forgiveness and self-sacrifice remain indispensable factors in nation-building. I, therefore, call on the Christian faithful and all Nigerians to imbibe Christ’s sense of self-sacrifice by putting the nation’s interest above personal and other narrow interests.
“Recrimination, unforgiveness, and selfishness are not only unchristian, but will also make our journey to the Promised Land farther and more tedious. We must learn to eschew bitterness and forgive hurts of the past to be able to face the future with renewed spirit of love and hope so that, together, we can achieve the Nigeria of our dreams”.
He wished the Christian faithful a happy Easter celebration, the Deputy President of the Senate enjoined Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the festive occasion to reach out to the sick and the less privileged with a view to giving them a new and better lease of life, just as Christ did for mankind.
Hard work, sacrifice will see us through trying times – Ajimobi
Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has expressed optimism that the country is capable of scaling its current economic predicament through selflessness, hard work and patriotism by the people, irrespective of social stratification.
In his Easter message by his Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy, Mr. Yomi Layinka, the governor said these were the sterling attributes that distinguished Jesus Christ for which his death and resurrection have become an annual celebration among Christians.
The governor felicitated with the people, particularly Christians, on the occasion of this year’s Easter, a period he said was meant for sacrifice and forgiveness as exemplified by the life and times of Jesus Christ.
Harping on hard work, the governor said that no country could survive if its working-age population relies heavily on the government for survival instead of getting actively engaged in profitable ventures to eke out a living.
Ajimobi urged citizens of the state, particularly those in the public service to be more dedicated and committed to the vision of his administration towards reinventing the state’s economy through the agriculture value chain.
In the spirit of collective responsibility, the governor said that citizens of the state should make sacrifices and be prepared to embrace and contribute to the programmes, policies and activities of the government as they unfold.
Ajimobi said, “We can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. This is the time for us to start breaking the eggs. Without pains, there will be no gains. The Bible even supports this by saying that ‘in all labour there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
“It is also in the Bible that ‘by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground; whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. The current economic situation does not provide room for laggards and lazy ones. You must sacrifice your time and enjoyment in order for this state and the country to move forward.”
As other states in the country intensify efforts to get out of the mire of poverty, the governor solicited the support and cooperation of people of the state in the renewed efforts by the government to also regenerate the economy of the state.
He said, “That Oyo State must be made better is not the job of government alone. It is the collective responsibility of all of us to make sure the state is made better and I am so happy that we can now see some of the developments that have taken place in the state.”
“Very soon, we are going into agricultural revolution in Oyo State, which I am very sure would make positive impact on the socio-economic status of the state. So my message is that all of us must rededicate ourselves to improving the economy of the state.
“It is not only by words of mouth, it is not by sloganeering or going around telling lies and inventing stories, we can only achieve our goal through hard work and dedication. So Easter is telling us that whatever we want to achieve in life, we must be committed to it and be prepared to make sacrifice.”