Christmas is here again and Christians in Nigeria have joined their fellow believers across the world to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
The Christmas Day is declared as a public holiday not just in the country but also in many other nations.
It is accompanied by the teachings of Christ which include showing love to one another and tolerance among other Christian virtues.
On the eve of Christmas (Monday), President Muhammadu Buhari congratulated Nigerians, especially the Christians.
He stressed the need for the people to live in unity with one another, especially for the troubled and displaced people in the country.
President Buhari urged Nigerians to put a smile on the faces of those grieving by showing a little love thereby building relationships with those outside their ethnic, religious and socio-political divides.
He, however, described 2018 as a mixed year as there were both progress and deaths that could have been avoided.
“On the pleasant side, our economy has made significant progress since coming out from recession and our faithful implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan,” the President was quoted as saying in a statement by his Christmas message to the nation.
“We have seen so many unnecessary deaths caused by violent clashes between neighbours, who ordinarily should complement and support one another. We cannot bring back the lives lost to floods, unfortunate fire disasters, road accidents, farmers/herders clashes, and insurgency.”
Similar, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and some state governors greeted Nigerians at Christmas.
In his message, Senator Ekweremadu urged the people to embrace the virtues of Jesus Christ during the season.
He asked them to show love, fairness, and selfless service to their neighbours, especially as the country prepares for the general elections in 2019.
Lagos
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, in a statement asked Nigerians to use the occasion to extend love and kindness to all mankind, especially the less privileged in the society.
He listed the qualities that Jesus Christ represents to which include love, care, selflessness and compassion for persons, especially the weak, vulnerable and less-privileged.
Benue
Elsewhere, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, said, “Let us embrace peace, harmony, tolerance and show love to one another at this Christmas and carry the same virtues into the coming year.”
