Folarin Adegboyega Awal
Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, former Senate President, Senator David Mark, on Monday felicitated with Christian faithful and all Nigerians as they celebrate the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, congratulated Nigerians for their resilience in the face of the challenges facing the nation and urged them to pray for improvement in the social, political and economic condition of the country, in the New Year.
Mark on his own once again harped on the need for peaceful coexistence between and among Nigerians irrespective of ethic or religious leanings.
Saraki urged Nigerians to make it part of their New Year resolution that they will play their constitutional roles to ensure that the country has a peaceful, credible, free and transparent elections in February and March 2019.
He said that Nigerians should also pray that the results of the elections will lead to rapid socio-political and economic development of Nigeria.
Saraki said, “I wish all Nigerians a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I want to call on Christians, in particular, and Nigerians, in general, to emulate the virtues of Christ, who through self-sacrifice brought salvation to humanity.
“This is a time for us to be our brother’s keeper, extend our generosity to one another and ensure that the less-privileged among us are not left out of the ensuing merriments.”
He added that the upcoming election is another opportunity to lay a new foundation for the growth and prosperity of the nation and to banish poverty from the land.
While praying for journey mercies for as many Nigerians that would travel during the period, he urged the police and other security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities and ensure that the lives and property of Nigerians are fully secured at all times.
“The security agencies must of necessity redouble their efforts to ensure that the Christmas and New Year celebrations are observed peacefully across the country,” Saraki stated.
In his goodwill message to Nigerians commemorating this year’s Christmas celebration, Senator Mark urged citizens to be guided by the lessons of the Christmas season which is anchored on love, forgiveness and peaceful coexistence.
Senator Mark canvassed for religious tolerance amongst various adherents saying “We must as a people strive to imbibe the culture of mutual respect, trust and unity as the antidote to the myriads of problems facing the nation”.
He implored citizens to shun those mundane issues such as ethnicity or religious discriminations that tends to threaten the peace and unity of the country.
Senator Mark pointed that only those who have ulterior motives would exploit or resort to the emotional fault lines of ethnicity and religious differences in order to gain what they could not ordinarily achieved under normal circumstances.
He also stressed the need for authorities to review the nation’s security arrangement for an improved performance saying that the unabating security situation in the country unarguably calls for self examination .
Senator Mark was of the opinion that government and security operatives needs to do more to restore hope and confidence amongst the citizens that they can be protected in any part of the country.
To this end, he urged that all hands should be on deck to preserve and protect the corporate existence of Nigeria, pointing out that no matter the situation “ We have no other country to call our home other than Nigeria”.
Even as the 2019 election campaigns gathers momentum , he implored Politicians to play according to the rules of the game as the only way to sustain our democracy.
Senator Mark cautioned against campaign of calumny saying that only issue based campaign would convince the electorate ahead of the polls.
Also the Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District, Solomon Adeola, urged Christians in particular and Nigerians in general to use the occasion of the Christmas celebration to renew their faith in Jesus Christ and pray for a peaceful and rancor free 2019 General Elections in a few weeks time.
In a Christmas message to felicitates with his constituents and Nigeria Christendom at the occasion of 2018 Christmas, Senator Adeola said Christmas symbolizes the celebration of the birth of a new dawn for the salvation of souls for all humanity especially for the Christians and should therefore not be used for only merry-making.
Adeola noted that this year’s celebration coming weeks to a crucial election is another opportunity for fervent prayers for a new dawn and prosperous future for individuals and the Nigeria nation.
While acknowledging that Nigerians in general are going through a difficult gestation period for sustained economic growth that is mercifully not compounded by the usual fuel scarcity as witnessed in time past during Yuletide, the senator urged all Nigerians to be patient and look forward to a better future.
The Lagos West senator added that “with abiding faith in Jesus Christ all our challenges will be a thing of the past as we move to next level of our development.”
