The Grand President, GCFR, Commander-in-chief of the Armed
Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Doctor Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan has sent an Easter message to the nation.
Dear Compatriots,
I
greet you all, especially our Christian brothers and sisters who are
celebrating Easter and commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ
today.
As we join Christians in other countries of the world in
celebrating Easter this year, I urge all Nigerians to reflect on the
significance of its lessons of piety, obedience to higher authorities,
self sacrifice for the good of others, redemption, salvation,
deliverance, renewal and the ultimate triumph of good over evil.
These
lessons of Easter and other injunctions on brotherly love, peaceful
co-existence, tolerance, honesty, humility, justice, equity and fairness
to all without discrimination contained in the Gospels are of
particular importance to us as a nation as we continue to contend with
the challenges of nation-building and development.
As our
Christian compatriots celebrate the Messiah’s triumph over death and
all that it connotes, let us all renew our faith and confidence in our
ability as a people to overcome all obstacles, challenges and threats to
national progress and well-being, including terrorism and other
criminal attacks on our people in some parts of the country.
My
belief in our ability to overcome all retrogressive and divisive forces
in our midst and build a strong, united and prosperous nation by turning
our unique diversity into a source of strength remains unshaken and we
will continue to work with all interest groups and stakeholders in the
country to achieve the peaceful, secure and politically stable
conditions essential for rapid socio-economic development.
In
spite of the evil machinations of terrorists, criminals and their
collaborators, our Administration remains ardently focused on efforts to
successfully execute the Federal Government’s Agenda for National
Transformation and achieve sustained development.
We have already
made notable advances in this regard. As a result of our efforts and
those of previous administrations, the Nigeria economy is now the
largest in Africa and the 26th largest in the world.
But we
cannot afford to rest on our oars. Much remains to be done and we will
continue to count on the patriotic support of all Nigerians as we strive
to achieve more inclusive economic growth, generate more national
wealth and create more employment opportunities to meet the demands of
our increasingly youthful population.
I commend the leadership
and delegates to the ongoing National Conference, the vast majority of
who have shown a patriotic and praiseworthy commitment to national
unity, peace and progress built on justice, fairness and equity for all
component parts of the country.
As the Conference breaks into
committees to continue its deliberations, it remains our hope and
expectation that the end result will be meaningful and enduring
contributions towards strengthening national unity and fulfilling our
collective desire for a better and greater nation.
Once again, I
extend heartfelt commiserations to all the families who have sadly lost
loved relatives in recent terrorist attacks.
Our thoughts and
sympathies remain with all those who have suffered injuries from the
heinous attacks. We pray for their speedy recovery and shall keep on
doing everything possible to assist them with required medical services
and material support.
Our Armed Forces and security agencies will
continue to do their very best to curb such attacks and restore full
security to all parts of our beloved country.
But we must all
become more alert and vigilant, and do all that we can to give them the
fullest possible assistance, support and cooperation they require to
achieve more effective protection of lives and property across the
country.
We shall continue to count on your support and prayers for greater peace, harmony, progress and prosperity in Nigeria.
May God Almighty bless our dear nation and guide us, always.
Happy Easter to you all.
