Guardian
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ today, President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that there is a silver lining in the horizon for Nigerians despite the machinations of those he described as “wicked ones” who conspire to inflict pain and trauma on citizens.
In his Christmas message to Christians, Buhari expressed the need for citizens to rise up with one voice and jointly confront the menace of instability bedevilling the nation.
“It is a special period that brings peoples of the world together with one purpose; to celebrate togetherness, joy, peace, and above all, to share love with one another through exchange of goodwill and gifts.
“For the second Christmas running, the world will not be able to celebrate as we used to in years past.
“The COVID-19 pandemic, with its attendant debilitating impact, has remained with mankind, mutating and leaving in its wake devastating consequences on the economy, social interaction, and curtailing certain freedoms.
“The silver lining, however, is that humanity has been able to rise up with one voice and purpose, to confront the foisted conditions.
“I use this opportunity to appeal to our dear citizens to embrace vaccination, which is the best scientifically known bulwark against the pandemic. Recent events have shown that vaccination greatly reduces the effects of the virus on the human body,” the president said.
He also urged those that have taken the two doses to go ahead and take the booster as advised by the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC).
“I commend the efforts of members of the PSC under the headship of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as they continue to chart a roadmap out of the pandemic and associated issues.
“On security, despite the remarkable successes generally recorded, we still have some challenges. Our courageous security forces, bolstered by the necessary support from this administration, daily confront the wicked ones amongst us, who continue to threaten the peace of the land.
“Recently, during the meeting with fellow Heads of State of the ECOWAS, I discussed the need to intensify efforts to jointly confront this menace causing instability in our sub-region.
“I am confident that with the renewed commitment and empowerment of our committed security personnel, all these issues which inflict pain and trauma on us will soon be history,” Buhari assured Nigerians.
He urged them to utilise the opportunity that the festive period brings to encourage themselves so that the machinations of the wicked ones will find no place to thrive.
“Christmas is a season when hope is rekindled. Hope, peace, joy, love are the recurring themes of this time. It is in the midst of hardship that the true test of a nation emerges.
“I urge Nigerians to invoke the indomitable spirit in us and see the present order of things as a phase that will also pass, just like other unsavory situations in the nation’s history. This government will not abandon the promises made to Nigerians for a better lease of life.
