Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has urged the people of his state and Nigerians in general not to lose hope in the Nigerian project but continue to work together to build a united and indivisible nation.
The Governor gave the advice in a goodwill message to Benue indigenes and Nigerians on behalf of his family and government of the State, to celebrate the 2021 Christmas festivities marking the birth of Jesus Christ.
In the message issued Friday and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, the Governor noted that the yearly commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ signified the love God had for mankind.
He said, “this is an opportunity for all Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic, political or religious affiliation to come together and work consciously to dislodge the terrorist forces destabilising the country.”
He regretted the pains activities of terror groups had wrecked on the political, economic, and social life of Nigerians which he said had dragged the country to its knees.
“As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let us celebrate as one big Nigerian family with love and care for one another. Let us avoid divisive tendencies where religion, ethnicity, and political differences have eaten deep into our lives. This is not the Nigeria we looked forward to.
“This season presents to us, a unique time to share love genuinely, first to our immediate families and also to the larger Nigerian family where we speak and act for the unity of country irrespective of our political or religious differences. We must not allow this criminality by terrorists and their sponsors to continue and destroy our nation. Let’s come together to end it now for the benefit of our children and future generations,” he said.
While admonishing Christians to pray for peace, harmony, and tolerance in the country, Governor Ortom also encouraged Nigerians to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari, State Governors, members of State and National Assembly as well as ministers, and all those in positions of authority for the peace of the country.
He admonished Benue people to be security conscious as they celebrate saying, “given the recent security alert raised by security agencies, Benue people should be conscious of their environment now. They should report suspicious movements of people to the security agencies so that together, we can fish out the bad eggs amongst us.”
He assured that his administration had taken proactive measures in collaboration with security agencies in the state to guarantee hitch-free Christmas and New Year celebrations in the state.
The Governor appreciated the state civil servants and senior citizens for the understanding they had shown to his government and prayed that this year’s Christmas celebration would reinforce the faith of the people in God and make Nigeria a better place for everyone.
