Obaseki, Makinde, Others Felicitate with Christians on Easter

Obaseki, Makinde, Others Felicitate with Christians on Easter

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo, Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, his counterparts in Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde; Osun State, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola; Abia State, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu; and Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; as well as Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr.

Matthew Kukah, have felicitated with Nigerians on the occasion of Easter.

In his Easter address, Obaseki urged Christian faithful to show good neighbourliness to one another, tasking them to mark the Easter festivities at home.

The governor said this year’s celebration would be marked in “unusual circumstances,” as Christians would celebrate one of the most important events in the Christian calendar at home because of the restrictions, which have been imposed to limit the spread of the COVID-19.

“Easter signifies the essence of our Christian faith because our Lord Jesus Christ made the supreme sacrifice for us and hence gave us hope for eternal life,” he said.

The governor expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari on the posthumous state pardon granted the late Prof. Ambrose Alli and the late Chief Anthony Enahoro, who hailed from the state.

On his part, Sanwo-Olu congratulated Christians on the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, urging them to emulate His virtues of humility, perseverance, and compassion.

The governor also urged Christians to continue to live in peace and harmony with believers of other faith.

He noted that “good neighbourliness, selflessness, and patience were among the several lessons taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ.”

In his goodwill message, Makinde rallied residents of the state to be full of prayers and imbibe Christ-like sacrifice this season of Easter.

The governor said residents, especially those of the Christian faith must use the opportunity of the Easter season to engage in more prayers for the state and Nigeria.

Makinde, in a statement made available to the media by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr.

Taiwo Adisa, also encouraged the people to imbibe the lessons of sacrificial living and love, which he said are the hallmarks of Easter.

Ikpeazu, in his message, told the people that the present situation in the world should not be a cause for one to lose hope but to reaffirm confidence in God and pray for continued protection.

According to him, God has through the ages delivered those who trusted in Him, hence “God is more than able to bring the current situation under control, even as governments all over the world struggle to do their best at a time like this.”

Oyetola also urged the Christian community in Osun State to emulate Jesus Christ by making sacrifices that would advance the cause of development and take into consideration the welfare of others as they celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ.

In an Easter message released in Osogbo, Oyetola said Easter exemplified the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made to save mankind.

He called on the people to also re-dedicate themselves to the service of God and mankind as they reflect on the ideals of Good Friday and Easter celebrations.

In his Easter message in Sokoto, Kukah urged Christians not to despair but to be rest assured of a secure future even as the world is experiencing its toughest times.

Kukah said the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ were not in vain, noting that Christ died to redeem mankind from sin and give Christians eternal life.

He said anybody with eternal life should not be disturbed by unfolding event in the world.

According to the cleric, this year’s Easter celebration is unique as the church is not gathered for the celebration because of the pandemic.

He called on the church to be resolute as what happened was synonymous with the resurrection of Christ.

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