Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the governor of Oyo State and his counterpart from Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola have enjoined Christians to imbibe the spirit of love and selflessness exhibited by Jesus Christ, as they celebrate this year’s Easter.
In an Easter message by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Yomi Layinka, Ajimobi also urged Christians to continue to pray for the country to overcome the current socio-economic challenges.
He expressed appreciation to Christians for their fervent prayers for the state and the country during the 40-day fasting, which culminated in the Easter celebrations.
Emphasising the need for the faithful to sustain their prayers and piety beyond this season, the governor prayed that their supplications would be manifest in their individual lives and in the life of the country.
While imploring the people to move closer to their creator, he urged them to emulate Jesus Christ, who, he said, volitionally offered himself as a living sacrifice for the redemption of mankind.
As a government, Ajimobi said that his administration would continue to work hard to ensure better living condition for workers and citizens of the state.
According to him, the administration’s agriculture revolution aimed at rejigging the economy of the state was on full course and would soon begin to bear fruits.
Ajimobi said, “Easter is not about wining and dining alone. Rather, it is an occasion to exhibit love to one another as demonstrated by God.
“Out of His love for mankind, God offered Jesus Christ, His only begotten son, to die for our sins and to give us life more abundantly.
“We should, therefore, eschew any divisive tendency, violence and other behaviours that are antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
“I want to reassure workers and citizens that our administration is on course for the economic revival of the state through the exploitation of the agric value chain. Soon all our efforts in this direction will begin to bear fruits.”
The governor urged Christians to continue to pray for the safe return of the Chibok girls, who have been in the captivity of suspected Boko Haram insurgents for more than three years.
In the spirit of the season, he called on the faithful to rally behind the distraught parents of the missing girls and show them uncommon love and solidarity.
As the search for the girls continues, Ajimobi urged the parents and members of the Chibok community to remain hopeful and unshaken in their belief that the girls would soon return to their warm embrace.
In Aregbesola’s message, he charged Nigerians on the need to keep hope alive in-spite of the daunting economic challenges being faced by the country.
He said it is in this that the citizens can be galvanized towards contributing their quota to the overall progress of the country.
This was the summary of the Governor’s message to Nigerians as Christians all over the world celebrate Easter to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Jesus Christ.
The Governor, in the message signed by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon urged Christians to reflect on the import of Easter celebrations in their dealings, not only with other Christians, but with people of other religions.
He said Nigerians must eschew bitterness and all forms of violence, stressing that the progress, peace and security of the nation is anchored on good neighbourliness and peaceful co-existence.
The statement reads further, “I urge you all to let the significance of the celebration reflect in our relationship with one another both Christians and the people of other religions. There is no doubt that these are tough times in our country but we must all keep hope alive that life will be better”.
He reminded Christians that having gone through forty days of fasting and praying, Easter was a better time for them to purge themselves of those weights that “have impeded our progress as a people over the years by demonstrating love in its fullness not only to one another but also to our society.
“The major lesson of Easter is for us as Christians, to reconsider the reality of our faith. The passion and death of Jesus underscores the love of the Father who gave his only begotten son in love for us and the willingness of the Son to sacrifice himself for others to be liberated from the weight of sin.
Aregbesola however reiterated the commitment of his administration to making life better for all citizens and residents, saying that“This is our primary concern as reflected in the numbers and quality of projects being executed across the State and the committment to the welfare of our people.”
Packaged by Oyedapo Oyewole and Bunmi Oladejo
