A message from president Jonathan
Dear Compatriots,
I greet and felicitate with you all once
again as we celebrate the birth of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I join all of our
Christian compatriots in giving thanks to
God Almighty for the divine gift of Jesus
Christ the Messiah whose earthly
incarnation we commemorate today.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who
the Prophet Isaiah heralded as the Prince of
Peace and Wonderful Counselor, I believe it is
very appropriate that we all, Christians and non-
Christians alike, reflect more deeply on the
virtues and ideals which the Messiah espoused
during his earthly mission.
To my mind, there can be no doubt that the
greater internalization of the virtues of love for
our fellowmen, tolerance, Godliness, honesty,
fairness to others, selflessness, and peaceful co-
existence with others, by all adult Nigerians, and
the inculcation of the same in our youth, will
definitely help our dear nation to overcome most
of its present challenges.
Peace and love for others, especially, were a
constant refrain in the Messiah’s teachings and
admonitions to mankind.
Therefore, as we celebrate his birth, I urge all
Nigerians to offer special prayers for a greater
manifestation of divine peace in our country and
the vanquishing of all demons of hatred,
divisiveness and disunity in our midst.
As we celebrate Christmas, let us also remember
and offer special prayers for all of our
countrymen, women and children who have
suffered and continue to suffer untold hardship,
deprivation and death at the hands of terrorists
and insurgents.
Let us also continue to pray for our gallant
soldiers and security agents who remain at the
forefront of the national effort to overcome
terrorism and violent extremism, even as the rest
of the nation celebrates Christmas and the
coming New Year.
In this season of goodwill, I urge all patriotic
Nigerians to rededicate themselves to doing all
within their powers to support the brave men and
women of our armed forces in the ongoing war
against terrorism, and also support the Federal
Government’s efforts to provide more succour to
the hapless victims of terrorist atrocities.
The Victims’ Support Fund which we have
established to raise additional funds to assist
our compatriots who have been adversely
affected by continuing insecurity in parts of our
country remains active.
I call on all individuals and corporate
organisations who have not yet done so, to
donate more generously to the Fund which is
being efficaciously deployed to ease the
sufferings of victims of terrorist violence in the
country.
Dear Compatriots, we are also celebrating this
Christmas against the background of
preparations for next year’s general elections.
I seize this opportunity to reassure the nation
that my administration will give the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) all
necessary support to ensure that it delivers very
free, fair, credible and acceptable elections in
2015.
National security agencies will also be given all
necessary support to enhance their ability to
ensure that the elections which should
strengthen democracy in our country are
peaceful and violence free.
I urge our political class to be law- abiding and
place the greater interests of our nation above
all personal or sectional interests in the
countdown to the elections.
Let us all be more statesman-like, conduct
issues-based campaigns, and eschew the
promotion of falsehood, division and hatred of
others as we seek the votes of our countrymen
in what should be a peaceful competition among
contending points of view for the progress and
development of our dear nation.
I remain convinced that God Almighty is still
with us as a nation even in the midst of our
current challenges which we shall surely
overcome with greater unity of purpose,
dedication, commitment and perseverance.
Let this year’s celebration of the birth of Christ
the Messiah rekindle, strengthen and reaffirm
our faith in our national ability to overcome all
challenges, with God on our side.
I wish you all very happy Christmas celebrations.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR
President,
Federal Republic of Nigeria
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