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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN NIGERIA AMID COVID-19

Confidence Okwuchi
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By Ukamaka Okafor, Abuja

Christmas is an annual festival celebrated by Christians all over the world to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind.

The festival, observed on the 25th of December every year is remarkable in the Christendom as a religious and cultural ceremony among billions of people all over the world and usually with great pomp and pageantry.

The coming of Jesus in human history celebrated at Christmas had been prophesied centuries earlier by the prophets. Prophet Isaiah had foretold that ‘a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and she will call Him Immanuel’ (Isa 7:14), a name which means ‘God with us’ (Matt 1:23).

The significance of Christmas is that Jesus Christ was not born in a grand style or in a palace, but in a simple lowly place, a corner of a stable, a manger where animals are kept. He was born to humble and poor parents, who had nothing to boast of, except their own spotless character and holiness.

The birth of Christ aptly tells us that spiritual awakening comes to the seeker, who is perfectly humble, meek and poor in spirit and that quality of true humility is one of the indispensable fundamentals of a Christian life.

For the celebration of Christmas, great preparations are made. All Christians, rich or poor join in the celebration of the birth of the savior of the world. Celebrating Christmas involves travels, hosting of parties, visit to family, friends and loved ones.

But this year’s Christmas is a departure from the past, a far cry from the usual. The Covid-19 pandemic has completely altered the way Christmas is celebrated, at least for this year. As the global fight against the deadly disease continues, all activities, including religious, are affected and gatherings of faithful in large numbers are restricted.

Owing to the second wave of the Corona virus pandemic, this year’s Christmas is being celebrated in an unusual manner not only in Nigeria but in most countries across the globe.

As part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease, the  Nigerian government has given an advisory about religious gatherings across the country. Government has limited all gatherings linked to religious events to less than 50 per cent of the capacity of the facility of use, where physical distancing and use of face mask should be strictly enforced.

Nigerians are also cautioned against unnecessary travels and avoidance of crowd, especially in the second wave of the pandemic as the cases increased steadily over the past two months, underscoring the need for reinforced public health measures to avert a spread of the infection.

Since coming into close contact with other people is the main way in which  Covid-19 spreads, the usual form of congregating in churches and parties with family and friends are unsafe during this Christmas.

Churches can take advantage of technology to conduct Christmas services virtually while worshipper participate in the live streaming from the comfort of their homes. This was how services were conducted for many months earlier this year during the total lockdown in the country. The last Easter was celebrated virtually worldwide. This could be repeated this Christmas.

But in the event that the churches choose to open for Christmas, services must be as brief as possible with all protocols of social distancing, washing of hands, use of hand sanitizers and wearing of face masks strictly adhered to. This is because the longer many people from different households stay in close enclosed spaces, the higher the likelihood of passing on any infection.

It is also important to state that travels from one town or village to another to celebrate Christmas should be avoided as much as possible, especially to areas with records of high Covid-19 infections. Lagos State, the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Rivers, Edo, Ogun and Kano States, in that order, have the highest number of confirmed cases in Nigeria.

Visits to friends and families to eat, drink and celebrate Christmas should be avoided for now or minimized as much as possible. Stay safely at home and celebrate with your family this year.

In shopping for Christmas, avoid crowded malls and markets. If you must go shopping, remember to wear your face masks and maintain physical distancing. Better still, you can shop online.

These are trying times. But remember that even though this Christmas is different and difficult for many, we can take comfort in the fact that the sacrifices we make now will protect us and our loved ones, our communities and our country. The goal is to make sure that everyone is alive to celebrate Christmas in-person next year and beyond.

The fight against Covid-19 Pandemic is an all front fight, involving scientific and spiritual angles and the fight will be won with prayers and commitment of all Nigerians of all faith especially with the Christmas celebrations this year.

 

 

Christmas: FCT Minister preaches peace, tolerance among residents

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has enjoined residents of the FCT to use the occasion of Christmas to reflect and rededicate themselves to the virtues of love and peace as exemplified by Jesus Christ.

In his Christmas message to residents, the Minister felicitated with the residents of the Territory especially the Christian on the celebration of Christmas.

He also reminded the residents that the FCT was similarly founded on the principles of love for country, respect for fellow citizens and peaceful co-existence in a united Nigeria.

He therefore urged all residents of the FCT, to continue to imbibe these virtues as embodied by the season of Christmas.

Malam Bello equally called on residents to be cautious while celebrating Christmas in the face of the second wave of COVID-19 which, he reminded residents, is even more virulent than the first wave.

While urging residents to use the occasion of Christmas to pray for the quick end of the pandemic, he enjoined them to comply with all the guidelines on COVID-19 prevention as announced by the relevant health authorities.

The basic measures, which have been proven to save lives, the Minister reminded residents, include physical distancing, hand washing, use of face mask and avoiding large gatherings.

He urged them not to be carried away by the euphoria of the festivities and let their guard down but to celebrate safely by obeying all the established health protocols.

Malam Bello thereafter called on residents to be security conscious during the festivities and assured that the security agencies have been adequately mobilized to protect lives and property during the holidays.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim

 

Child Spacing: Gombe Service Providers call for more supplies of commodities

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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Health facilities providing Child Spacing services in Gombe State have called on both the Nigerian and state governments to intervene in the supplies of the essential commodities and consumables that give women of childbearing ages the opportunity to plan their families.

They made the call during visits to some of the facilities within the Metropolis, where they have been witnessing low supplies of the items in recent times.

The health providers in the centres visited told Voice of Nigeria that “the commodities and consumables, which in the past were readily available and free, are no longer obtainable, while harsh economic realities contribute majorly in preventing the poor from accessing these services.”

According to them, “cultural barriers have been bridged and more people are getting enlightened,” but they are worried that the scarcity of the consumables is now lowering the level of patronage at the facilities, because some women cannot afford as small as a 50 Naira worth of a commodity.

For the Facility Manager of the Pantami Primary Healthcare Centre, Mrs. Aishatu Umar, the centre faces the challenge of sufficient supplies of the child spacing commodity.

Mrs Umar said the centre collaborates with the Marie Stopes, an NGO dealing in Child Spacing issues, as well other partners, who sell to the facility, which in turn sells them to the clients.

She also said that “there is no gainsay that the benefit of child spacing cover the newborn having enough care and hardly having malnourished children, while some methods help in preventing mothers from being exposed to some health hazards.”

She, however, said the need of these items were making the facility resort to buying from the market and reselling to the clients who access their services.

The facilities visited are appealing to the governments at the Federal and State to intervene and ensure that the commodities and consumables are made readily available, as it used to be so that more women, who are getting sensitised on Child spacing by the day can have access to the services.

Mrs. Naomi Haruna, who is the Officer in Charge of Child Spacing at the Primary Healthcare Facility, Town Maternity, Gombe Metropolis told Voice of Nigeria that because of the limited supply in both the consumables and commodities of the Child Spacing Service, traffic to the facility had drastically reduced.

She attributed the scarcity to the emergence of the Coronavirus.

Mrs. Haruna said “the implication for non-accessibility of the consumables by the client meant an increase in the birth of more unplanned babies that parents cannot take care of.”

She said it also meant more burden to the society and government because it would lead to population explosion.

Also to the Facility Manager of Town Maternity, Primary Healthcare Facility, in Gombe, Mrs. Hajara Ahmed, the increase and decrease of clients in the facility was determined by the availability of the consumables and commodities but since Coronavirus came, traffic to the facility dwindled.

“The facility is one that has the challenge of acceptability. But, whenever we encounter shortage, we go to communities with low patronage and through the focal person in the local government area and ask them for assistance and we restock,” Mrs. Ahmed said.

She encouraged mothers within the child-bearings ages to opt for child spacing,  to remain healthy.

According to her, when a mother opt for any child spacing method, she will recuperate well, regain her body structure which she incurred during pregnancy, while the womb is restored to its normal position, the blood loss is replaced and the newborn getting the needed care and attention.

Some of the healthcare providers, who would rather remain anonymous, said the supplies they get from the government was limited, as such, the ones they get are sold and bought again and resold to the public at a cheaper rate.

They say the move was adopted to get the system running and the items available for clients, who had known the value of child spacing and were willing to pay to access the services.

The facilities, however, said the government needed to step in and provide these items so that the poor could easily have access to them.

 

 

Mercy Chukwudiebere

President Buhari felicitates Nigerians at Christmas

Lateefat Ibrahim
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  1. President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerian Christians to emulate the attributes of Jesus Christ as the mark this year’s Christmas celebration, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.

In his Christmas message to Nigerians, the President said:

“I felicitate with our Christian brothers and sisters in particular and all Nigerians in general on this joyous occasion of Christmas 2020, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.

In Christendom, Christmas season represents joy, peace, hope, love, goodwill and imminent salvation. These worthy values which Jesus’ Advent symbolize, are very much needed in our country at this time when we are confronted with diverse challenges like rising spate of armed banditry, kidnappings, insurgency, economic recession and upsurge of COVID-19 infections.”

President Buhari urged citizens to renew their trust in the current administration under his leadership, assuring them of his unrelenting effort to secure their lives and sustain peace in all parts of the country.

“I wish to, therefore, enjoin fellow compatriots to appropriate the hope that comes with Christmas and reinvest trust in this Administration’s determination and unwavering commitment to restore peace, security and prosperity to our dear country.

“Under my watch, the Federal Government will continue to provide the needed support within available resources to the gallant members of our armed forces and security agencies as they confront threats to our citizens. While I commend them for their efforts so far, I urge them to do more to checkmate increasing incidents of security threats especially in the northern parts of the country as well as the entire nation in varying degrees. Their display of tact, camaraderie, and expertise that led to the recent return of abducted schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, will remain a milestone in the annals of the country.

For me, providing security for all residents in the country remains an article of faith. “It formed a vital segment of this Administration’s three-point agenda right from inception, and we must follow through with it.

“I cannot in good conscience shirk this cardinal responsibility to secure lives and property. I feel pained each time a breach of peace and security occurs in any part of the nation. I am even more distressed when our youths, especially school children, are the targets and victims of mindless and malevolent elements in the society. As a parent, I share the emotional torture and agony parents and guardians go through whenever their children and wards fall into the cruel hands of these enemies of decency and good society,” he said.

More support
He therefore solicited for more support and encouragement for the country’s Armed Forces as the execute their mandate of securing the territorial integrity of the nation.

“I plead with fellow compatriots to give our military and other security agencies more time, cooperation and support by volunteering credible intelligence/information on activities of armed bandits, insurgents and other criminal elements within their communities in order to put an end to this blight on our security landscape.

“To be sure, the problems are beyond the simplistic options being bandied around. We shall remain focused on following the complex, multi-dimensional route to reducing the incidents of insecurity to the barest minimum. Our people must be free to live and move without let or hindrance. This is crucial not only to enthroning an atmosphere of calm and social cohesion, but for the economy to grow,” he said.

The Nigerian leader restated his administration’s resolve to improve the livelihood of Nigerians and also lift them out of poverty.

He said: “Let us use this season of goodwill and joy to renew our faith in the ability of this Administration to make a lasting difference in the lives of our hard-working people. Our Social Intervention measures and other economic policies are already yielding positive results even at modest rates.

“We shall deliberately target our youths so that they will not fall into the trap of unpatriotic elements to foment social disobedience leading to avoidable loss of lives and property.

“Let me reiterate that while the right to peaceful association and protest is guaranteed under our laws, this Administration will not fold its arms and watch protests however well-intended, degenerate into wanton killings of law enforcement and other security personnel as well as destruction of private and national assets.

“It is gladdening to note that the various schemes and components of the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) are being implemented faithfully to support micro-small businesses. I am particularly delighted that artisans, small-time transporters, traders and farmers are the main beneficiaries as we continue to provide safety nets to the most vulnerable members of our society as well as business owners to mitigate the harsh economic environment occasioned by COVID-19.

“In spite of dwindling national revenue worsened by the pandemic, we will do all that is required to fully implement the 2021 Budget of Economic Recovery and Resilience. We are optimistic that all things being equal, we should be able to exit recession at the shortest possible time.

“There is every indication that our country is already experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 infection. As we celebrate Christmas with families and friends, I urge all citizens and residents to adhere strictly to the non-pharmaceutical prevention guidelines of regular hand-washing, wearing masks and social/physical distancing with a view to mitigating the spread of this devastating virus. While national and state institutions are trying their best, we must take individual responsibility and resist the strong temptation of compliance-fatigue by following the recommended protocols put in place by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and beat the ravaging pandemic.”

The President noted with pride, the hardwork and enduring spirit of Nigerians and urged them to be vigilant as they celebrate Christmas.

“I have absolute confidence in the spirit of resilience of our people to do the needful and remain vigilant even as this festive season witnesses increased travels and celebrations. Staying alive to enjoy future festivals should be the watchword.

He wished all Nigerians divine protection and Merry Christmas.

Lateefah Ibrahim

President Buhari extols virtues of Sam Nda Isaiah

Lateefat Ibrahim
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President Muhammadu Buhari says the good family name left by the late Publisher, Sam Nda-Isaiah, is worth more than gold, urging the family to do whatever it takes to uphold it.

In a letter he wrote to the bereaved family, President Buhari said:“On behalf of the Federal Government and my family, I sincerely express my condolence on the sudden transition of my friend and ally, Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah, Publisher of Leadership Newspapers.

“Indeed, Sam’s untimely passage filled me with shock and sadness to the point that I was lost for words when the news reached me.

“He will be sorely missed by me, his family, friends and associates as he was a massive fish gone out of the media ocean and the political arena, where he displayed rare candour and courage.

“I, therefore, condole with the Nda-Isaiah family, media fraternity and all who mourn this man of conviction, a resolute and dogged believer in a better country. Nigeria has no doubt lost an exemplary gentleman.

“May God Almighty console Sam’s grieving family, friends and associates and grant his soul peaceful rest.”

The President’s letter was delivered to Sam’s younger brother and the head of the family, Abraham Nda-Isaiah by his personal staff, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity; Sarki Abba, Senior Special Assistant, Domestic and Social Affairs; and the State Chief of Protocol, Ambassador Lawal Kazaure.

Lateefah Ibrahim

Vice President sets up committee on five-year nutrition action plan

Lateefat Ibrahim
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Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has set a five man ad hoc Technical Advisory Group to support the implementation of the five-year Nutritional Multi-sectoral Plan of Action on Nurition.

Spokesman to the vice presidenr, Laolu Akande, said in release that the move was in with he Nigerian government’s resolve to frontally address the problems of hunger and malnutrition in the country.

The Vice President constituted the technical advisory group earlier in the week when he called a virtual meeting of the National Committee on Food and Nutrition, a week after the National Council on Nutrition adopted the Plan of Action.

Akande said in the release that membership of the advisory group is drawn from the Office of the Vice President, Nigerian Governors Forum, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Nutrition Partners Forum, Organised Private sector, Academia/ Research, Scaling Up Nutrition Secretariat at the Federal Ministry of Health ( FMOH), Civil Society groups-and the UN-Nutrition.

Professor Osinbajo said on Tuesday that “the technical advisory group will provide high-level strategic advice and support to the Secretariat of the National Council on Nutrition on the National Policy on Food and Nutrition’s vision and strategy, thereby facilitating nutrition positioning and comparative advantage to enable maximum impact.“

According to the Vice President, “for the next few months, this group composed of select members of the National Council on Nutrition who are heads of major MDAs and agencies will have the following Mandate:

“To provide technical assistance to the NCN and Secretariat, and facilitate inter and intra-agency coordination, supervision and monitoring, and implementation of the National Multi-sectoral Plan of Action on Nutrition.”

Continuing, Professor  Osinbajon noted that the assignment would be executed by, “developing a synthesised work plan for National Multisectoral Plan of Action on Nutrition; identifying and documenting the roles of each sector and MDA, as well as the relationship(s) between these roles and the achievement of nutrition outcomes, based on the NMPAN.”

He  said the group would “work with the newly constituted National Committee on Food and Nutrition to define and train the secretariat on the capacity needs for the development and implementation of nutrition programs and projects as defined by the NMPAN and; develop a comprehensive advocacy, information and education strategy for the NMPAN”

Stating the significance of the group’s assignment, Professor Osinbajo said “we need more than ever to think holistically if we are to solve the issues of malnutrition, in my opinion we have embarked on a new era, where collaboration and active engagement of stakeholders to assist with implementing the NMPAN is embedded in our agenda and should propel us forward.”

The National Council on Food and Nutrition chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at its last meeting approved the action plan titled the “National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN) 2021-2025” with a target of addressing nutrition and related problems across the country.

Lateefah Ibrahim

Kwara Governor salutes Christians as they celebrate Christmas

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has congratulated the Christian community in the state on the Christmas festive season which marked the  birth of Jesus Christ.

He prayed that the Almighty God should make it a remarkably joyful one for all.

The governor’s Christmas message was contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye. “His Excellency sends his best wishes to the Christendom in the state and beyond on the occasion of another Christmas which symbolises the birth of Jesus Christ“, the statement read.

He prayed Almighty God to make this Christmas a joyful one for everyone and urged residents of the state to observe the festivities in the spirit of the peculiar time.

Even as the government and citizens do their bit to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Governor called on everyone to pray and work for peace, harmony and development of the state and the country at large.

He reassured citizens of his commitment to continue to be fair to all in the discharge of his duties.

Wife of the Governor donates

The Wife of the Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Olufolake AbdulRazaq has also distributed gifts to the destitute and orphanage homes to impact positively on the lives of the less privileged this Christmas season. 

She was represented at the two-day distribution exercise by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Deborah Abosede Aremu. Dr. AbdulRazaq said the motive behind the distribution of the gift items was to give succour to the destitute and downtrodden in the society to also make them comfortable this festive period.

According to her, the gesture was to empathise with the vulnerable through extension of a compassionate heart.

She stressed that this segment of people “deserve our attention, our recognition and the essence of these gift items was to put smiles on their faces”. 

The First Lady commended the Coordinator of Olohunda Psychiatric Home.

 

Nneka Ukachukwu

Christmas: Speaker of House of Reps, others, felicitate Nigerians

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo
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The Speaker House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, has called on Christians to use the Christmas period to pray for continuous peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

The Speaker also urged Christians to pray for the country to overcome the myriad of challenges facing her, especially the issue of insecurity.

While rejoicing with Nigerian Christians for marking this year’s Christmas, Mr. Gbajabiamila called on them to imbibe the teachings of Jesus Christ, whom he described as a role model to all.

The Speaker also noted that Nigerians should also use the period to pray for their leaders for God’s guidance.

He said “Periods like this call for sober reflection, Nigerians must be their brothers’ keepers at all times.

Nigerians, irrespective of where they come from, must work towards achieving the dreams of our founding fathers, who made a lot of sacrifices for us to be one”.

Mr. Gbajabiamila said the year 2020 came with the Covid-19 challenge but that with prayers and observance of the established protocols, “the country shall overcome it in the end”.

 

Deputy Speaker calls for prayers for Nigeria
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase, has also congratulated Nigerian Christians as they celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.

In a congratulatory message issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Umar Muhammad Puma, the Deputy Speaker urged Christians to use the occasion of Christmas to reflect on the teachings of Christ, which entails love for neighbour, peaceful coexistence and loyalty to constituted authority.

He advised all Christians to continue to pray for the growth and development of the nation in spite of the current challenges it is going through.

“On behalf of my family, my constituents and indeed the House of Representatives, I wish to sincerely congratulate all our Christian brothers and sisters on the celebration of the feast of Christmas, which marks the birth of Jesus Christ.

As you celebrate, continue to pray for the nation and reflect on the life of Jesus Christ, his humility, sacrifice, love for neighbour and loyalty to God and constituted authority.

As you celebrate this great occasion, may our nation Nigeria experience peace in all its ramifications and may we overcome our security challenges”, Wase said.

The Deputy Speaker enjoined Nigerians particularly Christians to use the opportunity offered by Christmas to pray for the end of Covid-19 global pandemic and to respect the restriction on congregational worship and take responsibility for their safety against the virus.

Reps minority caucus urges unity and selflessness
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has equally urged Nigerians to use the occasion of this year’s Christmas to re-awaken their collective sense of unity, love, selflessness and tolerance with one another.

The lawmakers in a statement signed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ndudi Elumelu, also urged Nigerians to use the yuletide period to intensify prayers for divine intervention, especially as the nation battles the challenges of worsening insecurity and dwindling economy.

“Though this year’s celebration is low key due to the prevailing economic and security situation in the country, we must not resign to despondency, but keep our hope aglow as reinforced by the birth of the saviour, Jesus Christ.

Christmas is a reassurance of our salvation as well as the triumph of light over darkness, joy over misery and a sure guarantee of God’s generosity, unending love and intervention to the challenges confronting mankind at all times.

We must therefore leverage on God’s love and use the Christmas and yuletide period to eschew all divisive tendencies, end all individual and sectional acrimonies; show love, encourage and share with one another, especially those who are hurting from the brunt of insecurity, economic and health challenges at this trying time.

Our caucus once again entreats those behind the perennial violence, mindless killings, kidnapping and banditry to retrace their steps so that our country can return to the same united, peaceful and prosperous nation of happy and hardworking people that we are all proud of”, Elumelu said.

The Minority Caucus however urged Nigerians not to drop their guards during the festive period but continue to be security conscious as well as adhere to all Covid-19 protocols so as to be safe and check the spread of the Coronavirus.

The minority leader also assured Nigerians of the unrelenting dedication of the caucus in protecting their interests particularly in intensifying oversight activities on projects and policies that have direct bearing to the wellbeing of the people.

 

Nneka Ukachukwu

 

 

Niger State uncovers 2000 illegal civil servants

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo
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Niger State government in North Central Nigeria, has uncovered over 2,000 illegal workers amongst its workforce following a final submission by the Salary Management Committee recently set up by the government.

The Chairman of the Committee who is also Commissioner for Works and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Ibrahim Panti, briefed the press on Thursday,that several millions were also discovered to have been going into some fictitious spending in Ministries, Agencies and Departments MDAs across the state.

Panti explained that out of the remaining 26,387 only 23,624 are genuine and legal workers the state has and would be captured in the civil servants data base.

 “After conducting the final screening exercise to further verify the staff on government’s payroll, we discovered 2,764 have different names, using different banks with the same BVN being paid salaries.

“The committee reported that out of 26,000 benchmark given, only 23,624 were cleaned and cleared to have met the requirements as Civil Servants”, he said.

Panti further said that 191 pending cases may scale up, while 477 workers are placed on hold as they couldn’t produce either their first employment letter other documents.

It should be noted that about 36,000 names of civil servants was presented to the committee during the initial screening, but was brought down to 27,000, 25,000 and now to 23,624.

The Chairman of the screening committee however said a six-man Review Committee  to be Chaired by Commissioner for Planning, Mamman Musa has been set up to look into the recommendations of the Salary Management Committee.

 

Nneka Ukachukwu

 

 

 

Yuletide: Council Chairman tasks residents on Covid-19 safety protocols

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo
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The Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, in the Nigerian Federal capital territory administration, FCTA, Abdullahi Adamu Candido has urged residents of the council to comply with the Covid-19 safety protocols as they celebrate the Christmas and new year. 

The Chairman who made the call in his Christmas message to the residents of the council, called on the residents to always wear their face masks and keep observing strictly other safety protocols so as to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during the celebration period. 

 

Candido also extended Christmas greetings to all Christian faithful in the Area Council and wished them a very happy Christmas and new year in advance. 

 

Candido who described the season as a period when the virtues of Jesus Christ have to be demonstrated by all and sundry, urged the residents to emulate Him so that the world could be peaceful.

 

While congratulating the Christian community as they celebrate this Christmas, he enjoined them to eschew bitterness, love each other, live in accordance to Christianity and celebrate in peace.

 

Nneka Ukachukwu

 

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