The National Orientation Agency (NOA) of Nigeria has felicitated Christians in Nigeria and around the world on the occasion of Christmas, urging them to use the celebration to imbibe the virtues of Jesus Christ and pray for a renewed spirit of love, unity, and brotherhood amongst Nigerians.
The National Orientation Agency of Nigeria is the body tasked with communicating government policies and promoting patriotism, national unity, and development of the Nigerian society.
Its main objective is to ensure that government programmes and policies are better understood by the general public.
The agency consistently raises awareness, provides timely and credible feedback, and mobilizes citizens to act in ways that promote peace, harmony, and national development.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Issa Onilu, said that Nigeria’s journey of nationhood has always leveraged occasions such as Christmas to renew the common bond that unites Nigerians, irrespective of religious, tribal or political differences.
He said the birth of Christ symbolized God’s gift of love to humanity, which man must also extend to his fellows and, therefore, stressed the need to emulate the virtues of love, peace, kindness, and forgiveness as exemplified by Jesus Christ.
Onilu urged Nigerians to ensure that the practice of sharing love outlives the Christmas season, saying that love for all is a panacea to the nation’s challenges. He said the NOA would continue to promote good virtues and patriotism for lasting peace and mutuality in the society.
He was optimistic that sustaining the spirit of Christmas would help citizens appreciate the principle of the present administration’s ‘Renewed Hope’ programme, which aims to improve the living standards of Nigerians and foster national development.
The NOA’s director general also assured Nigerians of the government’s adequate security measures for hitch-free Christmas celebrations while urging them to remain law-abiding and security conscious during and after the Christmas festivities.
He wished all Nigerians a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
