GEJ’s 2015 Christmas Message To The Nation [Must Read]

Below is 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