Christmas: Southern senators preach peace to move Nigeria forward

The Southern Senators Forum (SSF) on Friday appealed to Nigerians to embrace peace by all means in order to move the nation forward.

The lawmakers said there would not be development in the circumstances that the country finds itself, saying that to move the nation forward in the face of daunting economic challenges, citizens must come together in peace.

In a statement issued by the Chairman of Southern Governors Forum, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, and made available to journalists as part of a Christmas message to Nigerians, lawmakers insisted that the atmosphere was too rancourous for any tangible achievements to take place.

Bamidele, who is also the governorship aspirant in the 2022 Ekiti governorship election on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), expressed optimism that the current challenges would vanish if people embrace peace, reminding Nigerians that Jesus Christ himself stands for peace.

The statement reads, “As we are celebrating Christmas, I implore all Nigerians to embrace peace by all means because there can never be a development in an environment where there is rancour and the current insecurity in the country wiĺl soon be the thing of the past if we embrace the teaching of Jesus Christ.

“He came and preached peace to us who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him, we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

“Therefore, the season of Christmas should be an avenue to propagate the love of Christ across the nooks and crannies of this nation so that we can move forward as a nation just as the birth of Jesus brings about transformation to the history of mankind.”

He prayed for Nigerians to experience peace, harmony and tranquillity in this yuletide season and beyond.