From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
As Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas day, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has urged them to pray for God’s intervention against nepotism, insecurity, corruption, which it noted are bedeviling the nation’s polity.
ACF, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, called on all Nigerians to pray for economic prosperity, improvement in socio-political challenges of the nation.
The Forum lamented that major communities in the North has continued to bear the burden of the negative effects of the aforementioned challenges without hope of redemption at sight.
“The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) wishes happy celebrations to the multitudes of Nigerian and other Christians across the world as the 2024 Christmas is observed. As well, ACF wishes all a very happy and prosperous New Year, which comes up a week after Christmas.
“ACF rejoices with all and prays for God’s Grace and Mercies for Nigeria as the people celebrate the Christmas and New Year occasions amid daunting existential economic, social and political challenges as well as a state of debilitating insecurity, corruption, nepotism in the polity, disappointing political representation, etc. As has sadly become all too familiar, communities in Nigeria’s North continue to bear a disproportionate burden of the negative effects of the aforementioned challenges.
“This is not to downplay the effects of the problems on people in other parts of the country but the situation in the North remains dire, even as people fervently look forward to a better future.
“In spite of or, in fact, because of the challenges that the people face ACF, surrendering to despair and hopelessness are not options. Therefore, in the spirit of the season, calls on the Christians, and indeed all Nigerians to pray for peace, security and economic recovery for Nigeria; God Almighty’s intervention to see that Nigeria’s leaders are re-endowed with faith, strength, divine love, wisdom and righteousness in intentions and deeds as they pilot Nigeria’s affairs; God Almighty to endow and guide Nigeria’s security agencies with the needed strength and bold resolve with which to crush all agents of terrorism, criminality, insecurity, corruption, social and political destabilisation and all other evils against Nigeria and its people.
“That the fear of God Almighty enters to change the evil minds of all manner of terrorists and criminals so that they repent and refrain from their culture of criminality; and for God Almighty to restore hope for a better, prosperous, more equitable, prosperous and more hospitable Nigeria, ruled by justice, fairness and justice for all citizens.”