From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
First Lady of Nigeria Oluremi Tinubu, on Friday hosted Abuja Children Home and Vine Heritage Home Foundation (VHHF), to Children Christmas brunch, with a charge to Nigerians to embrace the spirit of friendship and kindness while conducting their business throughout the holiday season and to avoid the bad traits of resentment, jealousy, and hostility.
Speaking at the event held at the State House conference center, Abuja which saw the children compete in a national anthem contest, receiving cash prizes, and treated to gifts, food, drinks, cakes, ice cream and popcorn, she called for Nigerians to embrace the essence of the season – love, compassion, and unity urging them to make every day like Christmas.
“I want everybody to remove the habit of hatred. Jesus came to show us love, and that’s the love we as Christians should imbibe.
“So, it’s a year of love, and that’s the only commitment Jesus left for us love. He said, upon this rest all the Lord. So, next year is a year of love and I believe that’s what the Spirit of God is saying,” Mrs. Tinubu said.
First Lady, also addressed misconceptions about poverty, stating it is not a crime but a condition that requires understanding and action. She emphasized the importance of hard work.
She further encouraged Nigerians to recognise the value of starting small, emphasizing that true greatness and success in any field are built on goodwill and neighbourly support, complemented by God’s intervention throughout life’s journey.
The First Lady who occasionally referenced the holy books to buttress her message, also gave a brief background of her little beginning.
“And you know, I was thinking today about my story. You know, people think poverty is a sin. It is not a crime. It is not a crime at all. And you know, I was looking at it, my father never built a house.
“The house he lived in was built by the sister until he passed, but we didn’t feel it, we were happy. But look at what God has done. You know, I’m now occupying the number one residence. I’m an occupant here.
“That is what God can do if we have a very clean heart and face the future without bitterness, without envy, without hatred. For things that are good, it will get to you, but God is just turning the wheel. It gets to everyone.
“So, I want everybody to remove the habit of hatred. Jesus came to show us love, and that’s the love we as Christians should imbibe.
“It’s a year of love, and that the only commitment Jesus left for us is love. He said, upon this rest all the Lord. So next year is a year of love and I believe that’s what the Spirit of God is saying . It’s going to be a great, and wonderful 2025.”
As the nation join others to enter a new year, the First Lady urged “children to love each other and be able to exemplify what we share during Christmas.
“I believe that Christmas should be everyday for them, and a day to remind us to love our neighbors and be able to lay our lives too for our neighbours. To go all out to help our neighbors, and not only that, this is a time to clean up Nigeria.”
She disclosed that the authorities will next year partner with the children to launch what she described as the green environment club.
“You know, we want them as we prepare to usher in the coastlines to be clean. We want our environment to be clean. We want to step up our activities. It is a year to go green. We have to preserve our environment.”
The First Lady also read her book, The Christmas Story, which reimagines the story of Jesus’ birth with Nigerian characters, bringing the message of hope and purpose closer to home.
Stephen Olusola, Head of OperationVine Heritage Home Foundation (VHHF), shared the excitement of the children, who had kept vigil overnight in anticipation of the event. “The children couldn’t wait for this moment—it means the world to them,” he said.