Easter: Sanwo-Olu urges Nigerians to be peaceful

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has rejoiced with Nigerians, particularly Christians and Lagos residents, as they celebrate this year’s Easter.

He urged Nigerians, especially Christians, to reflect on the sacrifice and love that Jesus Christ showed mankind through His crucifixion and resurrection.

Governor Sanwo-Olu made the plea on Friday while speaking with newsmen after attending the Combined Special Prayers for Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in commemoration of the Easter and Ramadan celebrations at Lagos House, Ikeja.

He further urged Lagos residents to be peaceful and maintain the peace and tranquility for which Lagos is known.

During the Combined Special Prayers, Christian and Muslim clerics prayed for President Tinubu, who turned 72 on Friday, and also prayed for Nigeria, Governor Sanwo-Olu, his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hazmat; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; Head of Service (HOS), Mr. Olabode Agoro; executive, legislative, and judiciary arms of government, as well as civil servants and Lagos residents.

The governor appreciated Lagosians for their patience and understanding, wishing them all a happy celebration of Easter.

“I want to wish all Lagosians a happy celebration of Easter, as we have just ended the Christian Lenten season.

“I believe it has been a worthy journey for all our Christian brothers and sisters who have been fasting to ask for the strengthening of our state and country. And coincidentally, we are in the 19th day of Ramadan as well. So, everything around prayers and supplication is working very well.

“My wish is for all of us to enjoy the season. We need to be as peaceful as we have always been, do things in moderation, and ensure that we keep the peace and tranquility that Lagos is known for,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor, while speaking on his administration’s commitment to making life better for all Lagos residents, said his government had put in place many intervention programs in the areas of health, public transportation, food, and food security to ease economic hardship.

Sanwo-Olu, however, said that this was also the time to thank Lagosians for their patience and understanding, assuring that his administration was bringing out solutions that can ease the economic pressure being witnessed in the country, even as he noted that there was nothing that is difficult that stays forever.

“This is also a time for us to thank Lagosians for their patience and understanding of all the various interventions that we have put forward in the areas of health, public transportation, food, and food security.

“We are bringing out solutions that can ease the economic pressure that we see in the country. There is nothing that is difficult that stays forever. At the national level, we can see that the Naira is becoming stronger.

“We can even see from the new policies that the Central Bank is bringing out; Naira savings are now the order of the day. So, you should be happy as Nigerians holding on to the Naira currency, which will improve our exchange of value.

“These are some of the messages we need to take forward, and this needs to reflect in our market. Naira is getting stronger and better. It needs to reflect in the cost of goods. People cannot continue to give reasons why the dollar went up, and now that it is coming down, it also needs to reflect in the cost of rice, beans, and tomatoes, and that is the message for all of us because we want to be our brothers’ keepers. We want to ensure we put an end to the suffering.

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“We want to thank Mr. President for taking up the leadership and working with all the sub-nationals and for taking the leadership and believing in his government. We have begun to see the benefits of it,” the governor stated.”

During the Combined Special Prayers, attended by present and former public office holders, political, traditional, and religious leaders, Christian and Muslim clerics in their respective sermons and prayers charged Nigerians to be prayerful and serve God faithfully.