It’s Christmas 2020!

TODAY, Christians all over the world are commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of humankind. According to Biblical teaching, Jesus, the cornerstone of God’s plan of salvation, came to do not his own will but the will of Almighty God. In shedding his blood on the cross of Calvary, he paid humanity’s sin debt and paved the way for reconciliation with God. As a man, Jesus lived a simple life of service: he posited that there was no greater sacrifice than laying down one’s life for one’s friends. Today, though, most of those who purport to be carrying on the baton he handed over to his apostles are  anything but godly in character and conduct. Unlike Jesus, they purport to serve God and mammon. They fleece populations of their hard-earned money, show no compassion to the poor, build empires as the living circumstances of their ‘subjects’ worsen, and provide moral and spiritual justification for the politicians who make life and living pure misery for the citizenry.

For the majority of Nigerians, not just Christians, this is certainly a Christmas to remember. The year 2020 has, to say the very least, been nothing but a massive stretch of sorrow punctuated by little or no relief. The Covid-19 pandemic, chancing upon the world like a thief in the night and proud in its intent to kill and destroy, found its way into the country in February. Since then, it has clipped the wings of the high and mighty and the lowly alike: travel to the Big Cities (apologies to Samuel Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners), including London, Paris, New York, Berlin, Abu Dhabi, etc, could not be flaunted like before, as even family members took care to socially distance themselves from their loved ones returning from abroad for fear of Covid-19. Schools and churches and mosques were shut down for months, silence was imposed on club houses, and the masses groaned under the weight of hunger and deprivation.

To worsen matters, the year has witnessed security crisis after crisis, including the violence that engulfed the country following the #EndSARS crisis, and road accidents, floods and fire outbreaks have been rather routine. Against this backdrop of endless pain, most Nigerians would today no doubt count the very fact of being alive alone as a massive triumph. At Christmas 2020, Christians in particular must give thanks to God and reflect on the fickleness of life on planet Earth. If  events in the year have taught any lessons, it is the fact that the ‘goodies’ of this life, including real estate, cars and cash, are false guarantees. With the calibre and number of prominent individuals cut down by Covid-19 alone, the point is clear that life is a gift from God and can be sustained by no one else.

In his Christmas message to the country, President Muhammadu Buhari, like many political leaders, noted that the worthy values which Jesus’ advent symbolize are very much needed in the country at this time when it is confronted with diverse challenges like the rising spate of armed banditry, kidnappings, insurgency, economic recession and an upsurge of COVID-19 infections. The president enjoined fellow compatriots to appropriate the hope that comes with Christmas and reinvest trust in his administration’s “determination and unwavering commitment to restore peace, security and prosperity to our dear country.” As a parent, the president said he shared the emotional torture and agony parents and guardians go through whenever their children and wards fall into the cruel hands of enemies of decency and good society, and pleaded with Nigerians to give the military and other security agencies more time, cooperation and support by volunteering credible intelligence/information on the activities of armed bandits, insurgents and other criminal elements within their communities in order to put an end to this blight on our security landscape.

We urge President Buhari, the 36 state governors and members of the legislature and the judiciary to up their game and deliver more credibly on their constitutional mandates. On current evidence, governments at all levels have not been fit for purpose. The country’s political leaders have not given their best to the long-suffering populace and their Christmas homilies may in fact be justifiably seen by many as mere provocations. Governments at all levels must admit that Nigerians owe their survival more to divine intervention than conscientious state care. They must rise up to their responsibilities so that Nigerians can boldly the face challenges of the future, assured that their government has their back.

We wish all Nigerians Merry Christmas and a great New Year in advance.

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