Christians will today celebrate Christmas. It is the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. The coming of Christ to save damned mankind is the greatest manifestation of God’s love to his people. “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and (will) never really die,” John 3:16.
Christmas can be said to be the most celebrated feast in the Christian calendar. It is celebrated by both Christians and people of other faiths. This is probably why the Yuletide season is looked forward to by diverse people all over the world. Coming at the end of the year, they tend to use the occasion to visit their loved ones in the village and share the joy of the season.
It is a season of love and sharing. Since the occasion celebrates Gods love to mankind, the season is, therefore, a call to love one another and share with them the gifts of Christmas. Let us use the season to remember the poor, the sick, the needy and the vulnerable in our midst.
It is sad that it is probably going to be the bleakest Christmas in our shores on account of the prevailing economic hardship. The purchasing power of average Nigerians has been reduced due to rising inflation and high cost of living. A 50kg bag of rice that was sold at N7,000 in 2015 now sells for over N60,000. Its local equivalent now sells for N59,000. The prices of beans, yam, garri, vegetable oil and others have increased astronomically.
It is also a season for hiking of fares. This is more pronounced in the aviation sector where a local one-hour flight that used to cost N80,000 was hiked to over N260,000. The hike in fares was also rife in road transportation sector before President Bola Tinubu slashed it by 50 per cent. For those using railway, he granted them free rides.
Despite the palpable gloom of this Christmas, it will never be allowed to overshadow the significance of the occasion. The gift of life, everlasting life, is far more important than the mundane aspect of the occasion. As Christians, we should look up to the spiritual essence of Christmas and not the material or worldly aspects of the event, which, unfortunately, many people are engrossed with these days. In other words, the revelries associated with the feast must not be overtly emphasized. There is need to prioritize the spiritual essence.
We call on Nigerian leaders to use the occasion to show love and compassion to citizens. The President has demonstrated this love by offering free train rides and slashing transportation fares for those travelling by road. While the gesture is commendable, more popular transport owners should be included in the list of participating companies. The exercise should have started earlier than it did. To make up for the loss, let it be extended till January ending when those who travelled for Christmas will come back.
Governors, lawmakers and other politicians should use the occasion to show love to their people. Political leaders should not only remember the people during campaigns. This is the time to show that they love their people. This is the time to give them palliatives, Christmas hampers and sundry gifts associated with the Yuletide season. Beyond the show of love of the season by politicians and others, we urge our leaders to really do something urgently to revamp the economy and save it from dying.
As we mark this Christmas, no fewer than 133 million Nigerians are classified as being multidimensionally poor. Millions of Nigerians live on less than $1.90 (US dollar) per day. Nigeria is still categorized as the poverty capital of the world and among the most terrorized countries in the world. These images of the country, the giant of Africa, are not encouraging. They are scary and can even scare away foreign investors.
However, the Nigerian situation is not hopeless. It is not irredeemable. If Nigerian leaders are willing to borrow leadership lessons from Jesus Christ, the charismatic servant-leader, they can solve most of Nigeria’s problems. With selfless leaders, Nigeria can attain the desired greatness. Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all Nigerians and our esteemed readers.