Christians all over the world are today celebrating the feast of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the joyful end of the Lenten season when they prayed, fasted and indulged in penitence. The season climaxed with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His resurrection from death on Easter Sunday. The resurrection symbolizes victory over sin and death. That is why Easter is the most important celebration in the Christian calendar.
For Nigerians, Easter should be a day for sober reflection. Just as the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ engendered hope and salvation for mankind, Nigerians should have hope that redemption is at hand despite the economic and socio-political problems the country is going through currently.
In Nigeria, the cost of living is so high that many people have continued to groan. The price of petrol, for instance, skyrocketed to over N900 from less than N200 it was before May 2023. Prices of many other essential commodities have also quadrupled. Many families find it difficult to feed as hunger and starvation kill many citizens. To worsen matters, many breadwinners have lost their jobs due to the closure of many companies in the country.
Poverty is endemic. In 2018, the World Poverty Clock adjudged Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world. Then, about 87 million Nigerians were extremely poor. Over 133 million citizens are said to live in multidimensional poverty. Though the country is said not to be the poverty capital of the world today, the rate of the problem is still worrisome. Over six Nigerians join the extreme poverty rank every minute. Against the tenets of Christianity, corruption has festered in the country. Many political leaders are selfish and greedy. They live in opulence and do not care about the feelings of the masses.
Amid all these, insecurity pervades the land. Farmers in many parts of the country, especially in the North-Central, no longer go to their farms because of herdsmen attacks. This is part of what has engendered food insecurity in the country. Plateau State is the epicentre of the latest orgy of violence in the North. Two Sundays ago, some gunmen on motorcycles invaded Daffo, Hurti, Mangor, Manguna and some other communities in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state and killed about 52 innocent citizens, burnt over 300 houses and rendered over 1,800 people homeless. Last Sunday, another set of gunmen killed about 51 people in some parts of the state.
Elsewhere in the country, terrorists and bandits terrorise people at will. The National Bureau of Statistics reported in 2024 that over 2.2 million kidnap incidents occurred in Nigeria between May 2023 and April 2024 and that over N2.2 trillion was paid as ransom to kidnappers.
The message of Easter is that despite the trials and tribulations, there is hope. But this hope will fade away if there is no love among the citizens. Love conquers adversities. Lack of it leads to killings, kidnappings and many other atrocities.
We enjoin wealthy Nigerians to share love this season by helping the less privileged ones. Political leaders should show compassion to the needy by initiating policies that will not hurt people so much.
Let the virtues enunciated by Jesus Christ guide all the actions of our leaders. They should see their position as an opportunity to serve mankind. The best way to do this is to render selfless service and show great concern to the plight of the citizens. We need to return to our old-time value system if we must right the wrongs in our society. Families should take the lead in this quest. Parents must look after their children and imbue in them the need to live a Christ-like life.
Religious institutions should help in inculcating the fear of God among the citizens. These days, many churches concentrate on the prosperity gospel while neglecting the core essence of Christianity, which is the salvation of souls. As Christ himself said, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?
Nigerians of all religious hue must learn to live in peace and harmony. Good enough, the two main religions – Christianity and Islam – preach peaceful coexistence. This should be put into practice at all times. Where there is peace and love, there will hardly be barbaric killings and endless crises.
The Easter celebration is the cornerstone of Christianity. Christians believe that through the death of Jesus, mankind is saved from sin and eternal damnation. Jesus conquered death and is the source of eternal life and hope. This is the significance of Easter. Even in the worst moments of life, Nigerians should have hope, knowing that the sufferings and sorrows of today will not last forever. We wish all Christians, Nigerians and our esteemed readers a very blessed Easter filled with renewed faith, peace and joy.