Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday, called on Christians to follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ by showing love to others and cooperating with the leadership of the society.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olanrenwaju, in Ibadan, Oyo State, equally called for more prayers for the state and Nigeria, stating that the challenges facing the country are not insurmountable with prayers, patience and decisive actions.
Governor Makinde stated this in his Christmas Message to residents of the state.
He said, “It is understandable that the country is going through tough times but residents of the state must believe in God and trust in the government.
“I wish all residents of the state a Merry Christmas. Christmas presents us with the opportunity to relive the message taught by the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and to follow the path. In his birth, Jesus Christ taught us the lessons of love and humility and through his life, we were taught the lessons of sacrificial living and respect for lawful authority.
“I encourage our people to emulate Christ by spreading love and reaching out to others at this trying time. As an administration, we are not unaware of the tough times the country is going through but we are doing everything possible to mitigate the effects of the economic hardship.
“Only last week, I signed into law the 2024 Budget of Economic Recovery to begin the implementation that will rejuvenate our economy and re-energise our people economically.
“But as the saying goes, tough times never last, tough people do, I urge our people to be prayerful and to support our government to beat the situation.
“I also want to encourage them to be conscious of their security during the Yuletide. Security, as I always say, is everyone’s business. In your environment, if you see something untoward, please report to the appropriate security agencies through our Citizen Emergency Number 615.”
