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By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja

THE Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace Most Revd. Ignatius Kaigama has urged Nigerians not to give up on the country, saying the present situations may be tough, but God is in control.

Kaigama stated this in his Christmas message made available to journalists in Abuja on Friday

He said the faithful should not give up on their country, but “dare to look ahead and again embrace the hope for a better Nigeria.”

The Catholic prelate said, “Christmas this year has found us in the throes of woes and distressing circumstances far beyond our human control.

“As Nigerians, in almost every part of this country, our hearts are heavy with the suffering we have experienced and seen this year alone, the many deaths as a result of terrorism, kidnapping and banditry, the depressing economic situation with inflation spiralling out of control, crashing further the ordinary man who has already been drained of joy, peace and hope, the nagging presence of Covid-19 which has killed and forced a disturbing distance between us our loved ones and indeed the rest of humanity.

“The violent agitations for self-determination, which have come with the loss of lives and limbs, have left horrific scars on our collective psyche. All these make this year one that many Nigerians may not forget in a hurry. Nevertheless, Christmas proclaims, ‘Joy to the world the Lord has come.’

“For every disenchanted Nigerian who is on the verge of giving up on this country; for anyone who is prepared to cut off his moorings and drift away to distant lands, Christmas challenges us to dare to look ahead and again embrace the hope for a better Nigeria.”

While stating that unbridled corruption and criminality were a grim reminder that selfishness had taken root in the hearts of many statesmen, the Archbishop noted that “Christmas is an invitation to give up selfishness, to think only of others and how to bring the greatest happiness to them.

“On account of Christmas, all our leaders are challenged to once again dream big for our country and to faithfully work hard to realize those dreams so as to find solutions to our teething problems and better the lives of some of the poorest people on earth,” Kaigama said.

Vanguard News Nigeria