BY Dayo Johnson & Emman Ovuakporie

ABUJA—SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, yesterday, urged Nigerians to use the Easter celebration to unite and confront the threat of terror facing the country.

According to Tambuwal, “as we celebrate Easter, we should intensify prayers for the safe return of our girls forcefully abducted from their school in Borno State.”

In a message to commemorate this year’s Easter issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal said the message of Jesus Christ brought salvation to the human race, as such it was incumbent on humanity to reciprocate the gesture by dedicating their lives to the service of God Almighty.

“Our dear country is in need of love, sacrifice and forgiveness. As we strive to attain these noble virtues, we must all join hands with security agencies to end the spate of killings pervading our dear nation.
“As we celebrate Easter, we should bear in mind that the nation can only rise from the grip of pain and desolation, which many are going through at the moment, if there is determination and unity of purpose.

“We in the House of Representatives feel the pain of parents, friends and colleagues of the abducted girls.
“We are with them in these trying moments. I urge our security agencies to close ranks and brighten our homes with cheering news by ensuring that all the girls are reunited with their families.”

On his part, Governor Mimiko charged Nigerians to ask for God’s intervention in its battle against terror in the name of religion.
In his Easter message, the governor said Easter “is the appropriate time to seek peace for the nation.”

Mimiko described Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross and resurrection is being celebrated, as the Prince of Peace capable of restoring peace to Nigeria.

The governor said: “The lesson is that we too can live a life of sacrifice for our country, especially at this time when Nigeria appears to be at the crossroads in terms of the socio-economic and ethno-religious challenges besetting her.

“Beyond the eating and drinking in the course of the celebration, we should go to God in prayer to solicit His intervention against terror in the name of religion that is threatening the peace and corporate existence of the nation.”

Mimiko counselled Nigerians to use every instrument at their disposal to defend their country against terrorists and those who seek to dismember it in the name of religious extremism.
“This counsel becomes imperative in the light of the fact that we do not have any other country to call our own.”