"Jesus Christ, One of the greatest unifying figures in history," Gov Bello tells Kogi Christians in Christmas message »

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has described Jesus Christ as one of the greatest unifying figures in history of mankind and signifies Salvation, Peace and Goodwill for humanity.

He stated this in his special Christmas message to the people of the State where he enjoined Kogites to see the period as a fitting time to renew their sense of wonder at the events surrounding Christ’s Birth in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.

Governor Bello urged them to reflect on the joy and peace the world enjoyed on the first Christmas where wise men from far and shepherds from nearby hills, representing all classes of men, joined angels from heaven to herald the arrival of Christ.

He reminded everyone that the peaceful coexistence of all Mankind was one of the principal and irreducible ideals for which Jesus Christ came to earth, even as he invited all to continually uphold same in their words and deeds within their available spaces.

“Since my assumption of office, the Kogi State Government has taken deliberate steps to bring peace and unite our people across ethnic and religious divides. This is in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ which urge us to love our neighbour as our own self. Our ultimate goal is a Kogi State in which every citizen can live and blossom irrespective of his or her religious or ethnic background.”

The Governor then expressed gratitude to the people of the state for their cooperation with efforts of his administration to engender peace among them even as he enjoined them to continue to support his administration in perseverance his task to bring accelerated and sustainable development to the state.

“I believe that the spirit of unity, amity, prosperity and community which has arrived Kogi State has not only come to stay, but will wax stronger with each passing day. One thing is now very clear – we are succeeding better together.

“I again felicitate our Christian brethren on the completion of the Chapel of Peace and Unity in Government House, Lokoja. Last Saturday, the 21st of December, it hosted the maiden edition of the Kogi State Christmas Carols. That festive and joyous event was made even more memorable for holding in a bespoke facility built under 6 months – after 28 years of the creation of the State.

“Kogi has two major faiths – Christianity and Islam. The Government House Chapel is not only a place of worship for Christians, it also brings balance to the system and embodies the unity, access, welcome and inclusion which my Administration has worked hard to guarantee all Kogites in our public institutions. We promise to deepen these virtues in our second term until Kogites will be known as Kogites first, before tribe or tongue or social class come to mind.

“It is therefore with a spirit of gratitude to God for what we have achieved together in our first term while looking forward to all that we plan and hope to achieve in our renewed mandate that I wish one and all the best of God’s blessings this holiday season,” he concluded.