Christians all over the world are in the Easter mood, beginning from Friday which was Good Friday, the day Jesus Christ was crucified on the Cross of Calvary where He shed His blood over 2,000 years ago for the atonement of the sins of mankind. The death, resurrection on the third day and ascension of Jesus usually mark the high point of very significant religious activities in the Christian calendar regarded as fundamental to their faith.
To commemorate the occasion, the federal government declared Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21, 2025, as public holidays to mark Good Friday and Easter Monday.
In a statement issued to that effect on Tuesday, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, emphasised the importance of embodying the virtues of the sacrifice and love displayed by Jesus Christ, who had to die for the redemption of man.
The statement, signed by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani, called on Nigerians to use the holiday period to pray for the peace, unity, and stability of the nation.
The minister reassured citizens of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, “which seeks to foster national growth and development.”
He encouraged Nigerians to extend love and goodwill to their neighbours through acts of kindness and generousity and wished all Christians a blissful Easter celebration.
The journey to Easter began with the 40-day Lent during which Christians fasted, prayed and solidified their relationship with God. En route to the celebration, the adherents of the Christian religion also observed the Palm Sunday as well as Good Friday which is in remembrance of the agony, shame and mockery that Jesus was subjected to by his fellow Jews and Roman soldiers on the Cross of Calvary.
Today, believers will mark the convergence of the disciples on Galilee, as Jesus instructed them to meet Him there for the last time before His ascension into heaven. The importance of the season to the Christendom cannot be over-flogged. It is during this period – from Lent to Easter Monday – that Christians mostly exhibit the virtues of love, sacrifice, altruism and forgiveness as exemplified by Jesus Christ during His ministry on earth that spanned a period of three and a half years. Even for churches that traditionally do not observe the other historic seasons like Christmas, Easter holds a sacred place as the keystone of their worship.
What was observed last Friday was the harrowing suffering and death of a perfect Messiah who abandoned the glory of His heavenly abode on a divine mission to rescue man and reconcile him to his Maker by His death and resurrection. We rejoice with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world during this year’s Easter celebration.
However, this year’s commemoration has come at a time, especially in Nigeria, when the citizens are not only experiencing severe economic hardship but also contending with all manner of security challenges across the land. The recent killings in some parts of the country, especially Benue and Plateau states, are a sad commentary on the nation’s efforts at ensuring peaceful co-existence among its citizens.
Government at all levels must rise to the challenges posed by our collective enemies that derive pleasure while perpetrating these acts of inhumanity against their fellow countrymen and women. These acts are as ungodly as they negate the spirit of Easter.
The Christians in particular should show examples of the kind of love that Christ displayed by offering Himself as a sacrifice that all may have abundant life here on earth and the opportunity of eternal life hereafter. Such love, which transcends personal and selfish gratification, should be extended to non-Christian brothers and sisters with all genuineness.
Finally, we urge Nigerians, irrespective of their faiths, to wean themselves from religious sentiments which our political leaders exploit for their personal aggrandisement and benefits. They must first and foremost realise that religion was made for man and not man for religion. Humanity existed long before any religion was foisted on it.
Blueprint urges Nigerians to see this occasion as a period to demonstrate the spirit of religious tolerance, forgiveness and love for one another. They should pray for a united, stable and prosperous Nigeria. Both the government and the governed must henceforth live each day as Easter.
Happy Easter celebration!