Governor Bala Mohammed has called on people of Bauchi to live harmoniously with one another irrespective of ethnic, religious or political differences, saying the state and the country as a whole need peace and unity now more than ever before.
The governor in a message to mark good Friday and Easter Monday signed by his media aide Mukhtar M. Gidado, noted that Nigerians cannot afford to allow themselves to be divided along religious or ethnic divides, hence the need to allow peace to reign in order to make progress.
“I would like to also appeal to you all to imbibe the spirit of love for one another, forgiveness and mutual respect. We must see ourselves as one and the same people irrespective of our ethno-religious heterogeneity,” he said.
Mohammed also stressed the need for continued prayers to God to sustain the existing relative peace in the state just as he reiterated the commitment of the state government to maintain law and order.
He added, “We have taken all measures to ensure the safety of lives and property of the people of the state. I would like to appeal for your continued understanding and support to the government in its effort to ensure a peaceful Bauchi state which we can all be proud of.”
He assured that the state government has provided foodstuffs as a palliative measure to cushion the effect of the hardship.
The governor further assured, “We will not relent in this regard until the situation improves. The hardship should be seen as a temporary setback, and as a people known for resilience, I am confident that we would overcome the difficulty in no distant future.”
Mohammed felicitated with the Christian community on the occasion, stressing that Easter is observed annually by Christians to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, recalling that Jesus Christ during his lifetime preached peace, honesty and love for one another.
While appealing to the Christian faithful to imbibe these virtues and put them into practice irrespective of their religious inclination, the governor called for sober reflection and self-evaluation by all with a view to knowing how well they relate with their creator and fellow human beings during the last one year and make amends where necessary.
