Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace Most Revd. Ignatius Kaigama has said that The hearts of every Nigerian “are heavy with the suffering”

He noted that they have experienced and seen so much in 2021 alone.

According to him, with security challenges, COVID-19 pandemic, and agitations for self-determination, Nigerians would not forget 2021 in a hurry.

Kaigama who expressed his Christmas message to journalists in Abuja on Friday also advised Nigerians not to give up on the country, saying although the present situations may be tough, “God is in control.”

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

Kaigama 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 spiraling 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 stated, “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.