From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has appealed to citizens of the state to embrace common humanity and uphold obligations for peace and harmony in their respective communities.
In an Easter message to the Christian faithful in the state, the governor advised citizens to isolate and expose the criminals, ‘while we all do our utmost best to ensure that our diverse communities live in peace and resolve differences peacefully.’
In the message released on Saturday, Governor El-Rufai noted the difference between the Easter celebrations in 2020 and 2021.
According to him, this year’s celebrations are ‘taking place in a different atmosphere from those of 2020 when a significant part of Lent and Easter itself were held under conditions of strict lockdown and restrictions on the movement of persons.
‘Amidst the uncertainties and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many citizens made sacrifices to comply with the preventive public health measures that were imposed to manage the situation.’
Governor El-Rufai further said that ‘’we acknowledge these sacrifices and commend the churches for taking steps to ensure that congregational worship is done in safe conditions.’
Noting the progress made in containing the pandemic, the governor said that ‘while the pandemic persists, we can say that we are in a much better place than in 2020, thanks to the benevolence of Almighty God who has bestowed His grace on the efforts of mere mortals.’
The governor pointed out that ‘we have a duty to continue our compliance with the preventive protocols against COVID-19 as we continue to safely pursue livelihoods and move forward with personal responsibility.’