Beloved people of God, as we experience another New Year, I urge you all to be optimistic and embrace a positive mind-set. I acknowledge the numerous challenges that characterised the outgone 2024 for the country and for the majority of Nigerians, but I enjoin you all to look beyond the shortfalls and negatives and approach 2025, with optimism and positive expectations. We thank the good Lord for making it possible for us to see 2025. As we celebrate, let us remember our brothers and sisters who passed on last year. We pray that their souls find lasting peace with God. We must not allow the predictions of doom and other challenges that we face, lead us to question the presence of God even in our circumstances. He is able to turn around all things for good.
For those of us who are still alive, let us remember the admonition of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace to us: Not to fret or fear over tomorrow, but to live with the courage and belief that each day is in the hands of God, and He has the blueprint by which He will make our lives better in this present year. On our part, we must do that which is right and good towards our neighbours, living in peace and harmony with everyone. I call on our leaders, particularly the executive arm of government, to be more proactive in addressing the fears being expressed by many Nigerians. There are very many issues plaguing the nation and agitating the minds of citizens. These call for the urgent attention of our leaders, especially the legislature and the executive.
The most pressing challenges on people at this time are hardship and insecurity which has claimed thousands of lives. The latter is such a serious problem that the government needs to explore new and better ways of dealing with this issue in such a way that Nigerians would be assured of better security in 2025. The inflation level is too high, even as the value of our currency nose-dives daily. As we experience the Year 2025, the Federal Government must take further steps to reappraise its economic policies and inject fresh ideas to cushion the effects of the harsh economy on the masses, and mitigate the suffering that would arise from the projected economic challenges of this new year.
• Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins is the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos.
