Tag: New Year
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Awaiting the dawn of 2025 – By Sonnie Ekwowusi
We await the dawn of the New Year 2025 with bated breath. Very soon, the exchange of New Year messages will fill the air across the globe. Tonight, multi-colored fireworks and firecrackers will light up the skies in Tokyo, France, China, Japan, Washington D.C., London, Spain, and Abuja as we usher in the New Year. Tonight is a sleepless night—a vigil night. We keep vigil as we transition into a brand-new year.
In Nigeria, our ingenuity in crafting sanctimonious New Year messages is unmatched and unparalleled. “I wish you prosperity in 2025.” “2025, my year of financial breakthrough.” “Favor, promotion, good health, breakthrough, victory, anointing for excellence in 2025.”
These are some of the New Year messages reverberating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms tonight. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear people shouting: “Crossover! Come to our church and cross over!”
Our revelry in all sorts of superstitious beliefs about the goodness or badness of the New Year knows no bounds. Many Christian worshippers are currently sleeping in churches, determined to cross over to the New Year in worship. They believe it’s wrong to cross over in a beer parlor or in drunken stupor. But cross over to where, you may ask? From frying pan to fire? If you didn’t sow anything in 2024, why are you expecting to reap a huge harvest in 2025?
Please, don’t misunderstand me. I have nothing against the exchange of New Year messages. In principle, there’s nothing wrong with sending good wishes and messages like these. In fact, we should maintain an optimistic and cheerful attitude toward life. We must focus on the brighter side of things—no defeatist attitudes, no surrender to failure. We are not melancholies or sadists who see only the dark side of life. We are full of faith, hope, and love. Therefore, it’s proper and fitting to wish ourselves all the goodness that 2025 might bring.
But don’t be naive. I know you have faith, but be sensible too. How is it said again? “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” If wishes alone could transform reality, Nigeria would already be the most politically stable and economically prosperous country in the world. One does not reap where one has not sown. If we sowed chaos in 2024, why should we expect to reap a bountiful harvest in 2025? If the Tinubu government was a failure in 2024, why would we suddenly expect instant economic prosperity in 2025?
You see, no New Year comes with intrinsic economic prosperity. No New Year arrives with prepackaged blessings. The New Year will be good or bad only to the extent that we—the living—work hard to make it so. God has created us and endowed us with intelligence and free will. We shouldn’t expect God to perform miracles to solve problems that are well within our human capacity to address. For example, don’t expect God to feed you when He has already given you hands with which to work.
Our miracle and prosperity mongers often forget that happiness and sorrow are inseparable in this life. Nothing good here lasts forever. Hardly has any pleasure begun before it ends. We are mere wayfarers on earth, and our path is intertwined with both joy and suffering. No cross, no crown.
As St. Josemaria Escriva aptly puts it: “On this earth, love and suffering are inseparable; in this life, we have to expect the Cross. Whoever does not expect the Cross is not a Christian. Whoever does not look for the Cross will encounter it anyway and will find that it brings despair. If you look for the Cross with Jesus on the Cross, you can be sure that at the hardest moments, if they come, you will be in the best company—happy, strong, and secure.”
So, stop wishing away the difficulties of life, for they are inevitable whether you like them or not. God has no reason to work to a miracle to solve ordinary human problem which has not surpassed your human intelligence. If you ask me, I would say the miracle we urgently need in Nigeria at the moment is the miracle of putting our human intelligence to work to improve the well-being of our fellow human beings. Let us use our God-given intelligence to positively transform Nigeria in 2025.
As I mentioned earlier, no New Year is intrinsically good or bad. You must work to make the New Year what you want it to be. If you are hard-working, the New Year will likely be good for you. If you are lazy, it will likely be bad for you.
We must stop deluding ourselves into believing that simply denouncing Satan and his works with an air of hubristic self-righteousness inside a church on New Year’s Eve will magically erase all troubles and suffering in 2025. That is not how life works. Troubles and challenges will not vanish overnight. It is not enough to renounce the evils plaguing our society as if that alone would negate their powers. Instead, we must work diligently for the good of our families and society.
As I’ve said before, God has given us intelligence, and He expects us to use it to improve the well-being of our fellow men and women. God has no reason to work miracles to solve problems in Nigeria that we can solve ourselves with effort and creativity.
As we enter yet another New Year, let us remind ourselves that no New Year comes with prepackaged blessings or miracles. You have to work for the success of your New Year. Resolve to do your ordinary work with a sense of responsibility. The Presidency must demonstrate greater responsibility in 2025—no more wasteful expenditures. The same goes for the National Assembly.
Likewise, the judiciary, that vital third arm of government entrusted with the sacred duty of dispensing justice, must restore its credibility. 2024 was a disastrous year for the Nigerian judiciary. It has become an object of ridicule, tainted by the very people who are supposed to uphold its integrity. The alarming levels of official corruption and moral decay in both the Bar and the Bench must end. Judges must adorn the breastplate of integrity, transparency, discipline, impartiality, and honor in discharging their sacred duties. Similarly, practicing lawyers, as officers of the temple of justice, must cease tempting judges with bribes.
Lyman Bryson once said, “Great citizens are built upon greatness when their leaders dare to let them use their minds, when the state helps them to know the competing choices open to them, preserving for them the essential democratic spirit which seeks truths by its own efforts.” Unfortunately, the opposite of Bryson’s vision is happening in Nigeria today. This cannot continue. This is not life.
While we sing redemption songs at the dawn of the New Year, let us remain focused on solving the small but significant problems that improve the lives of our families and the ordinary man on the street. We should not expect God to solve these problems for us. Instead, we must use our God-given intelligence and resolve to work out our collective salvation in Nigeria.
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Letter to the Year 2024 – By Dakuku Peterside
My dear 2024,
Letter writing may be a lost art in this digital age, yet there are moments when the weight of reflection demands the intimacy of a letter. So, dear 2024, consider this a heartfelt note from a Nigerian seeking to encapsulate the whirlwind of emotions, events, and transformations that have unfolded over the past twelve months. As I pen down these words, I do so with the awareness that you are not an ordinary year. Your arrival brought hope, but as the days rolled, that hope was replaced with hardship, struggle, perseverance and lessons.
In this letter, as tricky as it may be, I will attempt to recount the key events that shaped you – the milestones that defined not only my life but the collective experience of a nation grappling with economic hardship, political uncertainty, and social upheaval. Nigeria stands at a crossroads, and you will be remembered as a year that tested our spirit and resolve. This is not just a recollection of facts but a narrative of survival in a land where, at times, the future seemed uncertain.
You were, indeed harsh, but we, the Nigerian people, have shown remarkable resilience and perseverance. Despite the economic hardships you brought, with inflation, unemployment, and rising living costs affecting all, we have stood strong. Your visitation of economic hardships worsened by 34-40% inflation rate and supply chain disruptions, an embarrassing unemployment rate of 40%, and rising living costs affected both the high and the low. Almost all households felt your pinch. Nigeria’s food inflation rate rose to close to 40% by mid-year, pushing millions into poverty. National Bureau of Statistics reports indicated that over 71 million Nigerians faced food insecurity by the third quarter. The exchange rate rose by over 60%. Yet, amid these challenges, the Nigerian people showed remarkable resilience and perseverance.
To put it into context, essential commodities such as rice, maize, and garri doubled in price within months. The petrol price fluctuated between ₦700 to ₦1200 per litre, severely impacting transportation and logistics. Even sachet water, popularly called ‘pure water’, became a luxury for many, reflecting the depth of economic strain. You made our economic thinkers and planners look clueless. Thank God we, the people, showed understanding with them.
You brought needless political contentions –the Rivers crisis, contentious elections in Edo and Ondo states, the Kano Emir drama, the Old-New-Old national anthem, and “Endbadgovernance”demonstrations. An attempt to reform our tax system highlighted our stubborn ethnic fault lines. You were not short of drama, both relevant and irrelevant. The reinstatement of the old national anthem left citizens divided, as critics viewed it as distracting from pressing governance issues. However, amid these contentions, the Nigerian people stood united, showing remarkable solidarity. Despite the divisive nature of some of these events, we have remained a united front.
Poverty and hunger became our companions, resulting in three deadly stampedes during palliative distributions in Oyo, Anambra, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), leaving no fewer than 60 people dead. Unemployment among the youth reached over 45%, with many university graduates resorting to menial jobs or leaving the country in search of greener pastures, contributing to the ongoing ‘Japa’ wave.
At the global scene, you delivered historic elections and global unrest. People in more than 60 countries—representing almost 50 per cent of the world’s population—went to the polls during the year. Voters in Mexico and the United Kingdom picked new leaders, while a former U.S. president was invited by voters back to the White House. In Nigeria, voter turnout in local elections dipped to a record low of 28%, reflecting growing disillusionment with governance. This disinterest was amplified by widespread insecurity, with over 1,500 reported cases of abduction and banditry disrupting daily life. Villages in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Borno faced relentless attacks, forcing thousands into internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. “Lakurawa” gained a strong foothold in parts of North-West states.
Some strange things happened that we did not foresee. Greece extended adoption rights to same-sex couples, and Thailand legalised same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. You gave LGBTQ+ rights activists something to celebrate. This felt strange in this part of the world, where same-sex relations remain criminalised, and social acceptance lags far behind. In Nigeria, lawmakers intensified efforts to uphold conservative values, with proposed bills aimed at further restricting LGBTQ+ rights. The disparity in cultural values highlighted the widening gap between regions of the world, reflecting the complex layers of societal evolution.
You saw the world in turmoil, and the Russian vs Ukraine war continued unabated. This war brought about lots of military posturing, leading some to fear nuclear conflict between Russia and NATO. The conflict between Israel, Hamas, and Iran ramped up to greater heights. The Middle East is in commotion, with the war extending to Lebanon and Israel vowing not to stop until it wipes Hamas and Hezbollah out. Iran has shown its willingness to confront Israel, framing itself as the watchdog of the Middle East against Israel’s aggression.
You also witnessed the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, raising fears of extremist groups seizing power. Reports from the UN suggested that over 300,000 Syrian refugees fled to neighbouring countries by year-end, adding to the growing refugee crisis.
But amid it all, you allowed some of my compatriots to think and look at things differently, to learn that hard work does not kill and bad governance is for a season. Despite the odds, small businesses grew by 7% in sectors like agriculture and technology, offering a glimmer of hope. Despite the increase in tariffs and persistent collapse of the national grid, there has been a marginal improvement in power output in homes and factories.
The healthcare sector witnessed significant transformation in the past few months of 2024 because of incisive, superlative reforms and programmes. So far, 53,000 health workers have been re-trained—an impressive number—to deliver integrated, high-quality services. The Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Initiative, which offers free caesarean sections to all eligible Nigerian women meeting the criteria, and the Nigeria Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) Assessment Report were launched. These initiatives represent a step forward in our healthcare system, offering hope for the future.
Your successor, 2025, is shaping up to be quite the mixed bag — it’s like the year is expecting a baby, but no one knows if it’ll be a bundle of joy or a handful of trouble. Nigeria is trying really hard to stop putting all its eggs in the oil basket. There’s a lot of noise about agriculture, tech, and manufacturing stepping up. With this African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) getting more action, we might see Nigeria flexing as West Africa’s trade big brother.
But let’s be honest — oil and gas aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The Dangote Refinery finally kicking into gear might help us cut down on those expensive imported petroleum products. If it plays out right, that could mean fewer trade deficits and more jobs, which we desperately need. But you know how it is with oil — prices are like Lagos traffic, unpredictable and everywhere. Plus, the world’s moving towards greener energy, so we’ve got to figure out how to keep the money flowing long-term.
Now, on the money front, I won’t sugarcoat it. Inflation and the exchange rate will probably keep dancing around, and not in a fun way. The Central Bank will try to keep things under control, but they’ll need serious foreign investment and more non-oil exports to make it work. The tech space is looking exciting, though. With all these young, sharp minds and everyone glued to their phones, Lagos and Abuja are becoming mini–Silicon Valley — fintech, e-commerce, aggrotech, you name it.
Politically, Nigerians are still out here demanding real change. Anti-corruption will stay a hot topic — we’re all tired of the same old stories. There’s also this growing pressure for electoral reforms and better public services. Civil society is getting louder, and I’m here for it. But security? Whew. That’s going to be a big one. Between insurgency in the Northeast, banditry up North, and secessionist noise in the Southeast, the government has its hands full. It will take more than military action — they must dig into why these issues keep popping up.
On top of that, some states are pushing harder for more control over their resources and policies. The whole decentralisation and restructuring debate might heat up. Meanwhile, you can bet politicians are already gearing up for 2027. Alliances will shift — it’s like watching chess, but with higher stakes.
Look, Nigeria has its share of problems—inequality, environmental issues, governance struggles. But the potential? It’s huge. We’ve got the people and the energy, and if we can channel it right, the sky’s the limit.
Here’s hoping 2025 is more of a blessing than a headache.
As I look ahead to 2025, I do so with cautious optimism. While the road ahead remains uncertain, I am reminded that even in the darkest of times, resilience shines through. So, to everything we have passed through, thank you, 2024, for setting us free. 2025, if you’re reading, please be more liberal to us as a nation and as a people. May our leaders listen more and apply more wisdom. May 2025 usher in real hope, stability, and progress for Nigeria and the world.
Wishing Nigerians a happy, peaceful, and prosperous new year.
DAP.
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As the old year dies, new hopes arise! – By Hope Eghagha
The old year dies. An old year dies. New hopes arise. Twenty-twenty-four will die in days. Never to return. It will go into the abyss. We shall not miss it. Or, most of us will not miss it. It will be remembered as the year of infinite hardship in Nigeria. A year of hardship in which, in his first media chat, the President, father of the nation said that he doesn’t regret his hard policies. The people are suffering. So be it. They will enjoy the fruits later. No words of comfort. So insensitive. So uncaring. In 1983, then governor of Bendel State, late Professor Ambrose Alli asked hungry, striking teachers whether they wanted him to produce money from his blood! That question sealed his fate. He was voted out at the next election, and the compassionate Samuel Ogbemudia became governor.
2004! It is the year we will never forget. It is the year of the triumph of the captors of the State. The year that some mothers sold off their children in order to feed. Or to raise capital and trade. Or just to survive. It is a year of full subsidy removal. It is the year when dozens died while queueing for the so-called palliatives. The year gas explosions killed many. The year in which bandits took control of parts of a state, while soldiers were busy killing innocent citizens in Okuama, Delta State. It is the year when bandits seized whole families. It is the year of slander, of defamation, and near-violent reprisals. It is the year of sudden deaths because of life’s pressures. The ebullient Onyeka Onwenu died while entertaining guests. What pains did she bear? It is the year where psychiatric wards were filled with patients. Victims of depression. It is the year of the price of rice killed the appetite. It is the year of silence from the House of Men of God. The priests have elected to stay with their chattels in brothels of dishonour while the Feast of death reigns over the land!
A year lasts three hundred and sixty-five days. Or three hundred and sixty-six days, when it bears the burden of a leap year. Why is a leap year the brother of drowning compatriots? Yet, sometimes a year could seem like forever. A year with slow feet drags us back. Or keeps us still. And we cannot afford to stay motionless on account of a slow year. So, the year must die. It I true that even a sweet year will die.
What gives life to a year? Things said? Things done? Things undone? A year is potpourri of events. What is not done is part of the spirit of the year. Some years are more powerful than others. They carry with them the power of change. Of fortune. Of failure. Of disaster. Of death. Of life. Of escape. Of exclusion and inclusion. The force of a passing year hits us in different ways. How it comes and from what direction, we are not prophets to tell. So, we grope. We hope. We plod on in hope that the new year will grow vegetables for us even in our dark days. What audacity! What presumptuousness!
Sometimes we are in a hurry to push the year away. A year that is bad, needs to go away. No one wants to live a permanent nightmare. A bad year kills the spirit. Only the strong ones or the ones favoured by heaven will survive. Those who arrive at their last bus stop will go no further. They will pass away with the spirit and temper of the year. Whose fault is it? The year? The managers of the people, that is, the government? Just providence? In times of an epidemic, it is bad for everybody, even if not all carry the virus. The fear of the virus is enough prison, as it happened during COVId-19.
A good man can die in a bad year. Just as a bad man can die too with the year. When a year opens its belly to receive your body into the abyss, your hands will be hanging from your sides. And the carriers of the carcass will proclaim how heavy the carcass has become. It is the way of life. It is the road which mankind has travelled on in aeons. Yet, we do not live in humility. We live as if we own life, as if it was not given to us, and that it can be taken away at short notice.
Yet, how dreadful would it be if we were to live in constant dread of disaster, of disease, and of death! Physical trepidation could injure the heart. Could traumatise one and lead to mental health challenges. The joy of living would disappear. So, we are wired to forget so that we may enjoy the little pleasures of this life. The tragedy or death of a loved one – family, friend, colleague, neighbour – reminds us with a jolt of our mortality, our frail being, our smallness in the mighty scheme of things. We are not different from animals in this sense. There was this Anglican bishop who used to urge politicians to visit the morgue once every year. In his view, that would sober them up for a while. Have you been to the morgue recently to view a loved one? Have you ever been to a morgue? How did you feel even in the most sophisticated and ‘poshest’ morgue? This call to forget and remember at the same time is one of the conundrums of humanity. How we walk the tight rope makes or mar us. Every man his fate, every man his cross, every man his sadness, everyman his death.
From the sobering morgue experience, we move to the burial site and immediately walt off to the party venue and dance away with zest and gusto, forgetting the dead, remembering only the living. And we have no apology for that. It is the way of life. It is the way of the living. To remember is to cry. To forget is to live on! Contradictory? Yes. The world is filled with contradictions.
Except we record the events of the year, no one remembers the year. No one can forget 2019/2020, the year of COVID-19! So, the year must give birth. Give birth to etches. Things to remember. Memories are the library of a dead or dying year. What memories do we hold about a year? The dying year 2024 took my closest sibling away. Wish 2024 never came. True that our paths bifurcated on account of social and religious frictions. Yet the bond of eternal brotherhood remains. It is the way of memories. It is the way of life. Regrets often come later, after the event, after the facts.
Reading this essay is no guarantee that the reader will survive 2024 and enter the belly of 2025. Those who left the earth on 25th December had high hopes. But providence had other plans. January 1st 2025 is coming. But will this coming be the going away of some? We are no prophets to tell! Only time will tell!
HAPPY 2025!
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BREAKING: FG declares public holidays for Christmas, New Year
The President Bola Tinubu led administration has declared Wednesday 25th, Thursday 26th December 2024, and Wednesday 1st January, 2025 as Public Holidays in commemoration of the Christmas celebrations, Boxing Day and New Year respectively.
Dr, Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, on behalf of Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, made the announcement in a statement on Monday in Abuja
According to her, the minister extended greetings to all Nigerians, encouraging them to use the festive period to reflect on the values of love, peace, and unity that the season signifies.
The minister who emphasized the importance of the season, which according to him, is a time to foster harmony and strengthen bonds called on Nigerians to remain committed to the peace, unity and progress of the nation for national development.
“The Christmas season is a good moment for both spiritual reflection and national renewal. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, let us demonstrate kindness and extend goodwill to one another, irrespective of our differences,” said Dr. Tunji-Ojo.
He assured citizens of the Federal Government’s continued commitment to ensuring peace, security, and prosperity across the nation.
“While wishing Nigerians a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2025, the Minister expressed his confidence in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s Administration ushering in the new year, a better and prosperous economy that will be the envy of the world”, the statement added.
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New Year, New Redemption Song – By Sonnie Ekwowusi
I am sure that, like this poor scribbler, you are being bombarded with New Year wishes and messages on your mobile phone. How is it said again? If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. If wishes were horses, Nigeria would have been the most politically and economically resilient country in the world by now. Our ingenuity in crafting sanctimonious New Year messages is unmatchable and unparalleled. For example, check out this beautiful New Year message which a bosom friend sent to me yesterday: “10 good wishes in this New Year 2024: joy unspeakable, love, affection, peace now and always, favor, promotion, good health, breakthrough, victory, anointing for excellence.
In principle, there is nothing wrong with the exchange of good New Year wishes and messages like the above. In fact, we should have an optimistic and cheerful attitude toward life. We must look at the bright side of things. No defeatist attitude to life. No surrendering to failure. We are not melancholies and sadists who always see the dark aspects of life. We are full of faith. We are full of hope. We are full of love. Therefore, it is proper and fitting that we wish ourselves all the goodies in 2024.
Having said this, it is also good to predicate our faith and hope on stark realities. We must not be naive. One does not reap where one has not sown. If we have sowed a whirlwind in the last eight years, why should we expect to reap a bounteous material harvest in 2024? If the APC government had failed to create jobs for our hapless young graduates in the last eight years (even though they are now telling lies and claiming the contrary), on what basis are you expecting better employment opportunities in 2024? If there had been unsteady electricity in 2023, why expect uninterrupted electricity supply in 2024? As I scribble this, there is a power failure in my area. And you are telling me that we are in a new year. What is new about 2024, if I may ask you?
If Nigeria was ruined in 2023 by monumental election rigging, a corruptible judiciary, and looting of the public treasury by the Presidency and National Assembly, why would anyone expect instant economic prosperity in 2024? If INEC chair Prof Yakubu Mamoud rigged the 2023 Presidency election in favor of the APC and is still being retained as the INEC chair, why should we expect to reap any democratic dividends in 2024 and beyond? If voters obtained their PVCs and voted in 2023, yet their votes did not count, why anticipate peace in Nigeria in 2024? I am asking you. Please answer my questions. If the standard of living condition of the average Nigerian deteriorated beyond belief in 2023, why expect a sudden improvement at the dawn of 2024? According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria is now acknowledged as the poverty capital of the world with 87 million “extremely poor people,” thus overtaking India in extreme poverty ranking. Nigeria has been ranked as the third most-terrorized country in the world. Nigeria has been ranked as the second-worst electricity supply in the world. The Nigeria Police have been ranked as the worst Police in the world. Nigeria has been ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a country with the 3rd highest infant mortality rate in the world. Northern Nigeria has been ranked as the worst region in the world with the highest number of illiterates. And you are comfortably sitting down in your house, chorusing “Happy New Year.”
On July 25, 2018, the BBC reported that “Nigeria has the largest number of out-of-school children, totaling 13 million, in the world.” In the 2018 Global Rankings of the “Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index” of OXFAM and Development Finance International (DFI), Nigeria was ranked 157 out of 157 countries. In the same year, Nigeria overtook India as the country with the highest number of under-5 deaths. In the same year, Nigeria was ranked as one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth and the 4th country with the worst maternal mortality rate globally. In the same year, Nigeria was ranked among the worst malaria-hit countries in the world. In the same year, Nigeria was ranked by the World Bank among the seven worst countries on the World Bank Human Capital Index. Meanwhile, in the 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI), Nigeria ranks 103rd out of 119 qualifying countries. The latest World Bank Report on Nigeria says that more than 100 million Nigerians will be felled by extreme poverty in the next 10 years. Given the human rights violations in Nigeria in the last eight years, it is not unlikely that Nigeria will experience full-blown totalitarian democracy in 2024. The killings in Plateau State are most painful to me. You see, nothing damages a country’s reputation more than human rights violations, scuttling of the rule of law, and killing of innocent citizens. No country in which its narcissist leaders keep quiet in the face of the killings of innocent citizens, as we are now experiencing on the Plateau. This is why Nigeria under the APC government will never make progress. In the last eight years, foreign investors have steadily and unceasingly been fleeing Nigeria and going to invest in other African countries such as Ghana and now Rwanda. Can you imagine the erstwhile war-torn country Rwanda, now the pride of Africa?
Now , after reflecting on the foregoing, what should we expect in 2024? Should we anticipate economic prosperity? Unfortunately, Nigerians revel in high superstitious beliefs. Christianity may be flourishing in the land, but it is only a superficial Christianity that lacks depth. For instance, now that 2023 has come to an end, many Nigerians are already reveling in all sorts of superstitious beliefs about the goodness or badness of the New Year. There are many Christian worshippers who are now sleeping in churches, believing that new blessings would be showered on them inside the churches. To make matters worse, new paganism now thrives in Nigeria. Most Nigerian youngsters have gone back to worshipping the old abandoned idols. The old pagan oracles and shrines of our pagan ancestors may have disappeared in some places in Nigeria, but they have been replaced by the new paganism, which always harps on material prosperity, financial breakthroughs, and good health as evidence of success in life. This is why any small boy who manages to erect a signboard with the inscriptions: “Church of instant miracles, financial breakthroughs, fruits of the womb” is sure to attract dozens of gullible people, especially women who will start following him and calling him their “pastor” and all that.
Our miracle and prosperity mongers must not forget that happiness and sorrows are inseparable in this life. Nothing good here below lasts forever. Hardly has any pleasure started than it has ended. We are only wayfarers on earth. Our pathway as wayfarers on earth is strewn and intertwined with sadness and joy. No cross, no crown. As St. Josemaria Escriva vividly recaptures it, “On this earth, love and suffering are inseparable; in this life, we have to expect the Cross. Whoever does not expect the Cross is not a Christian. Whoever does not look for the Cross will encounter it anyway, and further will find that it brings him despair. If you look for the Cross, with Jesus on the Cross, you can be sure that at the hardest moments, if they come, you will be in the best company, happy, strong, and secure…”
If you ask me, I think the miracle we need in Nigeria urgently at the moment is the miracle of putting our human intelligence to work to improve the well-being of our fellow human beings. No New Year is intrinsically a good year. No New Year is intrinsically a bad year either. You have to work out your New Year to be what you want it to be. If you are a hard-working person, the New Year probably may be good for you. And if you are the lazy type, the New Year probably may be bad for you. We must stop deluding ourselves into believing that once we denounce Satan and all his works with the air of hubristic self-righteousness inside a church on the New Year eve, then all troubles and sufferings will vanish in 2024. It is not enough to renounce the evils plaguing our society at the dawn of 2024, as if that renouncing alone would negate their powers. We should try to work hard for the good of our families and the society. After all, God who created us has given us intelligence and expects us to put our intelligence to good use to improve the well-being of our fellow men and women. Therefore, God has no reason to work miracles to solve small human problems in Nigeria, which we can use our human intelligence to solve.
Therefore, as we cruise into yet another New Year, let us remind ourselves that no New Year comes with already-made bounties or a new lease on life. No New Year comes with already-made miracles. You have to work out your New Year. You have to resolve to do your ordinary work with a sense of responsibility. The Presidency should be more responsible. No wasteful expenditure in 2024. Ditto for the National Assembly. Ditto for the judiciary, that veritable third arm of government entrusted with the sacred duty of dispensation of justice. 2023 was a disastrous year for the judiciary in Nigeria. Our judiciary has been constituted into an object of derision by the very people who should labor to maintain its prestige. The level of official corruption and moral degeneracy in the Bar and the Bench was alarming in 2024. In Nigeria, the power of the judiciary has been whittled down by the ambitious tendency of some members of the executive to disobey the court. Nothing destroys the confidence of the public in the judiciary more than this kind of abuse. Our judges should adorn the breastplate of integrity, transparency, discipline, impartiality, and honor in the discharge of their sacred duty. Practicing lawyers must recognize that they are officers in the temple of justice and stop offering bribes to judges. Practicing lawyers must practice the ethics of the Bar. I am eagerly and earnestly looking forward to the redemption of the Nigerian judiciary in 2024. I am looking forward to seeing an incorruptible judiciary in 2024.
It was Lyman Bryson who once said that great citizens are built upon greatness when their leaders dare to let them use their minds, when the state helps them to know the competing choices open to them, preserving for them the essential democratic spirit which seeks the truths by its own efforts. However, the opposite of what Bryson said is happening in Nigeria at the moment. To begin with, many Nigerians have stopped thinking properly. Why? Because they can hardly sleep well at night owing to the suffocating heat caused by electricity failure. When you hit the road to ward off the frustration, a uniformed road merchant dashes out from nowhere and signals you to an abrupt stop. He may end up extorting money from you under one flimsy excuse or another. This is Nigeria for you.
Certainly, we cannot continue to live in this mess. This is not life. Please don’t misunderstand me. I am an optimist. I do not expect a big transformation of Nigeria overnight. We know that the problems are overwhelming. We also know that many of our political office holders are not so gifted to tackle the problems. But there is one thing all of us can do for ourselves: We can sing the redemption song. We should drown our melancholy with laugher for laughter is medicinal We should not wish anybody evil. We should love our fellow human beings. We should use our God-given intelligence to work out our salvation. We must remain focused on solving little problems that improve the lives of members of our respective families and the ordinary man in the street. This is the much-vaunted redemption.
Happy New Year, my friend.
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2024: Why Christians must shun sinful life this year – Anglican Bishop
The Bishop of the Diocese of Kwara (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev. Sunday Adewole, has admonished Christians to shun sinful life to enable them enjoy the grace of God in 2024.
Adewole gave the advice on Monday in his New Year Sermon held at the Cathedral of St. Barnabas, Sabo-Oke Ilorin, with the theme ‘New Beginning’.
He said Christians must cultivate the habit of removing negative thinking in their lives and stop seeing themselves a failure.
He advised Christians to run away from sinful living if they actually want a new beginning in the year 2024.
“A Christian must run away from a sinful life to enjoy the grace of God. Make personal consecration and God will make His Grace available for you.
“You are expected to live a sinless life and never accept failure tag. Rely absolutely on God,” he said.
The cleric also stressed the need to dress moderately to attract God’s blessings as some dressing according to him do attract demon.
The Bishop, therefore, advised married women to stop chatting with men that are not their husbands.
“This is new year. I urge married women to stop chatting with men that are not their husband, likewise married men should focus on their family and stop chatting with married women who are not their wife,” he said
He advised Christians to break the bridge of sin and cut the link if they want God to interfere in their lives.
Adewole also urged Christians to take step of faith in 2024 and make good choice in the new year.
Besides, the cleric advised youths to shun quick money syndrome and wait for their time, saying that God’s time is the best.
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Mrs Tinubu welcomes first baby of year 2024
The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has welcomed the FCT First Baby of year 2024 at the National Hospital Abuja (NHA) where the new child was delivered.
The first baby of the New Year, Boluwatife Johnson, arrived at exactly 12.00 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2024 to the Johnson’s family.
Mrs Tinubu also welcomed all the new born babies in the hospital and blessed them with prayers, baby gifts including post-natal care products, other nutritional supplies and cash presents.
“It is my pleasure to be at this hospital on this auspicious day, Jan. 1, 2024 to welcome the first baby of the year in the FCT, this occasion has immense significance as it symbolises hope, new beginning of better days for our beloved country.
“It is a moment not only to celebrate the birth of this new beautiful baby but to also acknowledge the profound significant that each new life has on us as a society; the birth of a baby is a reminder that all that we face as humans, the circle of life, continues.
“As a mother, I am committed to enhancing an environment that nurtures and supports the wellbeing of our children in particular and the families in general in a safe and loving home with access to quality education and healthcare.”
She said such environment would ensure their physical and mental wellbeing in order to become the leaders, innovators and change makers of tomorrow.
The first lady also urged nursing mothers to take absolute care of themselves and their new babies.
“I urge nursing mothers to take adequate care of their babies, ensure that they are immunised when due, practise exclusive breastfeeding to provide them with adequate nutritious and healthy weaning food for proper brain development.
“Expectant mothers should always take antenatal and postnatal care seriously, maintain basic sanitation and hygiene at home, take it their baths and register their babies with the National Population Commission and ensure to enroll them in school at appropriate age.
“On our part, through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), we are working in collaboration with UNICEF to ensure that all birth in Nigeria are duly registered in order to ensure the rights and protection of all our children.’’
Mrs Tinubu also urged women in general to do proper medical checkup, especially on HIV/AID status to avoid mother to child transmission.
“I also charge our women to take steps in knowing their HIV/AIDS status to enable them to take adequate care of themselves and protect mother to child HIV/AID, particularly for pregnant and nursing mothers.
“On this note, I welcome baby Boluwatife Johnson, the first baby of the year 2024, I congratulate the parents of the first baby of the year and all other babies born in the FCT.
“I appreciate all our health care professionals and volunteers and individuals who work tirelessly to ensure the wellbeing of our mothers and children, God bless us all. Happy New Year.”
The Chief Host of the event, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Barr. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, thanked the first lady for her kind gesture.
Prof. Mahmud Raji the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of NHA, also commended Mrs Tinubu and the RHI for reaching out to the new born.
The first lady was accompanied by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, her Special Assistants and other dignitaries during the event.
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2 children die in New Year accident on Lagos-Ibadan expressway
Two children died in a lone accident involving a Toyota car on New Year Day at Ade Best axis, Isara on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Mrs Florence Okpe, the Spokesperson, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta on Monday.
Okpe said the incident occured at 8:00 a.m. and was caused by speeding and loss of control, saying that the car ran into a ditch.
She explained that five people were involved in the accident which comprised three children, one man and a woman, saying two people died while three were Injured.
” One Toyota car was with registration numbers TTD 985 AA.
The suspected cause of the lone crash was excessive speed and the vehicle suddenly lost control and ran into a ditch.” The injured victims were taken to Victory Hospital, Ogere for medical attention while the deceased corpses were deposited at Isara General Hospital morgue,” she said.
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Major promises Tinubu made in 2024 New Year day broadcast
President Bola Tinubu in his New Year’s day broadcast made some promises to Nigerians, stressing he will continue to work toward a better Nigeria to justify the trust placed on him by electing him into office in February 2023.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports President Tinubu promised to work hard to ensure that Nigerians have peace of mind in their homes, places of work and on the roads.
Tinubu also promised to accelerate the pace of service delivery, improve on electricity supply and ensure local refining of petroleum products.
Chief of all is the promise of new national living wage for Nigerian workers made by the President with a vow to ensure constant food supply and codify and simplify fiscal and tax policies reforms.
Food supply, security our main focus in 2024 – Tinubu
The Federal Government is to expand efforts toward a massive food supply to feed the nation in 2024, President Tinubu said on Monday in the nationwide broadcast.
Tinubu added that provision of land for the production of staple crops across the country would receive a boost in the year.
Tinubu, in his New Year message delivered in Lagos, said that this was part of efforts by his administration to ensure that all citizens feel the direct impact of government on their lives.
“To ensure constant food supply, security and affordability, we will step up our plan to cultivate 500,000 hectares of farmlands across the country to grow maize, rice, wheat, millet and other staple crops.
“We launched the dry season farming with 120,000 hectares of land in Jigawa State last November under our National Wheat Development Programme.
“The programme aims to enable farmers to produce sufficient certified seeds, aligning with the nation’s target of cultivating between 200,000 to 250,000 hectares of wheat under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-pocket project.
“Federal Government will support about 150,000 to 250,000 farmers with 50 per cent input subsidy to cultivate between 200,000 to 250,000 hectares with an expected yield of 1,250,000 tonnes of wheat.
“The task of building a better nation and making sure we have a Nigerian society that cares for all her citizens is the reason I ran to become your President. It was the core of my Renewed Hope campaign message on the basis of which you voted me as President.
“Everything I have done in office, every decision I have taken and every trip I have undertaken outside the shores of our land, since I assumed office on 29 May 2023, have been done in the best interest of our country.
“In this new year, we will race against time to ensure all the fiscal and tax policies reforms we need to put in place are codified and simplified to ensure the business environment does not destroy value.
“On every foreign trip I have embarked on, my message to investors and other business people has been the same -Nigeria is ready and open for business,’’ he said.
Tinubu also said that the provision of steady electricity supply would receive a boost with the initiatives put in place to realise this, adding that the presidential initiative on power supply has been accelerated with his foreign engagement in Germany.
“Just this past December during COP28 in Dubai, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and I agreed and committed to a new deal to speed up the delivery of the Siemens Energy power project that will ultimately deliver reliable supply of electricity to our homes and businesses under the Presidential Power Initiative which began in 2018.
“Other power installation projects to strengthen the reliability of our transmission lines and optimise the integrity of our National grid are on-going across the country.
“My administration recognises that no meaningful economic transformation can happen without steady electricity supply.
“In 2024, we are moving a step further in our quest to restart local refining of petroleum products with Port Harcourt Refinery, and the Dangote Refinery which shall fully come on stream.’’
The president called on Nigerians to support the government to succeed in its laudable policies and programmes.
“The current difficulties are necessary for a better future; Nigeria will be better for it,” he said.
Workers will enjoy living wage in 2024 – Tinubu vows
President Bola Tinubu has said that the Federal Government would implement a new national living wage for industrious workers in 2024.
He said that the decision was not only for good economic sense but “because it is the morally and politically correct thing to do”.
In a New Year message on Monday in Lagos, Tinubu said this would ensure that the economic aspirations and material well-being of the poor, most vulnerable and working people, are not neglected.
“We will work diligently to make sure every Nigerian feels the impact of their government.
“The economic aspirations and the material well-being of the poor, the most vulnerable and the working people shall not be neglected.
“It is in this spirit that we are going to implement a new national living wage for our industrious workers this New Year.
“It is not only good economics to do this; it is also a morally and politically correct thing to do.
“Having laid the groundwork of our economic recovery plans within the last seven months of 2023, we are now poised to accelerate the pace of our service delivery across sectors.’’
He said that the issue of stable electricity supply would continue to get priority because of the recognition that no sustainable development could be achieved without steady electricity.
The president said that 2024 would also witness a boost in food supply and production of petroleum product with the various initiatives put in place in the last seven months of the administration.
“Just this past December during COP28 in Dubai, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and I agreed and committed to a new deal to speed up the delivery of the Siemens Energy power project that will ultimately deliver reliable supply of electricity to our homes and businesses under the Presidential Power Initiative which began in 2018.
“Other power installation projects to strengthen the reliability of our transmission lines and optimise the integrity of our National grid are on-going across the country.
“My administration recognises that no meaningful economic transformation can happen without steady electricity supply.
“In 2024, we are moving a step further in our quest to restart local refining of petroleum products with Port Harcourt Refinery, and the Dangote Refinery which shall fully come on stream.
“To ensure constant food supply, security and affordability, we will step up our plan to cultivate 500,000 hectares of farmlands across the country to grow maize, rice, wheat, millet and other staple crops.
“We launched the dry season farming with 120,000 hectares of land in Jigawa State last November under our National Wheat Development Programme.
“In this new year, we will race against time to ensure all the fiscal and tax policies reforms we need to put in place are codified and simplified to ensure the business environment does not destroy value.
“On every foreign trip I have embarked on, my message to investors and other business people has been the same -Nigeria is ready and open for business.’’
The president pledged to fight every obstacle that would impede business competitiveness, adding that he would not hesitate to remove any clog on the path to making Nigeria a destination of choice for local and foreign investments.
“In my 2024 Budget presentation to the National Assembly, I listed my administration’s eight priority areas to include national defence and internal security, job creation, macro-economic stability, investment environment optimization, human capital development, poverty reduction and social security.
“Because we take our development agenda very seriously, our 2024 budget reflects the premium we placed on achieving our governance objectives,’’ Tinubu said.
My appointees will not give excuses for poor performances – Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has said that none of his appointees would be allowed to give excuses for non-performance in their assigned duties and responsibilities.
In a New Year address to the nation on Monday in Lagos, Tinubu said that he had pledged to serve the country and would give his best for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
“It is the reason I put in place a Policy Coordination, Evaluation, Monitoring and Delivery Unit in the Presidency to make sure that governance output improves the living condition of our people.
“We have set the parameters for evaluation. Within the first quarter of this New Year, Ministers and Heads of Agencies with a future in this administration that I lead will continue to show themselves.
“Fellow Nigerians, my major ambition in government as a Senator in the aborted Third Republic, as Governor of Lagos State for eight years and now as the President, is to build a fair and equitable society and close the widening inequality.
“While I believe the rich should enjoy their legitimately-earned wealth, our minimum bargain must be that, any Nigerian that works hard and diligent enough will have a chance to get ahead in life.
“I must add that because God didn’t create us with equal talents and strengths, I cannot guarantee that we will have equal outcomes when we work hard.
“But my government, in this New Year 2024 and beyond, will work to give every Nigerian equal opportunity to strive and to thrive.’’
Tinubu, however, said that individual and collective support and collaboration for the good intentions of government must be exhibited by all Nigerians, adding that building a prosperous Nigeria is not for only a few people.
“Our destinies are connected as members of this household of Nigeria. Our language, creed, ethnicity and religious beliefs, even when they are not same, should never make us work at cross purposes.
“In this New Year, let us resolve that as joint-heirs to the Nigerian commonwealth, we will work for the peace, progress and stability of our country. I extend this call to my political opponents in the last election. Election is over. It’s time for all of us to work together for the sake of our country.
“We must let the light each of us carries – men and women, young and old – shine bright and brighter to illuminate our path to a glorious dawn,’’ the president said.
He called on Nigerians to continue to be grateful to God for His grace and benevolence to Nigeria in 2023, stressing that better days are in the offing the country in 2024.
“Though the past year was a very challenging one, it was eventful in so many ways. For our country, it was a transition year that saw a peaceful, orderly and successful transfer of power from one administration to another, marking yet another remarkable step in our 24 years of unbroken democracy.
“Silently, we have worked to free captives from abductors. While we can’t beat our chest yet that we had solved all the security problems, we are working hard to ensure that we all have peace of mind in our homes, places of work and on the roads.’’
The president gave the assurance that the 2024 budget would cater for the pressing needs of the people through the various critical sectors it has appropriated funds into.
I’ll justify the trust Nigerians place on me – Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu says he will continue to work toward a better Nigeria to justify the trust placed on him by electing him into office in February 2023.
The President, who stated this in a New Year message on Monday in Lagos, said that justifying that trust had been his burden in all his policies and programmes within and outside the country, since he assumed office May 29, 2023.
“It was a year you, the gracious people of this blessed nation, entrusted your faith in me with a clear mandate to make our country better, to revamp our economy, restore security within our borders and revitalise our floundering industrial sector.
“I am also expected to boost agricultural production, increase national productivity and set our country on an irreversible path towards national greatness that we and future generations will forever be proud of.
“The task of building a better nation and making sure we have a Nigerian society that cares for all her citizens is the reason I ran to become your President. It was the core of my Renewed Hope campaign message on the basis of which you voted me as President.
“Everything I have done in office, every decision I have taken and every trip I have undertaken outside the shores of our land since I assumed office on 29 May 2023, have been done in the best interest of our country.
“Over the past seven months of our administration, I have taken some difficult and yet necessary decisions to save our country from fiscal catastrophe.
“One of those decisions was the removal of fuel subsidy which had become an unsustainable financial burden on our country for more than four decades.
“Another was the removal of the chokehold of few people on our foreign exchange system that benefited only the rich and the most powerful among us.
“Without doubt, these two decisions brought some discomfort to individuals, families and businesses.’’
The president said he was aware of the various complains by Nigerians on the recent reforms introduced by the administration, adding that those are necessary sacrifices every Nigeria must bear for a better future.
“From the boardrooms at Broad Street in Lagos to the main-streets of Kano and Nembe Creeks in Bayelsa, I hear the groans of Nigerians who work hard every day to provide for themselves and their families.
“I am not oblivious to the expressed and sometimes unexpressed frustrations of my fellow citizens. I know for a fact that some of our compatriots are even asking if this is how our administration wants to renew their hope.
“Dear Compatriots, take this from me: the time may be rough and tough, but our spirit must remain unbowed because tough times never last.
“We are made for this period, never to flinch, never to falter. The socio-economic challenges of today should energise and rekindle our love and faith in the promise of Nigeria.
“Our current circumstances should make us resolve to work better for the good of our beloved nation. Our situation should make us resolve that in 2024, each and every one of us will commit to be a better citizen,’’ Tinubu said.