Former Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, has called on Rivers people to imbibe the spirit of sacrifice and love which he identified as the virtues symbolized in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, as conveyed in Easter.
He explained that by so doing, the citizens would be championing bonds of unity which he noted, were core ingredients needed for the development of the state and any other society.
Peterside gave the charge in his Easter Message made public today, Friday, in Port Harcourt.
Peterside, a development expert and maritime consultant, noted that when Rivers State was created in 1967, the founding fathers envisioned a state that would be first among equals, but regretted that about fifty-five years down the line, the state had yet to achieve that noble vision. He noted, however, that all hope was not lost even as he expressed confidence in the people to forge a common front against hate and other vices that are anti-progress.
“Our founding fathers envisioned a state that would be first among its equals but today, about fifty-five years down the line, our state had yet to achieve this noble cause. However, the glad tiding is that we still have an opportunity to recover lost grounds and march our future with hope. But we can only achieve that if we imbibed the spirit of Christ symbolized in the Easter which we are celebrating this season. So, let us all collapse the walls of hate and other vices that have stalled our development. Christ’s redemptive Sacrifice at Calvary offers us the grace to live above every vice, including hate. Let us resolve to banish all those cleavages that have held us down and seemingly defeated,” he stated.
Peterside enjoined Rivers’ citizens to see value in love for one another against the norm of demarcations along ethnic and religious lines. “God, Who gave the world His Son, Jesus, is love, and being His children demands that we love one another. Let us, therefore, walk in those sacred footsteps of Christ to truly be God’s children and persons of His interest.”
While wishing Rivers people a hitch-free celebration, Peterside also called for vigilance in the face of insecurity on their part.
“Our people should not rest on their oars even as they celebrate considering the current security hiccups plaguing Nigeria. “Even as we celebrate, let us all be vigilant bearing in mind that “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”. Let us be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers in the spirit of Easter, caring one for another as Christ cares for us.”
