Easter: Alaafin urges Nigerians to embrace unity, purpose, love

By Adeola Badru

Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, has urged Christians to embrace Easter as a time of love, gratitude for God’s blessings, goodwill towards neighbours, and expectation of divine guidance.

The Alaafin emphasised that such virtues, if practised widely, could transform the nation, heal fractured relationships, and help realise the polity Nigerians aspire to.

Delivering his Easter message through his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaye, the Paramount Ruler said: “If we love with the spirit of Easter in our hearts, governance will function more effectively, electoral reforms will be easier to implement, public funds will be deployed judiciously for the common good, and leadership will cherish and care for the people.

“This is the essence of Easter, which we commend to all Nigerians, indeed, to all of humanity at this time.”

Oba Owoade stressed that it was love that led Jesus to the cross, noting, “If His heart had not been full and overflowing with love, He could not have offered Himself as a sacrifice.”

He urged Nigerians to embrace this same spirit of love, particularly in the current context, saying, “We commend a love that prioritises others above selfish desires, that seeks to liberate and emancipate, and that fosters sincerity of purpose, commitment, and patriotism.

“Such love will lift us above internecine killings and divisive tendencies. Every Nigerian must imbibe these values.”

Turning to national security, the Alaafin underscored the urgent need to confront banditry, which he described as a fundamental barrier to national development, adding, “Banditry disrupts the social, economic, and political structures essential for progress.“

“It creates pervasive insecurity, destroys livelihoods, especially in agriculture, leading to food scarcity and deepening poverty, stifles investment, undermines state authority, and diverts public funds from development projects to security measures,” he noted.

The Alaafin warned that citizens must collectively oppose the violence perpetrated by these ruthless criminals, who show no regard for human life, pointing out, “There is an urgent need for collective action against the terror inflicted by these bloodthirsty individuals.“

“As citizens, we must accept that peace comes at a price, and that price must be borne by all of us,” he said.

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