Being the Text of Governor Alex Otti’s 2024 Christmas Message to Ndi Abia on December 25, 2024
1. Ndi Abia umunne m, I come to you with the joy of Christmas, deeply grateful to Almighty God for sparing our lives to witness the warmth of another yuletide. It has been a long and interesting year for all of us who have been favoured to celebrate another Christmas in the company of family and loved ones. As a community of God’s people called to the promise of renewal and rebirth on this special anniversary of the birth of Christ the Redeemer, we are invited to reflect on the privileges and blessings that have been showered on us by the benevolence of the Creator and embrace with a cheerful heart, the responsibility of sharing what we have received with our neighbours, especially those in need, because the true joy of Christmas is found in the wonders of sharing, loving and caring.
2. Let me specially welcome our brothers and sisters who have returned from different parts of the world to share the rich blessings of the Season with their kith and kin here at home. We are grateful to God for bringing everyone safely home and wish you great happiness during your stay. We have painstakingly put in place, adequate security measures to guarantee the safety of everyone so we encourage you to visit with friends and relatives to celebrate together in an atmosphere of love and freedom.
3. Beyond the measures adopted to guarantee the safety of lives and property, we have also recorded some major gains in expanding our governance footprints to all the communities in the State through road infrastructure projects and strategic development initiatives in health, education, entrepreneurship support and social protection. While you are in the state for this yuletide, do well to move round and observe the changes that have taken place since your last visit. You will see indisputable evidence of our development strides all around you because we have been very deliberate in spreading the fruits of good governance across communities.
4. I want to specially thank Ndi Abia for the great faith and trust you have reposed in our Administration. None of what is happening today would have been possible without your generous support and belief in our message of a New Abia that works for all. You are the reason Abia is changing and I am greatly honoured by the special privilege of serving you. You can rest, assured that we shall continue to work for you with sincerity and devotion because this is our homeland and there can be no higher calling than working to create new possibilities for ourselves and our children.
5. In addition to the opportunity to meet and interact with family and friends, this is also a good time to identify where and how you can support the multiple development initiatives of the government. We are open to partnerships with interested Abians to develop our critical economic levers in agriculture, light scale manufacturing, shoe and leatherworks, metal fabrication and others. The overarching goal is to use investments in these areas to drive important social and economic outcomes such as job creation and improved standard of living for everyone resident in the State.
6. In line with our commitment to the safety and welfare of individuals and families who will be in Abia for the yuletide, we have made arrangements for emergency and safety services in all parts of the State. Toll free numbers you can dial to quickly contact our security agents, fire fighters, medical services and other emergency response arrangements have since been made available to members of the public. Do not hesitate to let us know how we can support you whenever the need arises. In the same vein, well trained road traffic management officials have been stationed across our major urban roads to support road users and reduce congestions and other disruptions to free flow of traffic, especially at some of the roads currently undergoing rehabilitation and reconstruction. We encourage you to give them all the necessary cooperation because they are working for the good of everyone.
7. Let me encourage all of us to be prudent and modest in everything we do this Season. Avoid excessive consumption, especially of alcoholic beverages and stay away completely from hard drugs and dangerous substances. When using the road, be mindful of other road users. Let us collectively commit to safety by restraining ourselves from going overboard in our celebrations. The anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ the Saviour is an opportunity to reflect on the love of God for humanity through the incarnation of His only begotten Son to lead us to the path of eternal redemption.
8. Let me specially appreciate our brothers and sisters who on account of the nature of their jobs would be away from their families and loved ones this period, serving our communities with altruistic commitment. Our security agents, medical personnel, public utility officials and those involved in emergency response services deserve our collective gratitude on a special day like this. Thank you for your dedication to your individual duties and may the good Lord continue to strengthen you.
9. To those who suffered various forms of setbacks in the course of the year and are currently in pain due to the loss of loved ones, those confined to a hospital bed and others who are unable to celebrate fully because of one of life’s many emergencies, may I extend to you our collective message of comfort and love this festive Season. As members of the larger human community, we share in your pain and pray for God’s peace and comfort in your heart today and always. We also remember on this most memorable day, our brothers and sisters who have since returned to their Maker. We pray for the peaceful repose of their souls and fortitude to those they left behind.
10. To everyone of us who share in the joy of the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, I wish you a joyful and peaceful Christmas celebration.
