Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, today charged Nigerians to emulate Christ on this occasion of Easter.

According to Governor Obi, “Easter is a period which calls for sacrifice just as our Lord Jesus Christ exemplified when He shed His spirituality and assumed a human form in order to save humankind from sin and eternal damnation.” Quoting Philippians 2:6-8, he added that this singular action culminated in our Lord’s death on the Cross.

The governor reminded Christians and non-Christians alike that it was “the sacrifice and service offered by our Lord which brought Him to glorious resurrection and exaltation.” He therefore urged all to take a cue from Christ.

To political and other leaders, Governor Obi urged them to lead the life of Christ as they move to transform their Constituencies while displaying a high sense of humility, altruism and frugality.

In a related development, Governor Akpabio described Easter as the most important event in the Christian calendar, maintaining that that lesson of Easter should not be lost on Christians.

The governor in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Pastor Anietie Ukpe,

urged Christians to learn a lesson from Christ’s sacrificial death, and to be more committed to service to humanity, even as they deepen their aspirations for a greater Akwa Ibom State.

Maintaining that the state had covenanted with God for His help at the beginning of the year, Akpabio maintained that the veil of lies and falsehood unleashed against the state in the media by enemies of progress was regrettable but could be seen in the light of Jesus Christ’s admonition, “blessed are you when men shall persecute you and say all manners of evil and lies against you, rejoice and be glad because so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

He expressed happiness that through righteousness and truth, as espoused in the teachings of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the state today stands in the midst of what it and our country celebrate as “uncommon transformation.”

The governor maintained that his administration shall continue to raise the bar of governance, and make all Akwa Ibom people proud in all aspects of human endeavours.

He urged all Akwa Ibom Christians to let the lessons of Easter inspire them to make sacrifices for the unity and progress of our state and nation.

Akpabio prayed that the life and teachings of Jesus should inspire the good people of Akwa Ibom State to strive harder for a world knit together by love, and a state where our children shall be judged by the contents of their character and not their ethnic or tribal stock.

He contended that the death of Jesus Christ stands out as a perfect example of unconditional love, and urged all Christians to show unconditional love to their neighbors and key into the spirit of the season, by sharing gifts with the less privileged.

•Photo: Governor Obi.