Easter stands out as the most important celebration in the Christian calendar, as it marks the conquest of death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For Christians, Easter is a time where; in Jesus, love has triumphed over hatred, mercy over sinfulness, goodness over evil, truth over falsehood, hope over despair, and life over death.

The Easter message of rebirth and forgiveness also gives us hope that no matter what has happened in the past each new day carries with it the promise of a new beginning, a chance to do better, and the opportunity to make a positive difference.

The conquest of death, shown by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, gives Christians the hopeful message of reaching eternal joy beyond death, by following the Christian teachings of love towards all and the spirit of sacrifice. It is an auspicious occasion for us to recall the eternal and valuable message of love, forgiveness, compassion and brotherhood preached and propagated by Jesus Christ.

It is our firm belief that as we celebrate God’s greatest gift to mankind through the sacrifice of his son, we as a people must recommit ourselves to the traditions of repentance, sacrifice, charity and selflessness that characterized the suffering, agony and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his life for all humanity.

On this occasion, we must take time to reflect on the Easter message of love and hope which challenges us to put into practice what it means to love our neighbours as ourselves not just today, but every day, as this is the foundation upon which a better society based on love, understanding and tolerance is built.

In appreciation of him that died to save us from eternal condemnation let us therefore, love one another for God is love, and the greatest of all laws is love because love conquers all things and with love the future will be bright.

In the spirit of love and humanity, from my family to yours, we pray this Easter brings us unprecedented peace and unity that will strengthen the bonds in our families, communities and nation at large.

Happy Easter celebration!

From Sen. Dr. & Mrs. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah.