By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
Bar. Ken Imasuagbon, (aka Rice Man), salute Nigerians, expecially the Edo State people, who in spite of the pandemic and other associated economic challenges, sacrificed all they could in 2020 through difficulties to resiliently strive to survive.
Imasuagbon, said 2020 was one of the most troubled year in our lives as we were witnesses to one of the most devastating pandemic, the Coronavirus Pandemic, the world had ever seen.
” It was a difficult year in many aspects for the Edo State people; it was the year of the pandemic, the year of election and the year the marauding Godfatherism in the state needed to be defeated.
“However, we survived it! And today, this new year, we are counted among the living. We must then consciously put behind the Year of the Pandemic so that we can embrace 2021, the Year of Hope.
” I salute Nigerians, expecially the Edo State people, who in spite of the pandemic and other associated economic challenges, sacrificed all they could in 2020 through difficulties to resiliently strive to survive.
The people resolutely surmounted all of these challenges and came out successful. Yes, while the people were faced with the treat of the pandemic, they came out en-mass and confidently to destroy completely the structures of Godfatherism to rubbles and smithereens. I have every believe that with our collective agreement, we can achieve anything.
2021 will open new vistas of hope for us as the COVID 19 vaccine will help stop the global menace. New hopes will spring up like wild mushrooms from unexpected places. We are a great people, our resilience during difficult times is an essential ingredient that we can achieve whatever we set our minds at. Let’s make the most of 2021and show the world that despite the difficulties, we can do great things.
Let’s focus our individual and collective energies on building the kind of society which we would be proud of. We must device means to reach out to the most vulnerable humans in our society, their pains should be our pains. We must also instill in the upcoming generation that hard work is a virtue that comes with rewards. They must learn to avoid crimes and drugs; these are easy ways to destruction. Their primary focus should be on how to be responsible to themselves, their families and the society they live in.
I also want to enjoin the great people of Edo State to kindly join hands irrespective of party affiliations to support the government of Godwin Obaseki to succeed. If the government succeeds, the ‘profit sharing’ will be for all of us, not only party faithfuls.
This is our Year of Hope and Unbounded Possibilities.
I wish all of us a Prosperous New Year. He concluded.