By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory are expressing mixed reactions as preparations for the 2025 Christmas season gather momentum, with rising transport fares, insecurity and fluctuating food prices shaping their plans.

While some welcomed a drop in the prices of select food items, others said safety concerns and soaring transport costs had forced them to adjust their holiday plans.

Chibuzor Charles said he cancelled his annual trip to Enugu after fares rose to about ₦100,000, nearly double last year’s cost.

Many residents said they started preparations early to beat festive inflation.

Teacher Tola Adeniran said she had already bought most of her Christmas supplies, while public transport driver David Oche noted he had been saving daily to cope with higher seasonal expenses.

Some also reported improvements in market prices. Teacher Faith Okafor said several food items were cheaper this year, and seamstress Joy Adebola noted that a large bowl of rice had dropped from ₦95,500 to ₦55,000.

Though chicken prices had increased, she said she would still buy some for her family.

For others, the season will be spent at work. Counter server Mary Okechukwu said she would be on duty on Christmas Day, noting that her role offers no festive break.

By Ade Iyamoye 

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His Eminence Archbishop Daniel C. Okoh, has urged closer collaboration between government and faith institutions to address the worsening insecurity across the country.

He made the call on Wednesday at the opening of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), meeting held at Barcelona Hotel, Wuse II, Abuja.

Archbishop Okoh commended NIREC members for sustaining a platform where Christian and Muslim leaders engage as partners committed to peace, justice, and national well-being.

He also appreciated the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, for his consistent support of NIREC meetings, describing him as a leader with unwavering devotion to peaceful coexistence.

He further acknowledged former SGF, Boss Mustapha, for his longstanding commitment to strengthening the work of NIREC, noting that his belief in the council’s role in fostering social cohesion “remains very strong” despite leaving office.

The CAN President warned that the meeting was taking place at a critical time, as insecurity continues to threaten national unity.

He lamented the rise in banditry, kidnapping, violent extremism, and other criminal activities that have left families mourning and communities deserted.

“The daily loss of innocent lives is alarming and heartbreaking,” he said, noting that insecurity is crippling agriculture, discouraging investment, and worsening poverty and hunger across the country.

While acknowledging ongoing efforts by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to strengthen security architecture, Okoh urged the government to intensify its interventions.

He stressed that alongside government responsibility, religious leaders have a moral duty to foster trust, harmony, and cooperation within communities.

“Faith-based organisations hold immense potential for strengthening security and sustaining peace,” he said, adding that their deep community roots and moral authority make them vital partners in peacebuilding.

He called on government at all levels to deepen collaboration with NIREC and other faith institutions in mobilising communities, promoting dialogue, and ensuring people-centred security strategies.

Reaffirming CAN’s commitment to peace and national stability, Archbishop Okoh said peace cannot be achieved without justice.

He insisted that perpetrators and sponsors of violence must be held accountable and victims adequately supported.

He urged religious leaders to combine prayer with action, guiding citizens to reject violence, resist misinformation, cooperate with authorities, and uphold values that promote unity.

Expressing hope for meaningful outcomes from the meeting, Okoh prayed for wisdom, courage, and humility for all stakeholders working toward a safer, more united Nigeria.

By Abah Anthony John

With just over a year to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, the Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, has called on Catholics across the country to “intensify grassroots voter education, deploy competent election observers, and advocate for transparent electoral reforms” to safeguard the people’s mandate.

Fr. Banjo made the appeal during the Annual General Meeting of the Catholic Secretariat in Abuja, stressing that politicians have already begun their preparations and the Church “cannot afford to be passive.”

He warned that the next 15 months will be decisive, adding, “This is the moment to intensify grassroots voter education, train and deploy competent election observers, and strengthen advocacy for electoral reforms that ensure transparency, real-time results transmission, and accountability.”

Beyond elections, Fr. Banjo situated the meeting within Nigeria’s broader crises, marked by widespread insecurity, banditry, and abductions.

He noted that the national debate over whether the killings amount to genocide has often distracted from the more urgent concern, protecting human life.

“What is far more important is what is essential, which is the safety of everyone within the Nigerian territory,” he said.

Quoting the position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), he urged Nigerians to move away from arguments over “who has suffered more losses” and instead defend the sanctity of all human life.

“The Catholic principle of common good and solidarity compels us to stand for every victim, regardless of religion or tribe,” he added.

Fr. Banjo emphasized that Catholic Social Teaching (CST), must remain central to the Church’s mission in a fractured society.

He described CST as “indispensable for sound administration, good governance, social transformation, and the building of a civilization of love.”

To institutionalize these values, he announced that CST textbooks for nursery, primary, and secondary schools are being developed, with the primary school version already completed and awaiting final editing.

“By embedding CST in the earliest stages of learning, we are laying the foundation for long-term national renewal,” he said.

The Secretary-General also highlighted the Jubilee Year of Hope and its call for concrete acts of reconciliation and liberation.

He urged the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), across dioceses to prioritize freeing detainees held for minor, bailable offences simply because they cannot afford legal processes.

“Let the Jubilee reach our prisons through your hands,” he appealed, noting that reintegration efforts such as skills training and livelihood support must accompany releases.