Fellow Ghanaians, Easter is upon us once again, and, on behalf of my wife Rebecca, my five (5) daughters, five (5) grandchildren and other members of my family, and on behalf of members of Government, I send best wishes to you from Jubilee House, the seat of our nation’s presidency.

For me, and, indeed, I believe for all Christians, Easter is the most important date on the Christian calendar, for it signifies the supreme sacrifice made for humanity by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, over two thousand years ago, whose purpose was to redeem us from sin and reconcile us to God. Jesus Christ, Himself, some time before His Crucifixion on the Cross of Calvary, said to Martha, according to the Gospel of St. John, chapter 11 verses 25 and 26, at His raising of her brother, Lazarus, from the dead, that “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.”

Despite the eeriness of the grave, and the hopelessness it symbolised, Jesus Christ resurrected on the third day – an act which, in the words of Holy Scripture, in 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 4, gave us “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you”. The promise of salvation and eternity in Heaven are what are offered Christians who fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith.

In the face of the current difficulties confronting our nation, I admonish all of us to be inspired and guided by this promise of salvation. I ask, respectfully, all of you to continue to have hope of great times soon for our country.

Government is working hard to restore our nation back onto the path of progress and prosperity – a path on which our nation was charting before the onset of COVID-19, whose negative consequences have been further exacerbated by the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. All these difficulties, notwithstanding, I am confident that, with creativity, enterprise, hard work, perseverance and unity, we, the Ghanaian people, shall overcome, for our future is bright.

Fellow Ghanaians, this year’s Easter will be the first in three (3) years that we are going to have the opportunity to celebrate fully, following the lifting of virtually all the restrictions Government imposed to help win the fight against COVID-19. Our infection rate is low, with only thirty-two (32) active cases recorded, as at Monday, 11th April; there are no critical or severe cases; and our treatment centres are empty. I appeal to each and every one of you, notwithstanding the lifting of the restrictions and the good news about infections, to continue to live responsibly and safely, so we can all play our part in building Mother Ghana.

In this season, let us drive carefully on the roads, and keep the nation in our prayers at all times. So, let us, again, enjoy our Easter Conventions, parties and picnics, and the traditional Kwahu Easter festivities, which I will be patronizing as usual.

I wish you a Happy Easter, once more, and may the celebration of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ give birth to a new season of faith, hope, growth, prosperity, reconciliation and sacrifice for everybody in our beloved country and in the world.

May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.

Happy Easter.