Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has called on all Nigerians to join hands in rebuilding the country.
He said although the country’s walls were not yet broken, “there are obvious cracks that could lead to break if not properly addressed.”
Osinbajo spoke on Sunday in Abuja at the 60th Independence Anniversary interdenominational church service held at National Ecumenical Centre and themed “Come, let us rebuild…”
The Vice President was represented by the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, at the service.
He said Nigerians, like the Nehemiah in the Bible, should embrace efforts to rebuild the cracked walls of the country to avoid Nigeria’s breakup.
Osinbajo said, “The story should be a challenge to every Christian in Nigeria who is desirous of following the part of Christian way of life. It is only that kind of Nehemiah’s love that will make us as Nigerians to rebuild the cracks we have in our walls (Nigeria) today.
“For us in Nigeria, Nehemiah should be taken as a metaphor for that Nigerians who either reside in Nigeria or outside, to cry to God to use the abandoned opportunities in Nigeria to address our challenges of nation building.
“Fortunately for us, our walls are not yet broken but there are obvious cracks that could lead to break if not properly addressed. Nehemiah started with fervent prayers, seeking the Face of God and pleaded with his king to allow him return to Jerusalem to rebuild the broken walls. Because wall signifies peace, security, contentment and prosperity. It signifies the essence of the state of the nation.
“There’s urgent need for Nehemiah in our country, Nigeria, today. And like Nehemiah faced opposition in his efforts to rebuild the walls, any Nigerian that desire to rebuild Nigeria must also be ready to face stiffer opposition which will come in torrents. It can only be diffused by consistent focus and prayers.”
The vice said he was optimistic that the 60th independence anniversary would herald a rebirth of Nigerian as a nation.
He called on the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to give to its faithful quality leadership as well as guide them in making Nigeria a great country.
Speaking at the service, CAN President, Dr Samson Ayokunle said:
“A nation that is religiously plural like ours require love in practice so as to co-exist without fighting one another. What is sane in using the name of God or hide under the cloak of religion to kill a fellow human? If God wants all of us to be of one ethnicity, race or religion doesn’t he have the power to do it? Why do we want to play God and wickedly terminate the lives of others in account of religion?
“Nigeria is blessed with abundant human and material resources located in different parts of this country. This underscores the indispensability of all the regions and ethnic groups. For us all to be on the same page, have sense of belonging and be happy, the doctrine of equality, that is equal access to employment, governance and education, must be available to all.
“We need true religiosity in Nigeria to reposition Nigeria and overcome our corrupt way of living which has almost become the norm to our shame. The principle of inclusivity must be adopted. Nobody or region must be excluded from the scheme of things in Nigeria.”
