Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President, said Wednesday that building a new Nigeria requires an active reawakening of public consciousness and trust in the youthful demography to lead the country.
“The church plays a key role in moulding the country’s narrative,” he remarked. Faith is not apolitical since it is concerned with the overall wellbeing of the people.
He spoke at the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement’s (Surulere District) second national symposium, headlined “The State, the Society, and the Church,” held at the church auditorium along Oshodi-Apapa road in Lagos.
The symposium was attended by Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing; Air Marshall Isiaka Amao, Chief of Air Staff; and Dr. Sunday Funsho, General Leader, Cherubim and Seraphim (Ayo Ni O).
At the symposium yesterday, Osinbajo said that “the need to regain our sense of private and public values” lies at the heart of our continual struggle to align Nigeria’s and Nigerians’ potential with their lived realities.
“Without an aggressive reawakening of our public consciousness; without a sense of collective values rooted in the very principles our faiths espouse, principles of honesty and hard work, mutual respect, cooperation, tolerance, and fidelity to the common good, the Nigeria of our dreams cannot be realised.”
“I have an unshakable faith in the capacity of Nigerians to construct a country we can all be proud of,” the vice president stated as a pastor who has spent over two decades in public service.
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“Like most of us, I’ve witnessed firsthand what Nigerians can achieve with the correct environment and assistance. The Nigerian people, particularly today’s youth, who are defying all barriers to claim their rightful place in the sun, are a beacon of hope for a new Nigeria.
“We must rise up to meet them with the principles necessary to establish a sustainable future and motivate them to fulfil the moral necessity of doing good and honest work to the best of their abilities as a service to humanity and God.”
He quoted Proverb 23:18 to say that “there is hope and a future for Nigeria.” People’s voices must rise in fervency of hope like never before in our country’s history.
“When we do not live up to the standards of our office, we have a duty and a command from God Himself to question the moral conscience of leadership.” People’s ears and hearts are in our hands.
“Through our own magnificent example, we must urge them to look to the future with optimism, and to find that hope in their God-given gifts, the strength of their character, the enduring value of honest work, and a patriotic dedication to Nigeria’s general well-being.”
People of religion who comprehend the linkages between the state, society, and the church, Osinbajo added, have always been crucial to the overall state of affairs.
“Even in a democracy like ours, where the church has no direct control over state levers, its power has never been questioned.”
“First, its unique moral posture and power enable it to act as a moral arbiter between the people and their governments, inspiring all members of society to carry out their duties and commitments to one another with integrity and competence.
“Secondly, the church possesses a subtle but tremendous political value, which politicians realise and have always courted, due to its proximity and direct effect on the people.”
“The church may be a force for good by exercising its influence with integrity and a clear conscience.” This has happened all throughout the world and over time,” the vice president remarked.
Fashola said the federation might improve by following China’s lead, which survived humiliation to become the world’s top industrial hub.
“The truth is that our current infrastructure demands have outpaced our growth. When the Apapa-Oworonshoki freeway was built in 1975, I was 12 years old. Has it been expanded since 1975?
“The Murtala Mohammed Airport was built at that period to handle around four million passengers a year, but it today handles nearly quadruple that.” Have we gone through that? Is it merely to make things better if we’re worried now? How far that goes is up for argument, as is the issue of choice and resources.”
According to Amao, the church has a significant influence in society and the current socio-economic difficulties confronting the country, such as insecurity.
He added that this circumstance necessitated a whole-of-society approach, implying that the church plays an important part in the creation of the new Nigeria.
“These obstacles prevent the nation from achieving “unity and faith, peace and progress.” We are aware, however, that the vast majority of Nigerians are progressive, resilient, and peace-loving individuals.
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“As a result, more than ever before, the Church, Society, and the State must work together to realise the new Nigeria that we all desire.”
“The Nigerian Air Force has acquired many combat aircraft and equipment to help surface troops in asymmetric warfare as well as locate and neutralise state foes, particularly in difficult environments.”
