We must sacrifice to make Nigeria great – Osinbajo

*as cleric says coup plotters won’t succeed

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA- Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said on Sunday that every Nigerian must make some sacrifice for the greatness of the country.

Speaking at the 2017 Democracy Day Interdenominational church service with the theme: The Dry Bones Shall Live Again”, Ezekiel 37:11, held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, Osinbajo said that both the leaders and the led must be ready to contribute their quota for the growth of the country.

The service was held to essentially mark the nation’s 18 years of unbroken democratic practice in Nigeria.

Making allusion to the story of the Good Samaritan as demonstrated in Luke 10:30-37, the Acting President said Nigerians must not be like the politician and cleric in the story who showed no sympathy for the man attacked by thieves.

According to him, Nigerians must live like the Good Samaritan that attended to the victim and took him to the hospital.

He said: “When we look on, our country is not the state it fell that is the story but the story is how the people react when you see the nation that needs to be helped.

“While the politician and cleric look the other way when they saw the man that was half dead, the Good Samaritan had compassion on him, bandaged him and took him to the hospital.

“Who truly loves the nation? Is it the priest that said a prayer, walked past, or the politician that looked and walked past or the Samaritan that took the wounded to the hospital, paid some money and said treat him, on my return I will upset the bill.

“The nation requires those that can make the sacrifices to make it great, they are those whom Jesus spoke about, people that may not be of note but prepared to make the nation great again. Some are doctors, teachers, young graduates.

“There is sacrifice of integrity against corruption. When you speak against corruption, it fights back. So you must be ready to make sacrifice no matter how highly placed or small you are. Teachers who are prepared to teach, doctors who are prepared to provide health services no matter what.

“Make the sacrifices required to make our nation great whether you are a leader or a follower”, he said.

Osinbajo while praying for God’s grace in the lives of Nigerians who were willing to sacrifice for the country also prayed for quick recovery and safe return of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The First scripture reading taken from Ezekiel 37:1-14 was read by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen while the Second scripture reading also from Romans 129-21 was taken by Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

In his sermon, the presiding Apostle of the Word Communication Ministries and Founder of Christ Family Assembly Churches, Apostle Sunday Popoola noted that the service was to appreciate God for the 18 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria.

He warned coup plotters to halt jettison the idea, saying that Nigerians would resist such.

“If you are out there like me, you will know that Nigerians are fed up and are waiting for something to spark. We need to be patient with the present government which has something to offer.

“Coup cannot work now and will not succeed”, he said.

The cleric who called for radical institutional reforms, including the Civil Service believed that Nigeria can be great again like the dry bones in the Bible Book of Ezikiel that later got live in them.

According to him, the three attitudes Nigerians must possess to have a glorious future were to have nothing to proof, nothing to lose and nothing to hide.

Popoola said 100 years after Nigeria’s amalgamation, the country cannot continue to blame the colonialists, urging the people to embrace peace and co-habit in unity.

Popoola also called on the government to revisit the report of the 2014 National Conference, saying it may have the potential of solving the challenges of the ethnic nationalities.

While prophesing that Nigeria would be among the world power in the next 10 years, he however remarked that prayer without action was futile.

Prayers were offered for Presiden Buhari, Osinbajo, peace, security and development in the country, families, parents, children and the youth in Nigeria, for total victory over bloodshed, armed robber, Book Hiram, kidnapping, strife, violence and disunity in Nigeria, the church and all over the world.

The service attracted the presence of President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Supo Ayokunle, wife of the Acting President, Dolapo Osinbajo, Speaker’s wife, Gimbia Dogora, Mrs. Nkoyo Onnoghen, Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, members of the legislature, judiciary, the military, clerics, royal fathers and members of the diplomatic corps.

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