By Elohor Igbru, Abuja
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday said Nigerians not to lose hope by the myriad of challenges facing the country as Nigeria would be great again.
Osinbajo spoke during the Independence Anniversary Service held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja on Sunday with the theme: ‘Those Who Wait on the Lord Shall Inherit the Land’.
He also insisted that the country would not be destroyed by the myriads of challenges confronting it.
He said: “It will be “a nation of opportunities, of equity and justice, a secure and prosperous nation, a nation of laws & righteousness”
The vice president said despite its challenges, the future of Nigeria will be far more glorious and peaceful than her past, and the nation’s lights will shine bright, with opportunities, equity, justice, and righteousness.
The VP, who brought warm greetings from President Muhammadu Buhari to the congregation, declared that “the future of Nigeria will be far more glorious, more peaceful than her past, and so it shall be for you too. Every year will be happier for you, more glorious, more prosperous and more peaceful, in Jesus’ name.”
According to the Vice President, “we stand at the gates of a new nation. And we see its lights shining bright. The nation of God’s promises. A nation of opportunities, of equity and justice, a secure and prosperous nation, a nation of laws and righteousness.
“Even if what we see today seems bleak, and dark, we are confident that God who owns the heavens and the earth will fulfill His promises concerning this nation.”
Below are the full remarks of the Vice President at the Anniversary service.
REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE 2022 INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY SERVICE, AT THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE, ABUJA, ON THE 25TH OF OCTOBER, 2022
I bring you all the warm felicitations of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, on this occasion of the interdenominational service to mark the 62nd Independence Anniversary of our Republic.
Let me also congratulate His Eminence, Dr. Daniel C. Okoh, the new President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and all the new members of the Executive of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). I pray that your tenure will bring blessings, light and encouragement to our nation in Jesus’ name.
In a few days, we will celebrate the 62nd birthday of Nigeria. But Nigeria is not a natural person, it is made up of people, of men, women and children who are Nigerians. So, when we say that celebrate the birthday of Nigeria, we are in fact celebrating the birthday of the Nigerian people wherever they may be in this great and vast nation. So, every prayer and every blessing that we pronounce today on Nigeria, we also pronounce on every Nigerian and all our friends.
So, this evening I will pray for Nigeria and the Nigerian people. My favourite prayer for people on their birthday is found in Deuteronomy 33.25(b): “as your days, so shall your strength be.”
What does this prayer mean: as your days so shall your strength be? It means the older you become, the stronger you will be in various ways.
The first is that you will become physically stronger and healthier as you grow older, in Jesus’ name. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 34:7, it says that Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died. And his eyes were not dim, nor his natural vigour diminished.
For the average person, as you grow older you become slower and less fruitful and even barren. But the Word of God to Nigeria today is that it shall not be so with you. Even as you grow in age, you will be more fruitful. You will not be weaker with age. And for every Nigerian, you will be more fruitful as you grow in age, and you will be stronger day by day in Jesus’ name.
The Word of God says in Psalms 92:13-14: it says: “those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.” That shall be so for you and all you hold dear in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus.
Another implication of the blessing: ‘as your days so shall your strength be,’ is that every day, God’s promises will be renewed in your life. God said to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you; And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Let me repeat these blessings for Nigeria, and for you who are here, and every Nigerian because God added in that promise that in Abraham, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. So, you will be a great nation, and God will bless you, and anyone who blesses you will be blessed, those who curse you will be cursed; and through you, this nation and the world will be blessed, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Yet another implication of this blessing: as your days so shall your strength be, is that every day, every month, every year, you will be greater, better, happier, more prosperous, and more joyful than the previous one. And concerning this nation, the Word of God says in Haggai 2:9: “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace’ (in this nation, I will give peace), says the Lord of hosts.”
The future of Nigeria will be far more glorious, more peaceful than her past, and so it shall be for you too. Every year will be happier for you, more glorious, more prosperous and more peaceful, in Jesus’ name,
“As your days so shall your strength be.”
Another implication of this blessing is that your strength physically, mentally and spiritually and even financially will be sufficient and adequate for every new season, every new situation and every new challenge. You will have more than you need for every new season in your life in Jesus’ name.
Brethren, we stand at the gates of a new nation and we see its lights shining bright. The nation of God’s promises; a nation of opportunities, of equity and justice, a secure and prosperous nation, a nation of laws and righteousness.
Even if what we see today seems bleak, and dark, we are confident that God who owns the heavens and the earth will fulfill His promises concerning this nation. Indeed, He says in Joshua 21:45: “not a word failed, of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”
And we pronounce concerning this nation, that not a word will fail regarding any good thing which the Lord had spoken to Nigeria. All will come to pass in Jesus’ name.
Finally, to every citizen of this nation, and every family that is represented here, we declare that in the name of Jesus, your best days are yet to come. Every promise that God has made to you will come to pass in Jesus’ mighty name.
Happy 62nd anniversary!
