Our Nation Needs Men, Women Who Will Devote Their Time To Serving Other People – VP Osinbajo

Our Nation Needs Men, Women Who Will Devote Their Time To Serving Other People – VP Osinbajo

*Speaks on why he is in govt at a time like this

*Says Buhari administration will do everything to promote peace in the country

“Let me say to you that, on our part, we want to do everything that is necessary to bring peace everywhere, whether it has to do with herdsmen or not.”

“This country is great and has the resources. If our resources are not stolen, if our resources are used properly, this can be the greatest country anywhere in the world. So we intend to do that, to use our resources prudently and to make sure that our country is truly great.” – Vice President

REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE BURIAL CEREMONY OF PA DANIEL OLAJIDE ADEBIYI, AT ST. PETER’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, OTUN-EKITI, EKITI STATE, ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018

PROTOCOLS

I pay my very deep respect to the Bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti, Bishop Isaac Olatunde Olabowale, the Bishop and all of the men of God that are here. I am, by origin, as the Bishop has said, an Anglican. My parents are Anglican, so I am quite familiar and I consider myself a son of the Anglican Communion.

I want to congratulate the family of Pa Daniel Olajide Adebiyi. And I say congratulations because this is the celebration of the life of an important and distinguished educationist. Our nation needs men and women like Adebiyi. He devoted his time and existence to serving other people and he did so with integrity and honesty.

When we write about and think about him, we think of only greatness and the way that he contributed to the life of others. And we know that here is a man who set an example of good character, an example of hard work and service to man and to God. This is why we are celebrating his life, that today he is with the Lord Jesus Christ enjoying peace. All we can pray for too is that, soon enough, whenever the Lord calls us we will also be with the Lord Jesus to enjoy peace in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have listened to what my Lord Bishop has said, that the time we are in calls for prayers, and also for action and activity on our part. Let me say to you that, on our part, we want to do everything that is necessary to bring peace everywhere, whether it has to do with herdsmen or not. Just yesterday, I was talking at a security summit hosted by the National Assembly on clashes and security situation generally and we said there that what the Federal Government is doing is to make sure that nobody can take land and give it to anybody.

In places where there are grazing reserves we want cattle to be kept wherever they are kept, not necessarily wandering about the whole place. It is in the interest of those who own cattle too, that those cattle be kept in ranges or grazing reserves. That is the place where they ought to be kept so that they feed, but those places must also be paid for and government does not intend to take anybody’s land for any purpose at all.

Those who are saying that they want to colonize or establish colonies, the government of Nigeria does not intend to establish any colonies. We are not colonizing anywhere or doing any such thing. And I want to say also that what we are trying to do as a government is difficult, and many of you know that it’s not an easy thing. Our country is a very big country, but we are determined to ensure that we do right for the people of this country.

That is why in agriculture we are doing the very best we can and we are supporting farmers everywhere. And today rice importation is down by about 90%. We want to produce our own food in this country so that we can feed ourselves. We want to provide jobs for our young people everywhere. So far we have employed 200,000 graduates under our N-power programme and we want to employ 300,000 more before the middle of this year. We intend to continue to do these things

This country is great and has the resources. If our resources are not stolen, if our resources are used properly, this can be the greatest country anywhere in the world. So we intend to do that, to use our resources prudently and to make sure that our country is truly great.

I also heard what the Lord Bishop said about the Aso Villa chapel, the chapel is used very well. I attend services there, I preach there. All Christians, even non-Christians, I allow them to come into the chapel;, that’s the chapel in Aso Villa.

I believe very strongly that there is a reason for my being elected as Vice President, and possibly the first born-again Christian, the first pastor to have been elected as Vice President. God is not the God of accident. He understands expertly what He wants to do. My role there is to add to the integrity, to do the right thing and make sure that we push our government in the right way.

So what I ask you for is prayers. This is a golden opportunity for us as Christians. When the two of us agree on anything, the Lord our God will bring it to pass. Agree with me that our country will be great and our country will be great.

God bless you all.

Released by:
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
09 February, 2018