He stated this Sunday at the Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service held at the St Paul’s Catholic Church< Benin City, to mark Nigeria’s 53rd Independence anniversary.
According to the Governor, ”we celebrate independence not because we do not have challenges, just like you celebrate your birthday, not that you have become the richest man. Nigeria has problems. Every country has its own problems and our task is to remind ourselves that Nigeria is for all of us to build”.
He said “you cannot come from another part of the world to build Nigeria and if give up on Nigeria, you don’t have another country. All of us must rededicate ourselves and I do not believe that Nigeria has no future. The fact that leaders have failed does not mean that everybody has failed, it does not mean that there are no honest and responsible people in the country”.
He said our young people must recognize that America and what the UK have their own challenges. “There are people sleeping on the streets of New York, there are homeless people there”, he said.
“Those who think by lamenting and wallowing in self pity would change things, nothing changes when you perfect how to cry, things change when you do things differently”, he said.
He urged the youths to refuse to copy the shortcomings of the elders, stressing that the elders should re-examine themselves as we celebrate independence.
Earlier, in his homily, the ArchBishop of the Catholic Diocese of Benin, Most Rev Father Augustine Akubeze said the day has been set aside as a day of prayers and thanksgiving by churches for the country.
He said “this call for prayers must be taken seriously by all of us. While we may lament that the country may not be moving as we may have wished, it will not be right not to count our blessings. In the midst of all, we should give thanks to God.
“Those who say why should we pray and give thanks have no faith, because if not for God, we will all have perished by now.”
The Governor later led other dignitaries in thanksgiving Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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There is no need to celebrate independence. We are in mourning in Nigeria. As about 50 students were killed in one college, we have nothing to celebrate. The killings in Nigeria cannot be compared to the UK or USA. Nigeria is in civil war in the northern states - Borno, Yobe, etc.
ReplyDeleteBy all means, we must give thanks to God for his mercies. However, we must respect the dead and dying Nigerians.
Celebration of poverty and failures.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame Oshomole, he has to celebrate because he was moved away from Labor wahala to government house where he is now making millions, and his colleagues in the ministry are still eating bolle and G nuts.
Oshomole, you have reasons to celebrate but million of Nigerians have no reason for jubilation.
Mass kllings.
ReplyDeletePower outage
Bad roads.
Schools on strike.
Doctors on strike.
Unemployment...
I wonder what a leader should celebrate in Nigeria. We thank God for air sha. Cos very soon dangote will be d sole importer of oxygen gas.