The commemoration of the 56th Independence Anniversary began on Sunday with an interdenominational Church Service held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.
The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle, urged Nigerians to be patient as the country would regain prosperity.
Osinbajo in his remarks assured Nigerians: “The promise to God to our nation is that he is building a new Nigeria, a Nigeria where there will be peace from the North East to the Niger Delta, a Nigeria where our economy will experience abundance and prosperity.
“Where there will be job for the jobless, a Nigeria led by honest and committed leadership, a Nigeria where Christians, Muslims and men of different faith, men and women from every state and ethnic group will live and work together in peace and harmony.
“His promise is that we are on our way out of the wilderness, through this land flowing with milk and honey.
“In understanding our role, we must remember how the children of God, the Israelites, after God has taken them out of Egypt, to the Promised Land, began to grumble when they experienced the first problems.”
Osinbajo said due to the grumbling, the wilderness journey that should have taken a short time went on for 40 years.
He said Nigerians with the special anointing of God should declare to the nation that it would prosper and that it would be well with it.
He advised Nigerians to reflect the personality of the Father as the great encourager, adding that the Bible in more than 300 times encouraged Christians to “fear not”.
He urged Nigerians to live out the words of the scripture to be strong and not be discouraged and not be afraid or dismayed because the lord “is with the citizens wherever they go”.
Osinbajo said as the Israelites experienced a miracle in crossing the River Jordan, Nigerian would also experience a great miracle.
He said: “Our message to you as Christians today is be strong and of good courage, do not be dismayed; God is faithful.
“He has promised and he will fulfil his promise; every Nigerian will benefit from the new Nigeria.”
Osinbajo prayed for the prosperity of every Nigerian, adding that they would begin to see God’s favour immediately.
He said God saw the nation when he decided to put the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari, a leadership that would take the nation across the “Red Sea”.
He added: “This leadership will take us to the new Nigeria.”
Ayokumle said the way out of the economic crisis was for the country to incline to divine revelation on leadership as the wisdom of man would not take the country anywhere.
He urged humility for those in leadership, their ability to listen to counsel that would solve problems and for them to celebrate achievements of past leaders to secure more blessings from God.
Ayokunle urged every employer to promote good wages for the employees and for leaders to promote politics of love as placing God first in all things.
He said Nigeria was destined to be great but past leaders created the present hardship by failing to save for the rainy day.
Ekwueme expressed thanks to God for keeping the country together in spite of all the troubles.
He mentioned India, Russia, Sudan and Rhodesia as colonies that had split several times but said Nigeria had remained a united Nigeria ever since.
He said that Nigeria remained a flagship in the continent’s development.
“We have not attained those objectives yet but we keep our fingers crossed and pray that with God’s intervention we will make progress and grow from strength to strength to build a country where there is freedom and equity for all,” he said.
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