The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), yesterday, felicitated with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for surviving a helicopter crash on Saturday in Kabba, Kogi State.
In a statement in Abuja, issued by his Special Assistant, Media and Communications, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, also appreciated God for Osinbajo’s safety.
“The leadership of CAN is grateful to God and rejoice with the Federal Government and Osinbajo.
“We give glory to God for sparing the life of the Vice President and his team from the helicopter crash while mobilising support for his party in preparation for the coming general elections,” he said.
The cleric recalled that the Vice President had similar experience while visiting the Nigeria Customs College in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
“It is our prayers that God will continue to watch over him and other top government functionaries in Jesus’ Name,” he said.
Ayokunle urged the technical team or those responsible for the certification of the aircraft and helicopters used by the government officials to be more meticulous so as to avoid putting their lives in danger.
“May God continue to watch over our nation, our leaders and its citizens in the name of Jesus,” he said.
However, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, said that no amount of thanksgiving and praises to God would be enough for saving his life and nine others in Saturday’s helicopter crash.
Osinbajo spoke during a Thanksgiving Service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of Grace, Lokoja.
“Only God can take the glory for saving my life and that of the nine crew members on board.”
He said that it would have been breaking news on local and international media that Vice President Osinbajo and nine crew members died in a helicopter crash, but God had not allowed such to happen.
“No amount of thanksgiving and praises to God would be enough for saving my life and nine crew on board.
“God is the one, who can do all things, and only Him can take the glory; we return the glory to Him.
“We are here to say thank you, thank you Jesus. We bless his name forever and ever,” he said.
He prayed God to bless all the people that have celebrated with him in the state, the nation and the world at large.
“All I have to say is that we are grateful and we are moving to the next level; the Lord will uphold us to the next level and Kogi will be number one,” Osinbajo said.
Similarly, in a live telecast from the RCCG headquarters, Lagos, the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, asked the congregation to rise and give glory to God for saving the life of his son, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, from a crash.
According to Adeboye, the devil wanted to take the life of Yemi Osinbajo, but God put the devil to shame.
He, therefore, asked the congregation to specially appreciate God on behalf of the Vice President and all the crew onboard, for his supernatural protection, saying Nigeria would not mourn.
In his sermon, entitled: “Carriers of Glory”, Adeboye said for anybody to carry glory, he must be a true child of God and live a life of holiness.
Taking his lesson from the Bible in the book of Matthew 5:14-15, he said: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
“As a carrier of glory, anywhere you arrive the darkness will automatically disappear.
“When God begins to use you, the glory belongs to God and you, so, you must learn to always give glory to God.
“Do not take the glory to yourself because it is not yours, it belongs to God,” Adeboye said.
Dignitaries that attended the service included: Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Hon Matthew Kolawole; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Ayoade Arike; Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Comdr. Jerry Omodara; commissioners and Sen. Smart Adeyemi.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has clarified issues around the crash of the helicopter in Kogi.
A statement by the Vice President Spokesperson, Laolu Akande, explained: “The Vice President departed Abuja around 1 p.m. Saturday on a chopper ride to Kogi State in continuation of the Family Chats Next Level engagements.
