The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress,
APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari; his running mate,
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; APC national Chairman, Chief John
Odigie Oyegun , Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi
and other APC chieftains were among eminent dignitaries
that stormed Lagos State on Sunday for the 2015 annual
Thanksgiving Service of the Lagos State Government.
Buhari, who spoke at the event held at the State House,
Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Sunday evening said he
believed every Nigerian should be free and secure to
practice their different religion.
“I am honoured to participate in this annual thanks giving
service. This year’s thanksgiving service brings together all
Nigerians from all state, Christians, Muslim and all religion
in Lagos to thank the almighty God.
“Religion must never be used as an excuse to divide us,
oppress others or gain unfair advantage. All my life I have
expressed the belief that all Nigerians must worship God
according to their wish,” he said.
According to him, “the duty of government is not religion,
security for all Nigerians regardless of tribe or religion is
our commitment on this day of thanksgiving. We shall all sit
together like this, rejoice and thank God together for the
Almighty God to give us the country of our dream.”
Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola lambasted some
individuals predicting doom for the country and the state in
guise of religion, saying the predictions were heating up the
polity.
Fashola stated that the state government deemed it fit to
hold thanksgiving service for sparing the lives of the people
amid calamities rocking the country, saying that “Today,
364 days after, when girls have disappeared without trace,
Bombs have exploded in mindless orgies of violence.
“Nigerian towns and villages have been sacked. Our
brothers and sisters have been displaced from their homes.
Young children have died in stampedes while looking for
jobs. Some of our brothers and sisters in the military have
lost their lives while trying to defend you and I and the
Fatherland. I ask you all, what else we can do than to give
thanks, express our gratitude and praise God for surviving.”
According to him, it is important for people to know that
they were alive not because they were better, but because
of grace and mercy which should never be taken for
granted, adding that “our appreciation must be reflected in
our attitude of gratitude. In some parts of West Africa today,
government has been forced to declare a lock down of
people and restrict movement in this season of festivity
because an infectious disease caused by the Ebola Virus is
yet to be brought under control.”
“These countries are smaller than Lagos; Lagos is in fact
bigger than many of them combined. Yet the same virus
afflicted us, we sadly lost 13 lives, but today we are not
under lock down. We can sit side-by-side, we can shake
hands and we can move freely. Again there was grace,
there was a coming together across ethnic, religious and
Government levels to address a common problem,” he said. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL AND TOUCHING NIGERIAN CELEBRITIES BIOGRAPHY AND SCANDALS
No comments:
Post a Comment
Select "Anonymous" As Your Profile Or Login To Your "Google Account" Post A Comment!