Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has disclosed why he would always engage in thanksgiving and sharing of testimonies.
According to him, his lofty achievement in life despite the fact that he was born in an obscure village by stark illiterate parents would make him continue to thank God for what he had become.
While emphasising the importance of thanksgiving, Obasanjo maintained that he had many reasons to thank God, saying He has used him to achieve whatever he had achieved in life.
The former president spoke during the annual thanksgiving service organised by the Ogun State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and held at the Chapel of Christ the Glorious King inside the Olusegun Obasajo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta.
Obasanjo, who read the only Bible Lesson of the service which was taken from the Book of Psalm Chapter 92, said “Those of you who know where I was born, how many of you know Ibogun-Olaogun? The village where I was born is so small that no matter how large you make the map of Nigeria, Ibogun-Olaogun will never appear.
“And yet, somebody born in that village of pure illiterate parents, will have the opportunity that I have now, to reach the stage that I have reached, to be used to achieve whatever I have been used to achieve, I cannot thank God enough.”
“I always say this, whatever I have achieved, whatever I have done, I thank God because it is not me alone, there are those who have worked with me, some of them are dead, some of them are still alive and without them, I will not have been able to achieve much. On occasion like this, let us just thank God and keep thanking God.” In his sermon, the Bishop of Egba Anglican Diocese, Rt. Revd. Emmanuel Adekunle, urged Nigerians to brace up to face whatever the new year throws at them, adding “things are hard all over the world, it is not only in Nigeria that things are not working well.”
He also warned Nigerians to turn away from their old ways, insisting that if the country must progress, “Nigerians need to relent from their sins” and contribute their own quotas to the development of the nation.
In his remark at the event, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun described Obasanjo as a God -fearing leader whose life is worthy of emulation.
The governor added that God had not only used Obasanjo to do great things for Nigeria but also for Africa at large.
President of the African Development Bank (ADB) Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, described the former president as a blessing not only to Nigeria but also to Africa and the world at large.