The Aso Villa Chapel on Sunday played host to an array of dignitaries including former Heads of State, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ernest Shonekan, for the annual end of the year thanksgiving service Sunday.
In attendance were also other diginitaries which include: former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, former Chief of General Staff Ebitu Ukiwe, and Oladipo Diya.
However, former president Goodluck Jonathan,was absent,as it was gathered had to call off the plans to attend at the last minute.
The former leaders, all came on the invitation of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who said the service was an exciting time to thank God for all he had done for the country during the year.
The Vice President at the service said,”Today is a special thanksgiving for the end of the year and as you have seen, all the former Presidents and Vice Presidents are here for the special thanksgiving service”
“They have been specially invited to come, we also expected President Jonathan but unfortunately, he had to cancel at the last moment.
“So we are all extremely excited that we have been able to bring everyone together to thank God for our nation and to give Him thanks for the great future ahead of us”, he said.
In his own remarks,former head of state Yakubu Gowon said he was delighted to be at the service with other former colleagues and thanked Osinbajo for inviting them.
He said the more exciting part of the service for him was when the children came also to do their thanksgiving,as he prayed to God to bless the children in a special way.
He enjoined the children to keep the faith and contribute their quota and “always make sure that we keep this country one and together’’.
Gowon urged Christians to love every Nigerian in spite of their faith according to the injunction of Jesus Christ to love your neighbour as yourself.
Gowon said,”Our neighbours are Christian, muslim, traditional religion practitioners etcetera. Whatever we do, we make sure that we live up to the expectation of what Christ expects of us,”
Gowon also prayed for President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo, the entire presidency, the country and for Nigerians and prayed that God will give the leadership the guidance to administer the country according to His will.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Ita Enang, lauded the Vice President and organisers of the service for bringing the past and present leaders to the service.
He told the congregation that Nigerians were expecting a lot from the country’s leadership in the coming year even as he added that service was specifically to thank God for helping the current leaders to steer the country’s economy far.
Enang said the year was almost gone and that the budget for next year would soon be presented.
“Right now they are having an appraisal of the last year’s budget and it is good to thank God and seek God’s face as we move ahead”, predicting that God will lead the nation higher and greater in 2017.
The Presidential aide said that from his interaction with the chairmen and members of the committees in charge of budget and finance at the National Assembly their appraisal of the performance of the 2016 budget was good.
“Their appraisal during their oversight function showed that the implementation was according to plan as set out by Mr. President and the leadership of this country.
“I believe it is going to be a lot much better this year and at the end of it,” he added.
The Chaplain of the Aso Villa Chapel, Pastor Seyi Malomo, in his message said thanksgiving was an injunction from God adding that everyone in spite of status must thank God in all circumstances.
According to him thanksgiving is an acknowledgment that God is alive and Christians excising their faith in God.
“As we thank God, He will restore the good days to the nation,” he said and predicted that time shall come when people will queue in embassies to visit the country.
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