General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, yesterday declared that the devil wanted to take the life of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, but God put the devil to shame. In a live telecast from the RCCG headquarters, Lagos, Adeboye asked the congregation to rise and give glory to God for saving the life of his son, the Vice President from a crash. Osinbajo, who also spoke during a Thanksgiving service at the RCCG, City of Grace, Lokoja, 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. “Only God can take the glory for saving my life and that of the nine crew members on board,” he said.
The Vice President survived a helicopter accident at Kabba in Kogi State with nine others including the crew members on board. Adeboye asked the congregation to specially appreciate God on behalf of the Vice President and all the crew on board, 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 was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). On his part, Osinbajo said that it would have been a breaking news on local and international media that Vice President Osinbajo and nine crew members died in an 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 celebrat-ed 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. Dignitaries that attended the service included: Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole; Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ayoade Arike; Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Comdr. Jerry Omodara; commissioners and Senator Smart Adeyemi. President Muhammadu Buhari has praised what he called “the tenacious spirit of Vice President @ProfOsinbajo,” who survived a helicopter crash in Kogi State. Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a series of tweets said the President had, while reacting to the incident in a telephone call he made to the VP, said: “We give glory to Almighty God for sparing your life. I’m impressed by your tenacious spirit, which enabled you to continue on your campaign engagement, despite the shock of the crash.
“It takes tenacious spirit and amazing spiritual strength to survive a helicopter crash without being paralyzed by its impact. I’m proud of our partnership and your unalloyed loyalty and your commitment to the service of Nigeria. “That you proceeded with your engagements, despite the accident, is a testimony of your passion for service to country and a reflection of your admirable spiritual fervour.
“May God continue to protect you and all those on board with you, bless your lives and grant you more good health and long life to serve our country even more.” Meanwhile, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Political Adviser to the President, who was in helicopter when it crash-landed, thanked the security operatives for prompt response in pulling them out of the wreckage. In Facebook update, Ojudu said: “To family, friends and associates, thank you all for your concern and show of love and affection. I can’t thank you enough. It was a miracle we survived. The belts did a marvellous job and so were the security men on ground who quickly pulled us out of the wreckage, not minding their own safety. “We were also calm all through the ordeal.
There was no panic of any kind. The immediate concern of all of us was the safety of our principal. We ensured he got out first. He too ensured we were all out before going into a vehicle. When we were all safely in the bus, he insisted the assignment must go on and we drove to the palace of Obaro of Kabba. The Kabba people gave us a warm welcome and showered us with prayers. We thank them all. “Above all God must be praised for providing us that umbrella of protection and prevented the helicopter from exploding in flames.” The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), yesterday, facilitated with the Vice President for surviving the helicopter crash. The President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, in a statement in Abuja, issued by his Special Assistant, Media and Communications, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, 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 in 2018 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. Also, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has glorified God for saving the lives of Osinbajo and his aides who were involved in a helicopter mishap. Oba Ogunwusi said he rejoiced with all the survivors, their families, the government and people of Nigeria over the rescue of the vice president and his aides.