Osinbajo: we can’t thank God enough for our lives:


I’m proud of our partnership and your unalloyed loyalty and your commitment to the service of Nigeria.” These were the words of President Muhammadu Buhari to his deputy Prof Yemi Osinbajo, whose aircraft crash landed in Kabba, Kogi State, at the weekend.

It was a phone conversation between the two leaders, according to a statement by presidential spokesman Mallam Garba Shehu yesterday.

The statement reported the President as praising Osinbajo for his “resilience”.

Shehu said the President praised the vice president for continuing with campaign activities despite the crash.

“It is tenacious spirit and amazing spiritual strength to survive a helicopter crash without being paralysed by its impact,” the President was quoted as saying.

According to Shehu, the President told Osinbajo during the phone call: “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.

“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.”

Speaking at a thanksgiving service yesterday, Prof Osinbajo 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.

The Caverton Helicopter, marked Augusta AW139, conveying the vice president and others, crash landed in Kabba, Kogi State, at the weekend.

Osinbajo, who spoke during a thanksgiving service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of Grace, Lokoja, capital of the Confluence State, said: “Only God can take the glory for saving my life and that of the nine crew members on board.”

He went on: “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 did not allow 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.

Praying God to bless all the people who celebrated with him, the vice president said: “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.”

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 Osinbajo’s life.

According to Adeboye, the devil wanted to take Osinabjo’s life, but God put the devil to shame.

He asked the congregation to specially appreciate God on behalf of the vice president and all the crew member for His supernatural protection, saying Nigeria would not mourn.

In his sermon, titled: “Carriers of God’s glory”, Pastor Adeboye said for anybody to carry the glory of God, such a person must be a true child of God and live a life of holiness.