L-R: Rt. Rev’d. Ifedola Gabriel Okupevi, Bishop, Diocese of Lagos; his wife, Modupe; Mr. Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State governor and his wife, Dr. Ibijoke, during the Christmas Service held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos.
By Odinaka Uruakpa
Nigerians were on Monday urged to celebrate the birth of Christ in humility, patience, charity, especially to the poor, as well as pray for their country which is in dire need of divine intervention.
The charge was given by the Rt. Rev’d Ifedola Gabriel Okupevi, Bishop, Diocese of Lagos, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), while speaking with media men immediately after the Christmas service held yesterday at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos.
Okupevi urged people to continue praying for their leaders so that they (leaders) would bring themselves to the level of the masses and listen to the plight of the people and help them because they do not have anyone to turn to, except God and the leaders.
Decrying the rate at which Nigerians, especially medical practitioners, are leaving the country and the ‘Japa’ syndrome, the bishop urged the leaders to do all they could to contain this.
Said he: “This syndrome should stop. Our doctors are traveling out. They should please help us so that they can stay. And at the same time, they should help our youths to grow”.
In his Christmas message, he said Nigerians should do things in moderation, adding that people should not drink themselves to stupor nor over eat.
Said he: “Everything must be done in moderation. So, that is what we are calling Nigerians to do. And even, you should be modest in your dressing as well. So, may God in His infinite mercy help us all in Jesus name.
He advised the government to look into key issues of poverty, inflation, fixing of refineries, adding that they should do whatever they needed to do in good time.
Okupevi said government should look into the issue of Naira whereby people are buying foreign currencies at a higher rate. He added that government should provide good roads and take care of the youths so they do not take up vices.
Also speaking on the occasion, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor, Lagos State while thanking God, prayed for peace to continue abide with the people, in their homes, Lagos State and the entire country.
Said Sanwo-Olu on challenges confronting the people and country: “We have no other time but now to thank God almighty.
“Our case is like the case of a patient who has been diagnosed with an ailment, who has also received some medication, but is now in a process of recovery. And during that recovery process, there will still be the pain that will be felt.
“The country has indeed gone through a lot. The world has indeed gone through a lot. And so, it’s not peculiar to us alone, so we are in the recovery stage that it will appear as if we have a bit of pain here and there, but I can assure us that indeed with all the medication that we have taken, with the current policies of the Federal Government, there is light at the end of the tunnel”.
In his message to Lagosians, the governor said that what they were going through was not peculiar to them, as he assured them of better times to come.
Said he: “In Lagos too, we thank God for what He has done for us. We continue to remain a commercial economic nerve centre of our country, we continue to attract investment at the highest level in the country, we continue to be a beacon of social economic transformation in the country. We continue to remain the most peaceful part of our country”.
Expressing gratitude to God for bestowing such starling qualities on the state, Sanwo-Olu thanked the president and vice president for coming to Lagos to celebrate Christmas with Lagosians.
Said he: “We do not take it for granted. We want to wish them the very best of Christmas. And we want to wish all Lagosians the very best of this Christmas. And we are coming back to say by this time next year, we all have better reasons, better joy in our hearts to celebrate”.
Sanwo-Olu said Lagos State Government was committed with the Federal Government, to the renewal of their agenda, and more particularly, to ensure that they could give hope to the hopeless.
Stressed he: “We will give the youths an opportunity for them to believe in their future, our women, we will continue to use them as a spring board to ensure that our economic trajectory can retract again. It’s time to say that indeed, the rising of Lagos is right in front of us”.
