90th Birthday Thanksgiving Service For General Yakubu Gowon At National Christian Center

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REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, IMMEDIATE PAST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE 90TH THANKSGIVING SERVICE OF GENERAL YAKUBU GOWON AT THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CENTER IN ABUJA ON THE 19TH OF OCTOBER, 2024

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Your Excellencies, my Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am also one of those who will say that I have had all sorts of great experiences with our dear former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon.

We all lined the streets many times on the streets of Lagos watching him pass. Several times after that, we were also able to meet with him. But I think that General Gowon embodies all that we expect of leadership; the fear of God, humility, honesty, integrity, and respect for the people. We’ve also seen that even after leaving office in later years, he kept not just being a responsible elder statesman, but carrying around this country, the gospel of Jesus Christ through Nigeria Praise.

All of us who have ever interacted with him at one point or another are always surprised at not just his humility but his continuous talk about God, the gospel, and forgiveness, just as we’ve heard today.

I’d like to say that the man we celebrate today is still a very young man. He knows the scriptures probably better than me. But Genesis 17 talks about when God gave Abraham a second commission. Abraham was 99 years old and you are just 90. So you still have very, very many years to go. And you’re also going to have a fresh commission to continue to do many of the great things that you have been doing, especially the work of God.

I pray for you, sir, that as your days, so shall your strength, so shall your wisdom, so shall your favor with God.

In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.