Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has observed that the events of the past few months across the world have shown that human ingenuity can’t guarantee our future.
He made the observation in a message sent to the 11th Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Abuja Diocese. The Synod held at St James’ Church, Asokoro with the theme, Building a Sure Foundation.
Osibajo according to the statement, a copy which was made available to the press by his media aide, Mr. Laolu Akande on Sunday July 26, recalled, “There was a day in April when oil, our precious oil was selling for less than the cost of production. No one was even willing to buy. Suddenly all we took for granted, from air travel to hugs and even handshakes, have become neither safe nor advisable. Our own economy faces its worst period in history.
“We are earning 40% less than we should because oil prices have fallen and few today can afford to pay taxes.
“The sum and substance of what I am saying is that these past few months have shown us that human ingenuity and planning cannot even assure us that we will live to see the next day. Any hope built on the foundation of human understanding and effort is a shaky and an unsure foundation and is bound to fail when the storms and the turbulence come.”
Osibajo said further, “Everything around us has been shaken and is being shaken by the greatest global threat to mankind in a century. We are in the midst of the greatest economic slump in history, every region of the world is experiencing an unprecedented slowdown in growth.”
He, however, hoped that “by the grace of God, very soon, this pandemic will be defeated.” He added however that Christians must put their hopes in Christ Jesus.
Earlier he had expressed appreciation to the Primate of the church, His Eminence, the Most Revd. Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba for the invitation to the Synod
While emphasizing his membership of the Anglican Communion, he said, “I am one of your congregants having been born of Anglican parents and raised in the church. My father until his death served in various lay capacities in the Diocese of Lagos and Diocese of Remo and my mother remains a committed member of the St. Jude’s Church, Ebute Metta.”
He said he had longed to meet the Primate since his investiture in March but that the reality of the “new normal” in the Covid-19 pandemic, dictate the maintaining of some form of social distance.
