The Vice-president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), and former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, have stressed the need for Nigerian leaders to make a sacrifice for the country’s development.
The eminent personalities urged the leaders to shun greed and embrace humility.
They said humility in governance elicits stability and removes frictions between the leaders and the led for economic prosperity.
They spoke in Ikere-Ekiti on Friday during the dedication and consecration of Saint Peter’s Anglican Church ultra-modern auditorium donated to Anglican Communion by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).
Speaking during the church service marking the dedication, Osinbajo commended Olanipekun for dedicating his life to the service of God and humanity through his philanthropic gestures.
Gowon said Olanipekun started fighting for the rights of the people since his university days at the University of Lagos in the 70s, saying that agitation had groomed him ahead for leadership.
Gowon said: “As a student, Olanipekun was attacking my government when I was the military Head of State. He was fighting for the students as a leader, so his contributions to the growth of humanity now that he has become a successful lawyer is not surprising”.
In his remarks, Olanipekun said: “With this donation , I will be more humble. I will never serve any other god except the living God. I stand on this pulpit to tell you that I don’t belong to any secret society. The secret of my life is God”.
In his sermon after the dedication, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, urged the rich to use their wealth to serve God and humanity, describing this as the best and most rewarding legacy.
The cleric saluted Olanipekun for remembering God and built a house in his honour, which he said was a sign of humility and appreciation to God who had prospered him as a legal practitioner.