The former ambassador of Nigeria to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi, has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country but to be responsible and passionate about being the nation’s solution provider.
He conveyed this message at the Ibadan Zonal ‘Reach Out Nigeria’ press conference and symposium, an annual event organised by LoveWorld Incorporated (Christ Embassy Church) to commemorate Nigeria’s Independence Day anniversary. The event took place at the Ibadan Zonal Church of the Ministry on Saturday.
According to Farounbi, “I’m passionate about Nigeria, and I believe that we will get there if we don’t give up. If we don’t keep quiet, we will keep speaking.
When things are wrong, we say so; when they are good, we will applaud. We don’t stand still. We don’t grumble; we don’t complain.
We take action. We pray, though we must act. But I can assure you that sooner than we all think, Nigeria will be better.”
While calling for unity and oneness, he further urged Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to be like the biblical Nehemiah, who was passionate about nation-building despite being comfortable in a foreign land.
He said, “There are responsibilities that belong to God and responsibilities that belong to you. I’m fascinated by the example of the wine taster who became a nation-builder, the man called Nehemiah.
He was comfortable in a distant land, serving a foreign king in his palace, but he was unhappy that things weren’t going right in his country. He became a solution provider.”
The event, with the theme “Nation-building: a collective responsibility,” aimed at drawing the attention of the participants and Nigerians at large to being patriotic.
During the symposium, the panellists—Pastor Femi Olushakin, Neffy Momodu, Mr Goodness Morakinyo, and Dr Elizabeth Raj—emphasised the need for Nigerians to deploy wisdom in nation-building, be impactful in their spheres of influence, unite without sentiments, and revolutionise their minds.
They highlighted the importance of paying adequate attention to rejigging the nation’s systems and structures.
Pastor Joe Agbaje, the pastor of Christ Embassy Church, Ibadan, Zone 1, called on Nigerians not to quit and lose interest in the Nigerian project.
He encouraged them to shed their dependability mentality and come together to build the country.
“Don’t wait for one politician. Everyone can individually build something, and with collective effort, we can build a great nation together,” he added.
Also, during the press conference, the church committee explained that the Reach Out Nigeria project was initiated by the founder of the church, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, to bring Nigerians into the consciousness of nation-building.
The project involves distributing his daily devotional manual, Rhapsody of Realities.
They emphasised that nation-building can only happen through the renewal of the mind and engagement with the book.
The book, whose publication began in 2012 and has been translated into many languages, has been distributed across numerous countries worldwide.
The committee encouraged willing partners from far and wide to join the mission in the production of the Rhapsody of Reality project.
The event was attended by dignitaries, thought leaders, and influencers from various walks of life.
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