The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo has  said that the young generation of Nigerians are the beacon of hope for the nation and represent the future.

Osinbajo said this while delivery a paper as the keynote speaker at the  2nd National Symposium   organized by the Surulere District of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Ayo Ni O, at the Surulere headquarters, weekend, as part of the activities to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Wardens Band of the church.

The symposium, with the theme : ” The State, Society and the Church: Beacon of Hope for a New Nigeria” was attended by cross section of  traditional rulers, government representatives, including the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marchal Isiaka Oladapo Amao and the church high clerics.

The Vice President said : “Like most of us, I have seen first-hand what Nigerians are capable of, given the right environment and support. The Nigerian people, particularly the young people today, who are daring great odds to take their place under the sun, represent the beacon of hope for a new Nigeria.”

We must rise up to meet them with the values required to build a sustainable future, and inspire them towards the moral imperative of doing good and honest work to the best of their ability, as a service to humanity and to God”.

Surely there is a future and a hope for Nigeria.”

He also said the church “has a critical role in shaping the narrative of the country. There Is nothing apolitical about faith because religion at its core is preoccupied with the total welfare of the people.

“The Nigeria of our dreams cannot be attained without an aggressive reawakening of our public consciousness; without a sense of collective values rooted in the very principles our faiths espouse, principles of honesty and hard-work, mutual respect, cooperation, tolerance and fidelity to the common good.”

“I have an unflinching faith in the capacity of Nigerians to build a country we can all be proud of.

He further said that ” People’s voices must rise in the fervency of hope at this moment in our national life like never before.We have a duty and charge by God Himself to challenge the moral conscience of leadership when we do not live up to the standards of our office. We have the ears and the hearts of the people.

“We must inspire them through our own great example to look to the future with hope and to find that hope in their God-given abilities, in the strength of their character, in the enduring value of honest work and a patriotic commitment to the overall well-being of Nigeria.”

On the role of the church, Osinbajo said ,“Even in a democracy like ours, where the church has no direct control of the levers of state, its influence has never been in question.

“First, its unique moral positioning and authority allows it to serve as a moral arbiter between the people and their governments, inspiring every component of society to fulfil their duties and obligations to each other with integrity and competence.

“Secondly, given its proximity and direct influence on the people, the church possesses a subtle but potent political value, which politicians understand and have always courted.

“In wielding its power, with integrity and a clear conscience, the church is able to serve as a force for good. We have seen this happen across the world and through time,” the vice president said.

Making his presentation at the symposium, the Works and Housing Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola said Nigeria could emerge stronger from its present travails if the people could keep faith and work harder.

He said, ” There is time to pray and there is time to work. People should not sit down and expect miracles to happen. We must work to make things happen after prayers. Nigerians must rise up and work to make things better”

“ Nigeria can be a better country if we are determined to make it so. The truth is that our development has outgrown our infrastructure needs at the moment. In 1975, I was 12 when the Apapa-Oworonshoki expressway was constructed. Have we expanded it since 1975?”

“Around that time the Murtala Mohammed Airport was built to handle about four million passengers or so a year, but processes almost triple that now. Have we expanded that? If we are concerned now, is it just to make it better? How far that goes is a matter of debate and also about choice and resources.”

In his presentation, the Chief of Air Staff,  Air Marchal Isiaka Oladapo Amao said Nigerians are progressive, resilient and peace-loving people.

“Hence, the Church, the Society and the State need to cooperate more than ever before to realise-the new Nigeria that we all desire,” he added.