Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Sunday marked one year of his survival of helicopter crash last year with a thanksgiving service at the Aso Villa Chapel, Abuja.
A year go, Osinbajo and 11 other persons escaped unhurt in a helicopter crash in Kabba, Kogi State, while on campaign trail for the 2019 general election in Nigeria.
At the thanksgiving on Sunday, the vice president was joined by his wife, Dolapo, family members and his aides, including some of those who were with him when the incident occurred.
Osinbajo while recalling the incident as he spoke to State House correspondents after the service, described it as “an awesome and incredible deliverance.”
The vice president said: “I think that what happened on that occasion was so amazing, so miraculous, 12 of us in a helicopter; the helicopter crashed and not one scratch on anyone of us.
“That’s just incredible. So, we can only continue to thank God and to praise the Lord Jesus Christ for an awesome deliverance of so many of us. So, we just keep thanking God.
“That’s why we are here this morning to just praise God.”
Vice President Osinbajo said the survival of all the people in the helicopter crash demonstrated God’s mercy and had strengthened his faith in God and in the Nigerian nation.
“Can you imagine a situation where you survived a helicopter crash? I think it demonstrates that God is merciful; God is awesome; he is able to do all things.
“I think it just strengthened my faith and the faith of all those who were there.”
The Chaplain of the Aso Villa Chapel, Reverend Seyi Malomo, who also spoke to reporters, said the incident was “a miracle for Nigeria; it is not just for His Excellency alone, it’s for the president. It is for every one of us.”
Malomo said that thanksgiving is an injunction in all faiths and is necessary when God does something that defies human understanding.
“When God has done something great for you, it is just necessary to say thank you to God.
“We all know that that is part of our culture. All faith, all religion, thank you is part of our language, but when what he did is even beyond imagination – 12 people in an aircraft, no scratch it could only be God,” the cleric said.