A Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Ayanke Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, has tasked Nigerians to make the second stanza of the national anthem a part of their daily prayers to witness positive changes in the affairs of the country.
Ayanke Ojikutu, who also made history of being the first ever female to be elected Deputy Governor in Nigeria,gave the task in a national broadcast, where she emphasised that the second stanza of the national anthem is a God-given prayer that Nigerians need to learn by heart and use in their prayers from now till the 1st of October, as the nation is on the brink of a disastrous change.
“Everything around us is showing us that we are on the brink of disastrous change and we need God to come to our aid. We have the tool with which to call on God but we are not using it. I am therefore calling on all Nigerians to please be saying the prayers as contained in the second stanza of the National Anthem between now and October 1st."
“I want every one of us to go and learn it by heart. Walking, sitting and standing we should be saying it. It’s a prayer that the Al-mighty will answer because we need all the prayers that are in that stanza”, she said.
Highlighting the prayers in the anthem, Ojikutu, who spoke not only by the virtue of being the first elected female Deputy Governor in Nigeria but also as a mother of the nation, explained that 'all Nigerian leaders need the spirit of God to guide them, and the youth equally need it to differentiate right from wrong."
The seasoned Administrator further stated that there is lack of love and honesty in Nigeria while emphasising the need to be just and truthful in order to attain lofty heights and build a nation where peace and justice reign.
“…All our leaders need the spirit of God to guide them aright in handling the affairs of the nation. ‘Help our youth the truth to know’- most of our youth don’t even know what is right from what is wrong. So many example that they have seen around them are not even encouraging them to live the type of life that would enhance their future and make them leaders of today and tomorrow.
“There is lack of love in this nation. If there is love nobody would steal our resources or from their neighbours. The nation is devoid of honesty. So we are using this line to call on God to please help all of us to grow in love and in honesty.
On the line which says '...and live in just and truth',We really need to live a better life. A life that care and equity is uppermost in the distribution of resources and we have to be more truthful. Everything that is happening now is because we have been immersed in a lot o lies. People have built up their lives on lies and this is affecting every facets of this nation.
“If God answers us and I believe He will surely answer us, we will attain lofty heights. Nigeria will be one of the best in the comity of nations because then the next line will also apply. We will build a nation where Peace and Justice shall reign”, she added.
Ayanke Ojikutu further stressed that learning and using the second stanza in prayers would lead to peace in Nigeria and sins could be minimised.
“Once we learn this stanza and start saying the stanza, our nation will have peace. We will be able to live as brothers and sisters because there would be justice and there would be no envy. We know this world cannot be devoid of sins but it can be very much minimised when we say this prayer which God has given us as a national prayer”, she enthused.
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