Otunba Gbenga Daniel, senator representing Ogun East and former Governor of Ogun State, in a soul-searching sermon at the Love of Christ Generation Church’s Family Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, April 21, urged public office holders to reflect on the reality that their time in office is finite and that they will ultimately be held accountable for their actions and decisions, whether they served with excellence or fell short of expectations, Apples Bite Magazine reports.
Speaking in a sermon titled; “The Test of Faith,” Senator Daniel urged leaders to exercise caution and integrity during their tenure, reminding them that their actions in office would ultimately speak for them. Drawing from recent events, he cited the ongoing hounding of a former governor after his tenur in office.
He said what they do in office will speak for them afterwards, using his own encounters with the EFCC as an example. That he voluntarily surrendered because he was sure he did not abuse the office. That Governors should stop living like God when they are in power, but to do everything they can to give the maximum happiness to the greatest number of people.
Senator Daniel pointed that his 11 years currible of trials and tribulation was his own test of fire and tribulation, from which he has come out and emerged victorious. He noted that people should be prepared to face their own tribulations and when they come out of it they have nothing else to fear again, just as he doesn’t have any fear.
He quoted the Biblical story of Job during his own trials, cited Abraham who looked for a child for several years and got one in his old age and he was again requested to bring that child for sacrifice and he obeyed, until God came to the rescue with a ram.
Amidst the turmoil, Senator Daniel revealed the unwavering support of his wife, Yeye Olufunke Daniel.
He recounted the moment he informed her of his arrest, only to be met with her resolute response: “Wherever they’re taking you, we’re going together!”
According to the former governor, Yeye Daniel’s steadfast support and unwavering faith were evident throughout the eleven-year trial, during which she refused to celebrate her own birthday until her husband was acquitted of all charges.
“Yeye said, ‘I’ll not celebrate any birthday until you’re set free. We live together, I know you’ll not touch state money; unless you are spending your money for the state. So whatever they do, God will save you.’
“So for those eleven years until last year when I was discharged of any crime, Yeye refused to celebrate her birthday,” the former governor revealed.
The well-attended birthday celebration not only honored Yeye Daniel’s milestone but also served as a testament to the enduring love, resilience, and solidarity shared between the esteemed couple, Senator Gbenga Daniel and Yeye Olufunke Daniel.
The former governor has admonished political leaders to be cautious and not allow the positions they occupy to get into their heads.
While taking his lessons from the book of Daniel, Chapter 3, Otunba Daniel cited the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three Jewish men thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon for refusing to bow to the king’s image.
“The Bible told us that those people who actually obeyed the king to do evil got burnt. But for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the fiery furnace didn’t touch them, which amazed Nebuchadnezzar. Even the king later agreed that there is a son of God that is powerful than any other human being,” he stated.
The senator reminded the public office holders that their terms are tenured for a maximum of 8 years so they should be circumspect while holding office because their own day of reckoning and judgment too shall come.
“For me, I have no fears anymore because my own trials and tribulations had come and I passed the test,” Otunba Daniel said.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
