Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has shared how an encounter with colleagues during a United Nations mission in Somalia led him to stop drinking alcohol.
Former VP Osinbajo spoke in a video circulating on social media on Tuesday, where he described the experience as a turning point in his spiritual life.
He said that although he was already a pastor at the time, he still drank red wine and beer occasionally.
“I like my red wine once in a while, and then I like my beer,” he said.
According to Osinbajo, the incident happened while he was working in the justice sector of the United Nations mission in Mogadishu, Somalia.
He recalled that after preaching at a fellowship service on a Sunday, he decided to stop at a restaurant in the UN compound to buy two cans of beer before returning to his room.
“On this particular Sunday, I was coming back from the fellowship where I had preached, and I was just hoping to buy two canned Heineken and go to my room and read my Bible,” he said.
Osinbajo said that when he entered the restaurant, he met several colleagues from different countries who were drinking.
He said they quickly tried to hide their drinks when they saw him.
“There were many restaurants in the UN compound in Mogadishu. So, I went to this particular restaurant, and as I walked in, I saw many of my colleagues from different countries. They were drinking and as soon as I came in, they all started hiding their drinks,” he said.
He said he then asked one of them, a Danish colleague, why they were hiding their drinks.
According to him, the man replied, “You are the priest, and we cannot be drinking around the priest.”
Osinbajo said the comment made him reflect on his conduct and faith.
He added that the moment helped him understand the biblical statement that while some things may be allowed, not all are beneficial.
“Since that day, I have never consumed alcohol,” he said.
