Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has shared the story of how a moment in Somalia led him to stop drinking alcohol, calling it a turning point in his faith.
Speaking in a video now making rounds online, Osinbajo said that although he was already a pastor at the time, he still took alcohol occasionally.
“I used to enjoy red wine from time to time, and I also liked beer,” he admitted.
The incident happened while he was on a United Nations assignment in Mogadishu, working in the justice sector. After preaching at a Sunday fellowship service, he went to a restaurant intending to pick up two cans of Heineken to take back to his room.
“After the fellowship where I ministered, I just wanted to get two cans of Heineken, return to my room, and spend time with my Bible,” he recalled.
When he walked in, he met some colleagues who were drinking. On seeing him, they immediately tried to hide their bottles. Surprised, Osinbajo asked one of them — a colleague from Denmark — why they reacted that way.
The man told him: “You’re the priest. We can’t drink in front of the priest.”
Osinbajo said that statement hit him deeply and forced him to examine his lifestyle and convictions. It brought new meaning to the scripture that says not everything lawful is helpful.
“From that day on, I never drank alcohol again,” he said.
