President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday warned politicians who he said were planting seeds of discord with their utterances that their actions were capable of consuming them.
Jonathan, at a Christmas service held under tight security at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, Abuja, added that such politicians were embarrassing those who meant well for the country.
He also took a swipe at former office holders who he said had formed the habit of abusing the incumbents and pointed out that those who seized power by force never ended well.
He said, “If politicians want to take over power at any level of government, they need not sow seed of discord because it will consume them.
“I believe that people who mean well for this country will never be happy with provocative utterances by some politicians.
“Nigeria is nobody’s personal estate; Nigeria is nobody’s business enterprise; Nigeria is not the property of anybody’s father. It belongs to all of us.
“I get embarrassed when politicians, maybe including me, make statements that create division among Nigerians or can set this country ablaze.
“I don’t think such statement is what a leader should make. I don’t think that is the kind of seed a leader should sow.
“Those who take government by violence; those who kill to take over power never end well, especially in Africa.”
He reminded former office holders who abuse, instead of advising the incumbents that the framers of the nation’s constitution did not make a mistake by setting up the Council of State.
The council, which comprises former Heads of State and former Chief Justices of Nigeria as permanent members, advises the sitting President on issues of national importance.
The President wondered who would be willing to attend the council’s meetings after leaving office if people had to abuse and kill one another to be in office.
He said, “As a nation, we know that anybody who has the privilege of serving as a state governor becomes a senior citizen. It is his duty to assist the incumbent government.
“The idea behind the Council of State is that its permanent members have vast experience in a number of issues that they can bring to bear on governance.
“But if we abuse ourselves, kill ourselves to be in office, then who will finish serving and still want to attend the council’s meetings?
“For a politician to stand up and say he will form a parallel government if he fails to win an election is wrong. What makes him feel he will win the election?
“Even me, as a serving President, what makes me feel I must win the election? No matter what I think I am, Nigerians will decide who will govern them at the state level and federal level.”
He urged the congregation to continue to pray for God to forgive politicians because that was the only way to move the nation forward.
On the security challenges facing the country, Jonathan reiterated his belief that it would end the same way it started.
He said all that was required was for Nigerians to continue to pray for the country and victims of terror.
While painting a picture of displaced widows and orphans and shattered communities, the President said the situation would have been worse but for the prayers of the citizens, especially religious leaders.
He said unlike the Jewish people who wanted powerful kings with weapons, weapons cannot save Nigerians but prayers.
He said, “The bows, arrows and weapons cannot protect us and that reminds me about somebody like Gen.(Yakubu) Gowon that you know very well.
“Gowon was the head of government during the civil war. He fought with weapons but that did not bring peace to Nigeria. Yes, the civil war ended after three years, but there was still no peace.
“He had to abandon the rifle and picked the Bible. He goes across the country praying. Many of you are members of his group. That is the only message that can bring peace.”
The President noted that with the security challenges, one would have expected the nation’s economy to collapse completely.
This, he said, would have led to government’s inability to pay workers’ salaries.
“God is with us and in spite of what is happening, we are forging ahead and we will pull through. I re-assure you that we will continue to do more,” Jonathan said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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You are not Mr. President, if you were you would have done something to that effect, particularly your ijaw brothers are mostly guilty of that. The Clark, Asari etc are mostly nosing about breaking this country for your sake.
ReplyDeleteTRANSFORMATION AGENDA IS GOING ON SUCCESSFULLY AS WE ALL CAN PERCEIVE.
ReplyDelete1. Petrol from N65 to N97 - in most other places over N120
2. Kerosene from 50 naira to 120 and above i.e (unofficial price).
3. Garri from N100 to N260 per measure
4. Sugar/flour/beans/ all from N180 to N250 or more per measure
5. Electricity charge from N1,250 to N4000 per month even when not available
6. Scarcity of money in all sphere of life, yet abundantly available if one is a Jonathanian e.g groups campaigning for the continuation of the EBELE ill wind
7. Killings from few individuals to whole communities being wiped out
8. Police/military roadblocks from 1 per 40km to 2 per 3km
9. Crude oil illegal bunkering from 10,000 barrels pd to 100,000 barrels pd.
10. Constant industrial actions by many organisations
11. From the sack of few workers to the sack of thousands of workers
12. WASSCE rate of failure from 40% to over 70%
13. Trust, love and unity among citizens from substantial to zero
14. Misappropriation of funds from billions of Naira to billions of
DOLLARS or TRILLIONS of naira
15. Budget implementation from 40% to less than 20% Per year
16. Roads from potholes to huge craters and cut-offs
17. Economy from worse in Africa to greatest in Africa on paper, but the masses from poor to poorest
18. Defection of polititians from a few tens to hundreds of persons, in some cases thousands from one party to the other. Nigerian soldiers now defect to other countries
19. Transport fares, from a few hundreds of Naira to several thousand of Naira, on both air and road networks
20. Bribe takings from only police, now includes all authorities, soldiers inclusive
21. ATM charges from zero to N65 per transaction
22. New English phrase called 'Tactical Manoeuvre' when soldiers are deliberately dispatched with low grade weapons to be killed by a well armed "Boko Haram"
23. Bribery scandal from few to substantial
24. Police pension scam
25. Oduahgate
26. Bart Nnaji NEPA scandal
27. Allison jet scandal
28. Orisajafor $10 million arms scandal
29. Subsidy scam
30. Immigration death scandal
31. Missing $20 billion
32. Handling boko haram with kid gloves only to report that the nation is winning on insurgents.
33. Election delegate bribe
34. Sheriff/Ihejirika case, etc.
I pledged to Nigeria my country, to be working, voting and praying, to oppose the cluelessness of the shoeless one, to whom16 is greater than 19, to whom stealing is not corruption; that may God give me the wisdom to vote the imbecile out of office, and send him packing from Aso-rock, to Otuoke from where he came aboard our ship, come 2015 my lord,
And uphold our honour and glory so help me God.
We are embarrassed the more as action is rightly said speaks louder than voice. That is wat almost all ur actions & in-actions are putting forward as clearly deduced in all ramifications by all human prognosis tools of construct. They are only conveying your messages to who cannot detect it as early signals and warnings. Though we are powerless, armless, this we are forced to fall back on to what we have left and last of all hopes which is prayers on the fiercely and consuming fire u hav already ignited to completely razed the country Nigeria. Those you accused only arose onto the call of their statutory right as great and concern Nigerians to say no to that logical division that is trending fast to real physical break apart.
ReplyDeleteWe are embarrassed the more as action is rightly said speaks louder than voice. That is wat almost all ur actions & in-actions are putting forward as clearly deduced in all ramifications by all human prognosis tools of construct. They are only conveying your messages to who cannot detect it as early signals and warnings. Though we are powerless, armless, this we are forced to fall back on to what we have left and last of all hopes which is prayers on the fiercely and consuming fire u hav already ignited to completely razed the country Nigeria. Those you accused only arose onto the call of their statutory right as great and concern Nigerians to say no to that logical division that is trending fast to real physical break apart.
ReplyDeleteWe are embarrassed the more as action is rightly said speaks louder than voice. That is wat almost all ur actions & in-actions are putting forward as clearly deduced in all ramifications by all human prognosis tools of construct. They are only conveying your messages to who cannot detect it as early signals and warnings. Though we are powerless, armless, this we are forced to fall back on to what we have left and last of all hopes which is prayers on the fiercely and consuming fire u hav already ignited to completely razed the country Nigeria. Those you accused only arose onto the call of their statutory right as great and concern Nigerians to say no to that logical division that is trending fast to real physical break apart.
ReplyDelete