President Goodluck Jonathan has said that Nigeria does not belong to any politician or any group of politician.
He spoke Wednesday at the Diocese of Abuja, The Cathedral Church of the Advent in Lifecamp, Abuja, where he attended his Christmas day church service along with his family members and some senior government officials.
Even as he did not mention the name of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his speech, he referred to those making statements and writing open letters they ought not to write.
Obasanjo had in a December 2nd, 2013 written an open letter to the President in which he made weighty allegations against Jonathan and his administration.
Jonathan Wednesday said: “For us at this time especially we the politicians that we think we own this country begin to think about next election and doing what we ought not to do, making statement we ought not to make, writing letters we suppose not to write.”
“I call on clergymen and statesmen who really own this country because this country belongs to our statesmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders, our men, our women, our youth. Nigeria does not belong to any politician or group of politicians. So we continue to urge you to pray for this country.”
On terrorism, he said: “The primate mentioned number of issues that deal with a number of nations that deals with crisis. For those who know about terrorism, countries that are infested with terror will hardly get out of it. If you look at country like Pakistan, we even go to Pakistan to train our soldiers, in some parts of Pakistan as we are talking now there appears to be no government. So this country could have been worse.”
“Look at the incidences in Abuja, even the police headquarters was boomed, the UN building right here in the seat of government, may be the next target would have been State House. So we have to thank God that we have been able to bring it to a reasonable level, though we are far from getting over. There are a lot of challenges but we have to thank God.”
He went on: “Primate said if it were to be like Syria, what would we have done? Look at South Sudan they were part of Sudan and they felt that they were being dominated, they have resources, there is oil in part of South Sudan, they carried arms against the state, finally the whole world through the UN liberated them. In fact within this week we will be going for security council meeting under the AU. My envoy just came back on Sunday from where he had conversation with them on how do we stop this madness.”
“So we have to thank God even though we still have this security challenges in our country at least we are reasonably better.”
“In terms of Nigeria having crisis, the primate was mentioning can Ghana accommodate us, can Sierra Leone accommodate us. I was just laughing because even now Nigerians in these countries, the people are not even comfortable, we don’t have crisis but from Cameroon to Senegal, Nigerians are everywhere. If not for political and diplomatic reasons they would have even asked some of them to leave. Then assuming we have crisis, what would be the state, where will you go? Is it the Atlantic Ocean? So I urge you to continue to pray.”
“I also thank the religious leaders of this country, they have been praying and I believe God has been hearing our prayers. We will do our best within the period that God has asked us to occupy the positions we are occupying.” He stated ]
Delivering the sermon entitled ‘Peace and Joy, the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh noted that the first coming of Jesus Christ brought peace and joy but that it will only be full at His second coming.
According to him no part of the world is enjoying total peace as he urged Nigerians to continue to thank God for not making Nigeria’s situation worse like other countries.
Quoting scriptures from Luke 2: 10, Isaiah 9: n6, Galatians 3: 28, 2nd Corinthians 5: 18, John 14: 27 and Matthew 5: 9, he urged Nigerians to continue to be a source of joy to themselves, their neighbours and the whole world.
He said: “But we have challenges, how can you be talking of peace and joy to people in Syria, DRC, Southern Sudan, Middle East, Egypt, Indonesia and Ukraine. Will they understand? How do you explain joy to somebody who is bed ridden? These are the issues frost rating peace.”
Blaming the western world for these crises, he said: “The western world sell these arms to other part of the globe and are still talking about peace. The money that people steal, they take it outside and they receive it and turn back to say these people are bad.”
“Only God can give us peace and joy because man has so much complicated himself. If you have three good stories that give you joy, you are likely to have six stories that will upset you.”
He also urged Nigerians to pray against agents of darkness who are thirsting for blood.
Nigerians, he said, have no choice than to continue praying for peace as they have no other place to go.
“Nigerians ought to be grateful to God and live responsibly. Do not join anybody to cause trouble. If we follow life diligently, Nigeria will blossom, your lives will blossom. Refugees are not the happiest of people, don’t make yourself a refugee.” He pleaded.
The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan read the Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 9: 2, 6 and 7 while President Jonathan read the Epistle from Hebrew 1: 1 to 12.
Among those who attended the service included the Minister of State (FCT), Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade.
Source: The Nation.
