President Goodluck Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said despite
the current insecurity in some parts of the country orchestrated by
members of the fundamentalist Islamic group, Boko Haram, Nigeria would
emerge stronger and more united.
He said daunting as the challenges might appear, he
trusted in the efficacy of the Bible truth that the prayer of the
righteous avails much.
Jonathan spoke at the second presidential national
prayer breakfast held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said he had a
conviction that every stumbling block before him and his administration
would become stepping stones into national rebirth.
He urged Nigerians to dedicate themselves to a united
nation by living above what he called primordial divisive tendencies
which could only compromise national growth.
He urged Nigerians to be guided by the ideals of
justice, equity, selflessness and above all, the fear of God in all
their conducts.
Jonathan said, “With unwavering faith in God and
renewed recommitment to the national cause by us all, I am confident
that Nigeria will emerge from these trying times a stronger, more
united, more stable and more prosperous nation.
“Now than ever before, our nation’s leadership needs
to rededicate itself to the realisation of the grand vision of one big
strong multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, diverse but united nation which
steered our founding fathers.
“We must live above primordial tendencies which can
only compromise our growth as a nation. We should be guided by the
ideals of justice, equity, selflessness and above all the fear of God in
every conduct, public or private.
“The significance that we are gathered here today
still fresh from the celebration of Easter, Jesus Christ redemptive
victory over sin and death on the cross of calvary, we all must be built
with the spirit of selfless sacrifice as exemplified by our Lord and
Master Jesus Christ on the Cross.
“Our country can only attain the lofty heights which
Almighty God through Nigeria’s rich natural endowments and compelling
human resources bases has preordained for us, if we as individuals are
prepared to make the requisite sacrifice. Championing narrowing
sectional courses does not add value to our national development
efforts.”
He said as public office holders, he and other
members of his cabinet owed Nigerians a sacred duty to toil endlessly
for the enhanced welfare and well-being of all.
The President said he saw all his electoral promises
as his article of faith and his covenant with Nigerians to better their
lives.
He urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the good of the country and focus on building bridges of love.
He assured them that by God’s grace, his government would not fail.
While admitting that those of them at the helm of
affairs in the country today were not the best materials, he said God
had a purpose of putting them in charge, hence they need not to fail
God.
He said they would work hard towards achieving peace, power, health care and other good things for the country.
Earlier, the President of the Christian Association
of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, in his exhortation entitled ‘The
power of the altar’ taken from Judges 6: 25-26 regretted that Nigeria,
which was a giant nation that ought to be standing, was still crawling.
He said, “Nigeria, a great nation with talents is begging for ideas to survive. A rich nation but poor.
“There are wicked men and women worshipping and sacrificing on strange altars nationwide.
“They are manipulating the destiny of a whole nation, they will not go scot-free. We will ask for God’s judgment on them.”
While describing Jonathan’s transformation agenda as one of the
greatest things that has happened to Nigeria, the clergyman however said
such agenda should have its foundation at the altar of God.
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