Monday, December 30, 2013

1914 amalgamation not a mistake – Jonathan


 

President Goodluck Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan  has described the  amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates    in 1914  as  an  act of God.
Jonathan, who joined the faithful  at the Apostolic Faith Church, Jabi in Abuja,   for the last Sunday service of the year, however,  identified lack of unity and love  as the greatest problem  facing Nigeria.
He likened  the nation’s   challenges  to  those  of the  Israelites when they  were about  to move out of Egypt to the Promised Land.
The President  said, “As a nation, we have our challenges. Anytime I look at the history of Nigeria and the challenges we face,  I remember  a  part  of the old testament  in the Bible that talks  about  the Israelites when they decided to move out of Egypt to the Promised  Land. We  have something quite similar.
“As you are getting closer to the promised land, you meet more obstacles and thank God for the sermon we have heard here today(Sunday). Even  the  songs  showed that the greatest problem we have  are  lack of unity and love.
“Nigeria was amalgamated by our colonial masters in 1914. By  January 1 next year, Nigeria    will be 100 years  .  I totally agree with the minister  that it was not by chance that we are one as a nation, it was ordained by God.
“If God didn’t will it  that way and at that point,  the North and South would not have come together. The details of the North and South coming together make  Nigeria a very great country.
“I used to say that Nigeria is great not because of its  oil.  We  have countries that produce more oil than Nigeria but nobody talks about them.
“We have countries that have multi-billion dollars in  their reserves and nobody talks about them but here we are,  just talking about $40bn in our reserves , yet  the biggest  and  smallest countries  talk  about Nigeria. Why?  It is Because of the diversity from the North to the South,  the human and natural resources, the potential and the population that we have.
“ So, Nigeria is a country that has a special blessing from God. It is therefore  left to  us to appreciate God and continue to pray for  his  intervention  for  this country to continue to be great.”
Jonathan again promised to bequeath a different Nigeria to the next generation.
He said his administration was committed to working hard to overcome barriers that had  to do with religious or ethnic differences.
The President  said it was also when such barriers were  crossed that Nigerian children would enjoy a better future.
He said, “I promise our children that we are totally committed to making sure that they meet a different Nigeria.  We will collectively work hard to overcome  our  barriers.
“Immediately we cross the  barriers  and we begin to believe that we are all Nigerians and we are committed to the development of this country, our children will surely meet a better Nigeria. We will try our best but this is not the time to  reel out  what we are not doing, otherwise  people  will think I am here to campaign.
“But I assure  this congregation, and indeed all Nigerians,  that by the grace of God and your support, I am where I am  today from nowhere. Any Nigerian  child   can also be where I am.
“I come from the smallest state in this country and even in my  state (Bayelsa), my community is  one of the smallest. Within my  community  in the state,  mine is one of the smallest  , but I am here today as President  by the grace of God.
“That is the type of Nigeria we want to create; a Nigeria where you can get what you want if you work hard,  not  a Nigeria where  you know somebody that  knows somebody that will take  you to  somebody.
“We will work with you to help you to get to wherever you want to go.”
The President  also  said he was now wary of what he says in public because of the  fear of being  misinterpreted  .
He said, “Because for those of us in politics, these days are not the best days to make speeches because any statement we make, people look at how to paint it. The next day when you read the newspapers, you start doubting if that is what you said.
“So any statement we make is always  used against us but I am quite pleased to be here with you today(Sunday) to worship with you.
In his sermon titled “Living worthy of great mercies, great faithfulness of God,” Rev. Bayo Adeniran said Nigeria would be great again if its citizens learnt  to forsake their evil ways and returned  to God just like the people of Nineveh  in the Bible did.
He said, “If Nigeria believes  in God like the people of Nineveh, God will heal Nigeria. The swiftness of God shall visit this country. We are so bothered about external corruption, but there is so much corruption in the heart.”
“The nation starts with   the individual and the family. Return to God and God will answer your prayers. Nigeria shall not die, it  will live if we return to God.”

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