Says 1914 amalgamation was divine
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan Sunday urged unity among Nigerians to enable the country to tackle most of the challenges it is facing. If all Nigerians are united, according to him, the country would surely overcome Boko Haram.
At the church service to mark the nation’s 54th independence anniversary Sunday in Abuja, the president observed that the country was able to fight and win the war against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) because all Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic and political differences teamed up to fight the epidemic.
He said: “God knows that we have challenges and he knows the beginning and the end. As a nation we are facing challenges. We survived the 30-month civil war. Society has gone so sophisticated that little children can make and detonate bombs but God is with Nigeria and we will overcome our challenges. We need to be united. There are rivalries everywhere including at the political level, we have only one country and should not destroy it.
“Take the case of Ebola as an instance. When Patrick Sawyer brought the Ebola virus to Nigeria, it was first witnessed in Lagos State. In terms of political party, Lagos is governed by an opposition party while the central government is PDP. From Lagos, it moved to Rivers State which is also controlled by an opposition party. But all Nigerians fought Ebola irrespective of political and ethnic affiliations. We were able to win the war against Ebola because all Nigerians agreed that we must win the war against Ebola.”
The president noted that Nigeria wouldn’t have come together as one under the 1914 amalgamation without the hand of God. “The amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 was not by accident,” he said.
“What makes us great is our diversity, we need to unite. We have started very well in some areas, have challenges in some areas but we are moving in the right direction. We have put in place structures that would help us solve our problems”, he said.
He thanked Christians and other Nigerians who constantly pray for the nation and commended the security agencies especially the Armed Forces, and appealed to Nigerians to encourage them to enable the country to tackle Boko Haram.
Jonathan who said he would not make a long speech said: “Whenever I listen to a clergyman after a powerful message, I don’t like to dilute it with political statements. Also, this is a period that whatever you say would be used against you. The fewer words you use, the better.”
In his sermon, the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said that most of the troubles of the country, including corruption and terrorism, were self-inflicted.
He said: “Life has troubles, there is trouble even when you are not looking for trouble, trouble just comes. It does not need an invitation, but many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all. There are self-inflicted troubles. Most of the troubles of Nigeria are self-inflicted. Corruption is self-inflicted, it is caused by greed, thinking that what you have is not enough and always struggling to get more. There is corruption in high and low places, it has become a way of life. There is corruption everywhere. Terrorism is self -inflicted, tribalism and nepotism are self-inflicted.”
He said that about two years ago, he went to the American Congress and told them to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation as according to him, terrorism is not fueled by poverty even though poverty can create the ground for more people to be recruited.
According to the cleric, terrorism is caused by extreme religious ideology and to solve the problem of terrorism, the Armed Forces must be encouraged and there must also be plans to de-radicalise those who are already radicalised. He urged that “we must stop pretending as a nation and unmask those behind insurgency in the country.”
He warned those troubling Nigeria to get ready for God’s judgement. “You will not get away with it. The judgement of God will find those who are troubling Nigeria. Nigeria is not being troubled by any other person other than Nigerians. There is a repercussion, “he said.
According to him, Nigeria will not sink because someone supernatural is in the boat. “God preserved Nigeria through a 30-month civil war, Nigeria will get to its destination, Boko Haram will not consume Nigeria because God is in control. This nation will not be taken over by evil, peace is coming to Nigeria, from north to the south, east to the west, we will hold hands and walk on the street and tell people that Nigeria is one”, he said.
He noted that God would use the occasion of the 54th independence anniversary to unite Nigeria, bring peace to the country and take it where it is supposed to be.
Present at the service were President of the Senate, David Mark, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, former Head of Interim Government, Chief Earnest Shonekan, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, Service Chiefs, cabinet ministers and members of the diplomatic corps.
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