President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday
prayed for the in-coming administration of
General Muhammadu Buhari. The President
has also admonished Nigerian leaders at
various levels of government to be ready to
make sacrifices for the growth of the nation,
stressing that Nigerians should not allow the
challenges of today to weigh them down.
In the same vein, he challenged Nigerian
past leaders to emulate the sterling qualities
of former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu
Gowon; and the former Head of the Interim
National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan,
both of whom he said have demonstrated
unequal patriotism to their fatherland.
The President spoke at the fifth presidential
prayer breakfast held inside the old Banquet
Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
We pray for in-coming administration
“We continue to pray for the country and of
course, we pray for the incoming
government and also pray for us who are
leaving to have the opportunity to serve
humanity in different phases.
“I remember in 2009 when I visited the
Nordic countries, they told me they were
celebrating 200 years of peace that has
enabled them to develop. Nigeria was 49
years as an independent nation in 2009.
“If the Nordic countries, well developed
technologically and otherwise, it means
crisis really retards development.
“So we have challenges, today we are talking
about boko haram in the north, kidnapping
in south south, south east. Atimes you are
forced to think that the nation is ending,
definitely this country will overcome this
challenge. That is the reason for these
prayers. Just like prayers helped Nehemiah
to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, our constant
prayers will help us rebuild this nation.
“For me, I have to thank God and Nigerians
for the privilege and opportunity given to me
this past 16 years. I served my state as a
deputy governor and governor for eight
years. From government house in Yenegoa
and then I came here to the state house,
Abuja served the country as vice president
and a president. That is a reasonable length
of time and so I have to thank God, first
because if God did not will it, it won’t have
happened.
Emulate Gowon and Shonekan
According to the President, despite their tight
schedules and their ages, the two former
leaders had always attended programmes in
the Villa any time they are invited.
The support for me within this period, I will
continue to do my best as I’m gradually
joining Gowon and Shonekan to serve our
country in different capacities. “And I must
commend Gen. Gowon and Chief Shonekan
and some of our other leaders, for the eight
years I have been as vice president and
president, whenever we called upon them
wherever they are in this world, they will try
to come. I have seen that they are
extremely patriotic and they believe in this
country. If all our leaders show that level of
commitment, that level of patriotism, that
believe and sincerity of purpose to our
nation, then surely we will go where we want
to go.
Leaders must be ready to make sacrifices
“I always say leadership is not all about
giving directives, a successful leader must
be ready to make sacrifice. Everything about
human life as an individual, a child, if you
don’t make the required sacrifice you can’t
go to where you want to go.
“If you don’t sacrifice your pleasure of course
you will know where you’ll end. As parents
we know the kind of sacrifice we make for
our children to go to school, to feed.
“To build a family you need sacrifice. So for
those who have the privileges of leading at
local, state and national levels, at all times
we should be ready to make sacrifice for our
nation to grow.
“So as we call for prayers we also call on our
leaders not just local government chairmen,
governors and president’s alone , I’m also
calling on leaders at other levels, Ministers
must make the required sacrifice, our
lawmakers because they look at all our laws,
they can create crisis in country if they are
not ready to do things the right way.
“So all of us in leadership position must be
ready to make the sacrifice and with our
prayers and with our commitment Nigeria
will surely get to where it wants to go” he
said.
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