President Goodluck Jonathan is keen on playing the role of a statesman once his tenure is over on May 29.
He said yesterday in Abuja that he is already warming up to join the likes of former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Head of the defunct Interim National Government (ING),Chief Ernest Shonekan, in serving the country and the international community in whatever capacity he is assigned.
Jonathan who spoke during the fifth Presidential Prayer Breakfast at the State House, Abuja, also harped on the need for sacrifice at the different levels of governance with a view to turning around the nation’s fortune.
He said: “I will continue to do my best as I’m gradually joining Gowon and Shonekan to serve our country in different capacities.
“For the eight years I have been here as vice president and president, whenever we called upon them wherever they were in this world, they would try to come. I have seen that they are extremely patriotic and they believe in this country.”
Nigeria, according to him, would achieve its potential easily if all leaders could show that level of commitment and patriotism.
He added: “Everything about human life as an individual, a child, if you don’t make the required sacrifice you can’t get 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 privilege of leading at local, state and national, at all times we should be ready to make sacrifice for our nation to grow.
“Ministers must make the required sacrifice, our lawmakers because they look at all our laws, they can create crisis in the country if they are not ready to do things the right way.
So all of us in leadership position must be ready to make sacrifice and with our prayers and with our commitment Nigeria will surely get to where it wants to go.”
He said Nigerians must not stop praying for the country to overcome its challenges.
“At times, you are forced to think that the nation is ending. Definitely this country will overcome these challenges. That is the reason for this prayer. Just like prayer helped Nehemiah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, our constant prayers will help us rebuild this nation,” he said.
He thanked God for giving him the privilege to serve Nigeria as deputy governor, governor, vice president and president for over 16 years.
“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,” he said.
In a short exhortation entitled ‘Destiny and Decision’, Pastor Paul Enenche maintained that the choices we make in life determine our destiny.
Quoting Joshua 24:15, he said that Adam, Esau, Samson and Ruth in the Holy Bible had to make choices that affected their lives.
Also speaking, the Aso Villa Chaplain, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba, described the session as the last presidential prayer breakfast under President Jonathan and that the country owes God immense gratitude for averting bloodshed during the last elections.
He said:”We are aware of the fears in the land before, during and after the general elections, but the President’s decision has ensured peace.
“There were predictions that either the president or his wife would die in office. But we thank God they will walk out of office alive.”
At the service were Gen. Gowon who read a passage from Philippians 2: 1-11, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Staff to the President, Gen. Jones Arogbofa (rtd) and members of the diplomatic corps.
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