Jonathan, who made these remarks yesterday at a thanksgiving service
organised in his honour at the Anglican Church, in Life Camp, Abuja,
vowed that whether in or out of government, he was as prepared as ever
to lay down his life for the greatness of Nigeria.
Jonathan also said he may have been denied his re-election bid because he took hard decisions in purging the country’s electoral process among other stiff reforms.
Recalling the story of the last apartheid ruler in South Africa who was divorced by his wife for accepting to abolish minority rule in the country, the president said, rather jokingly, that he hoped his wife would not also divorce him for accepting defeat in the last presidential election
The
First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, however, responded with a loud
shout of “Nooooo” to a rapturous applause from the congregation.
Noting that more of his friend will desert him, Jonathan said, “I believe there are reasons for everything. Some hard decisions have their own cost, no doubt about that. That I have run the government this way that stabilised certain things – the electoral process and other things that brought stability into this country, they were very costly decisions which I myself must be ready to pay for.
“Some people have come to me and said this or that person, is he not your friend that benefitted? Is it not your government that this person benefitted from? But this is what the person is saying. But I say worse statements will come. If you take certain decisions, you should know that those close to you will even abandon you at some point. And I tell them that more of my so-called friends will disappear.
“When FW De Clerk took the decision to abolish minority rule in South Africa, even his wife divorced him. I hope my wife will not divorce me. But that is the only decision that has made South Africa to remain a global player by this time. If we still had that minority rule there, by this time nobody will be talking about South Africa now.
He told his cabinet members to be ready to face persecution and hard times after May 29.
He said, “If you take certain decisions, it might be good for the generality of the people but it might affect some people differently. So for ministers and aides who served with me, I sympathize with them; they will be persecuted, and they must be ready for that persecution.
“To my ministers, I wish you what I wish myself. You will have hard times; we will all have hard times; our ways will be rough.”
The outgoing president urged the church and other religious groups to pray for the success of the incoming administration, adding that what matters is not the person in charge of government but the dividends of democracy that come from his regime.
He said, “We are happy the ordinary people appreciate what we did, and that is most important. It’s not what the elite or the privileged few talk or say about you but what the majority of the Nigerian public think about your actions and inactions that matter. We came to Abuja peacefully and we are returning peacefully.
“I thank the church and Nigerians because they stood by us at our most difficult times. Even for the election, we had people who supported us all over the country but things went the way they did because God wanted it that way for a purpose.
“We will continue to pray for the peace of the country and for the success of the incoming administration. When the country is in good shape, people benefit. When things are going well, people are happy. You don’t need to know Mr President or Mr Governor . The issue is not about Jonathan or Buhari or any other person. The issue is how the government functions.
“Stability, buoyant economy that will enable Nigeria to move forward and live happily is all I am interested in. That is our interest; that is my prayer point,” Jonathan said
Jonathan reiterated that the country had given him a lot right from his primary school days to the present moment when he is bowing out of the highest office in the nation, saying he is a “very happy and fulfilled man”.
“When I look at the whole picture of my life up to when I became the president of this country, and I say that if soldiers and police officers that have not received 0. 5 per cent of the benefits that I have received from the state can lay down their lives for this country, I should do anything in the interest of Nigeria, including paying the supreme price.
“As long as live, I will continue to do my best for the state because the state has helped me as a person,” he said.
Evil conspiracies cost Jonathan his re-election bid – Presidency
Meanwhile, the presidency claimed yesterday that the evil conspiracies, both locally and internationally, that President Goodluck Jonathan had to fight against in his effort to deliver good governance cost him his bid to get re-elected.
According to it, the outgoing president was unfortunately misunderstood by many Nigerians who mistook his good nature and intentions for weakness.
The senior special assistant to the president on public affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, who stated this noted, however, that Jonathan is leaving office as a fulfilled man who was “excellent in achievement, humility, tranquillity and simplicity.”
In a Facebook comment after a thanksgiving service held for the outgoing president at the State House chapel yesterday, Okupe said: “Nigerians mistook meekness for weakness, restraint for lack of strength, reticence for inaction, calmness for indecisiveness”.
He said though the thanksgiving service was emotional for him and other friends of the president who attended, Jonathan remained the greatest president Nigeria ever had despite losing the election, adding that “he triumphed because of the inherent goodness that God has deposited in him”.
The presidential aide said Jonathan meant what he said and stood by them even to his own detriment and to the detriment of those who believed in him.
Okupe said the president, who will be bowing out “gracefully and graciously, “will continue to enjoy the support of those who believed in his leadership.
“I stood for Jonathan. I still stand by him and he will always be my president whether winning or losing, in victory and in defeat,” he stated.
Jonathan also said he may have been denied his re-election bid because he took hard decisions in purging the country’s electoral process among other stiff reforms.
Recalling the story of the last apartheid ruler in South Africa who was divorced by his wife for accepting to abolish minority rule in the country, the president said, rather jokingly, that he hoped his wife would not also divorce him for accepting defeat in the last presidential election
The
First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, however, responded with a loud
shout of “Nooooo” to a rapturous applause from the congregation.Noting that more of his friend will desert him, Jonathan said, “I believe there are reasons for everything. Some hard decisions have their own cost, no doubt about that. That I have run the government this way that stabilised certain things – the electoral process and other things that brought stability into this country, they were very costly decisions which I myself must be ready to pay for.
“Some people have come to me and said this or that person, is he not your friend that benefitted? Is it not your government that this person benefitted from? But this is what the person is saying. But I say worse statements will come. If you take certain decisions, you should know that those close to you will even abandon you at some point. And I tell them that more of my so-called friends will disappear.
“When FW De Clerk took the decision to abolish minority rule in South Africa, even his wife divorced him. I hope my wife will not divorce me. But that is the only decision that has made South Africa to remain a global player by this time. If we still had that minority rule there, by this time nobody will be talking about South Africa now.
He told his cabinet members to be ready to face persecution and hard times after May 29.
He said, “If you take certain decisions, it might be good for the generality of the people but it might affect some people differently. So for ministers and aides who served with me, I sympathize with them; they will be persecuted, and they must be ready for that persecution.
“To my ministers, I wish you what I wish myself. You will have hard times; we will all have hard times; our ways will be rough.”
The outgoing president urged the church and other religious groups to pray for the success of the incoming administration, adding that what matters is not the person in charge of government but the dividends of democracy that come from his regime.
He said, “We are happy the ordinary people appreciate what we did, and that is most important. It’s not what the elite or the privileged few talk or say about you but what the majority of the Nigerian public think about your actions and inactions that matter. We came to Abuja peacefully and we are returning peacefully.
“I thank the church and Nigerians because they stood by us at our most difficult times. Even for the election, we had people who supported us all over the country but things went the way they did because God wanted it that way for a purpose.
“We will continue to pray for the peace of the country and for the success of the incoming administration. When the country is in good shape, people benefit. When things are going well, people are happy. You don’t need to know Mr President or Mr Governor . The issue is not about Jonathan or Buhari or any other person. The issue is how the government functions.
“Stability, buoyant economy that will enable Nigeria to move forward and live happily is all I am interested in. That is our interest; that is my prayer point,” Jonathan said
Jonathan reiterated that the country had given him a lot right from his primary school days to the present moment when he is bowing out of the highest office in the nation, saying he is a “very happy and fulfilled man”.
“When I look at the whole picture of my life up to when I became the president of this country, and I say that if soldiers and police officers that have not received 0. 5 per cent of the benefits that I have received from the state can lay down their lives for this country, I should do anything in the interest of Nigeria, including paying the supreme price.
“As long as live, I will continue to do my best for the state because the state has helped me as a person,” he said.
Evil conspiracies cost Jonathan his re-election bid – Presidency
Meanwhile, the presidency claimed yesterday that the evil conspiracies, both locally and internationally, that President Goodluck Jonathan had to fight against in his effort to deliver good governance cost him his bid to get re-elected.
According to it, the outgoing president was unfortunately misunderstood by many Nigerians who mistook his good nature and intentions for weakness.
The senior special assistant to the president on public affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, who stated this noted, however, that Jonathan is leaving office as a fulfilled man who was “excellent in achievement, humility, tranquillity and simplicity.”
In a Facebook comment after a thanksgiving service held for the outgoing president at the State House chapel yesterday, Okupe said: “Nigerians mistook meekness for weakness, restraint for lack of strength, reticence for inaction, calmness for indecisiveness”.
He said though the thanksgiving service was emotional for him and other friends of the president who attended, Jonathan remained the greatest president Nigeria ever had despite losing the election, adding that “he triumphed because of the inherent goodness that God has deposited in him”.
The presidential aide said Jonathan meant what he said and stood by them even to his own detriment and to the detriment of those who believed in him.
Okupe said the president, who will be bowing out “gracefully and graciously, “will continue to enjoy the support of those who believed in his leadership.
“I stood for Jonathan. I still stand by him and he will always be my president whether winning or losing, in victory and in defeat,” he stated.
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