He stated on Sunday during a thanksgiving and
farewell service organised in his honour at the Cathedral Church of the Advent,
Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja that the persecution would happen
because of the “ hard decisions” his administration took while in office.
Jonathan told the congregation that he understood clearly
that “ hard decisions” had their own cost and was therefore ready
to pay any price for them
He said that experience had shown him that
people would at a time desert anybody who took “hard decisions”
like he did while in office.
Jonathan added that he had always
believed that more of his friends would desert him after May 29.
The President recalled the story of the last ruler of
apartheid South Africa, Frederik de Klerk, who was divorced by his
wife for accepting to abolish minority rule in the country, and said jokingly
that he hoped his wife, Patience, would not also divorce him after
the end of his tenure on May 29.
Beaming with smiles, Mrs. Jonathan, who on March 16 declared
that she was not ready to feed her husband in prison, replied with a shout of
“Nooooo.”
Her response was greeted with a loud applause by
congregation members.
The President said, “I believe there are reasons
for everything. Some hard decisions have their own cost; and there is 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
to this country. They are very costly decisions which I must be ready to pay
for.
“Some people come to me and say 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 used to say that 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 de Klerk 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 be a global player now.
If they still have minority rule, by this time, nobody
will be talking about them.
“If you take certain decisions, it might be good for many
but it might affect others differently. So, for ministers and aides
who served with me, I sympathise with them because they will be persecuted.
They must be ready for persecution.
“Quoting Tai Solarin, may your ways be rough, I say
to my ministers, I wish you what I wish myself. They will have hard
times, we will all have hard times. Our ways will be rough.”
Jonathan however said he was happy that ordinary Nigerians
appreciated what he did and that, according to him, is most important.
He said it was not what the elite talk about or say about
his administration that mattered to him but what the majority of the Nigerians
felt about his actions and inactions.
The President expressed delight that he came to Abuja with
his family peacefully and was leaving peacefully.
Jonathan also looked back at all the benefits that had came
his way as a Nigerian, saying he was ready to pay the supreme price for the
nation.
He said considering what God had done in his life, he wished
he could dance like the biblical King David.
Jonathan said, “I want to thank God for what he has done for
me and my family. I wish to dance more than David, if I tried to dance, I
missed my steps.
“I have all the reasons to thank God. Very few of those in
my age bracket have been that lucky. All through my education, I was on
government scholarship. I have not suffered lack not because I am hardworking,
but it has been God’s grace.
“When I look at the whole picture of my life up to when I
became the President of this country, I say that if soldiers and policemen that
have not received 0.5 per cent of the benefits that I have had 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.
“I have to thank Nigerians, especially the people of my
state(Bayelsa) for giving me the opportunity to serve as deputy governor. I
thank all Nigerians who gave me the opportunity to serve as Vice
President and President. I had their support to complete the tenure
of the late president(Umaru Yar’Adua) and later serve as President from which I
am exiting now as a very happy and fulfilled man.”
The President also thanked the church for
standing by him even at his most difficult times.
He said even on the March 28 presidential election which he
lost to Buhari, there were many people who supported him nationwide.
Jonathan promised to continue to pray for the country and
the incoming government of Muhammadu Buhari .
He said that Buhari won the March 28 election
because God wanted it to be so.
The President added, “Even for the election, we had people
who supported us all over the country but things went the way they did because
God wanted them 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 in terms of stability and a
buoyant economy that will enable Nigerians to move forward and live happily.
That is our interest; that is my prayer point.
“All religious groups should pray for the country.”
Jonathan thereafter requested that his favourite him, “Stand
by me” be sang again.
He said apart from inspiring him, the hymn “makes him to be
aware of the fact that whatever one does, there will always be storms.”
Earlier, a former Minister of Information, Jerry
Gana, said Jonathan was favoured by God in many ways.
Gana thanked God for what Jonathan was able to achieve
during his tenure.
The former minister, who headed the President’s fundraising
committee during electioneering , said “Jonathan is a man of favour. He is
highly favoured by God. We thank God for what He has done for Nigeria through
him.
“Despite the big positions he occupied in the country, he
has remained humble and he has succeeded in deepening democracy in the country.
“He revived the rail system; he brought back hope to Nigeria
and to cap it all; he conceded defeat to his opponent in a heroic manner.”
The Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo, also praised the
President while reeling out some of his unique qualities and achievements in
office.
He said, “He (Jonathan) is humane, gentle and unassuming. He
has transformed Nigeria. He is not vindictive. He loves the youth. He
empowered, mentored and motivated youths and women.
“He is a listening leader. He listens to everyone in the
Federal Executive Council before passing judgment. He fixed the electoral
process and brought credibility to it. He is Nigeria’s greatest leader.”
In his sermon entitled, “Thanksgiving,” the Primate of the
Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh, said although
Jonathan was leaving office as President, the world would still need his
services in different capacities.
Okoh said leaving office at this time did not translate to
the fact that Jonathan had expired.
He explained that what happened to the President was that he
had graduated into a class of statesmen and women.
Turning to the President, the clergyman said, “You have
graduated and entered the distinguished class of statesmen and women.“In your
new office, you are a peacemaker. Nigeria, Africa, the black world and the
world will need you. You are relevant; you have just started; you have not
expired.”
He recalled that at the inception of his administration,
Jonathan did a similar thing by giving thanks to God.
Okoh thanked God for the President’s
contributions to the growth of the country, adding that some of the projects he
initiated had been completed while others are at advanced stages.
He said, “Whatever stage the projects may be, generations
yet unborn will read about Jonathan that he governed from so so time to so so
time.
“It will be studied by our children in history books. So, we
should thank God.
“Again, you are leaving the (Presidential) Villa alive. Only
God knows what would have happened. There is nothing greater than life.
“We give thanks for what God did through you in your
distressed situation. Your humility saved lives and our enemies were
disappointed. There were many people who came and pretended to be your friends,
but were sadists. They came with cameras recording, but were disappointed.
“What God is doing in your life you may not understand, it
might take years, but you need to be patient to understand because deeper
meaning of the event will unfold later.”
Nigerians misunderstood Jonathan’s calmness –Okupe
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on
Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, has said Nigerians misunderstood the
President’s calmness for indecisiveness.
Okupe, on his facebook page on Sunday,
said “In a few days, President Jonathan will bow out of
office gracefully and graciously.
“President Jonathan has done well and served his country
well. He exits office as a great President; perhaps Nigeria’s greatest
President for all times. Greater than the best before him. He excelled in
achievements, in humility, tranquility and simplicity.
“Nigerians misunderstood meekness for weakness, Restraint
for lack of strength, reticence for inaction and calmness for indecisiveness.”
Okupe said that history would judge Jonathan
differently, adding that he(Jonathan) would “be remembered as a great man, a
good man, humble and humane, purposeful and focused. A great African hero who
fought against all manners of evil and conspiracies: Religious, ethnic,
national and international, and lost the war.
“But ultimately, he triumphed because of the inherent
goodness that God Almighty deposited in Him.”
The presidential aide urged Nigerians not to weep for
Jonathan but “rather pray that our nation will remain, united and
stable; that its people will prosper and that God will guide our incoming
leaders.”
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