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Jonathan, at goodbye service, seeks forgiveness from Nigerians

By Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja
18 May 2015   |   3:00 am
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday sought forgiveness from those Nigerians he might have wronged in the course of discharging his duties.
goodluck jonathan

Jonathan

….First Lady relives her multiple surgeries

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday sought forgiveness from those Nigerians he might have wronged in the course of discharging his duties.

And aligning herself to her husband’s mood, the First Lady , Dame Patience, telling the ‘true story’ of the multiple surgeries that threatened her life, thanked God for her survival.

She stressed that she and her husband were able to break the jinx of couples at the priced political seat not leaving with their spouses.

The occasion was the last Thanksgiving Service by the management of the Villa Chapel for the First Family that has become a tradition for the past eight years.

Also it would have served as a period of the formal handover of the Chapel to the Vice-President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as the political head of the Chapel.

However, Osinbajo was not present , but the Regional Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG), Pastor Emmanuel Ibitaye was introduced as standing-in for him.

But the outgoing Villa Chaplain, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba confirmed to reporters that a formal handover would take place at a later date.

The then President Olusegun Obasanjo had on Sunday May 27, 2007 handed over the Chapel to Jonathan as the political head.

The President had a word of gratitude for those who have been with them through thick and thin, noting that though , he and his wife might be leaving the corridors of power, their doors were still wide open, adding that they now hope to enjoy more cordial relationships, devoid of officialdom.

In a speech laced with emotions, Jonathan said: “Let me express our appreciation to all those who have stood by us. We came in as Vice President and wife .

“Today we are leaving as former President and former First Lady. What we have achieved we did through you. Let me specifically thank the Chaplain, the clergymen, the pastors and their wives.

“For the past eight years, we have had every reason to be thankful to God. Every individual has his or her own calling. I also believe that people who take over political leadership have their own callings to do specific things. No one head of government, whether at the national level or the sub-regional levels can do everything alone.

“For the eight years that one has been here, no one has been perfect. We have certainly done things in a way that probably we wouldn’t have done, but we didn’t do them deliberately.

“For those we have offended, it was not deliberate, but due to circumstances of the office. So we also plead that those people should forgive, as we think we did our best.

“You can do your best and your friends may misunderstand you. Today we are talking about leaving. It is only God that knows why things go the way they do. Ordinarily 24th May would haven been the last service here. But on that date, we will all go to the National Christian Centre (NCC) for the inauguration service. So for my wife and I, this is our last day of worship here.

“Though we are leaving as President and First Lady, we have not left you, because we are still in this country.

“We will continue to interact, and probably along the line , we may even come closer and even do more meaningful things together when we leave office. The office is quite challenging, some of you may desire to see us, I believe as we move forward, things will get better.”

The President told the well-attended service on the need for individuals to strive to leave a lasting legacy, saying: “Before one leaves, it is always good to leave a legacy.”.

Going down memory lane, Jonathan said: “When I became governor of Bayelsa State something came to my mind that I would have to leave a legacy behind.

“Because Bayelsa is more riverine than Rivers State , I decided that I was going to build two major bridges yearly. Everybody has to have something to leave behind.”

Agreeing with the chaplain, who had earlier said that perfection was only for God, Jonathan noted that if humans wait for perfection, they would not achieve anything.

“No system is perfect. Every human system must have an element of imperfection.”

Jonathan said his transition from Vice President to President was gradual and complicated.
“It was intertwined so you cannot actually draw the line. Because when the President was challenged with a major health issue, I was running the country for some time even before the Doctrine of Necessity made me Acting President.

Then I took over , and conducting the 2011 election, won and had to run my full four years as elected President.”

He said, he did not really believe that it is only in government that people could do things, saying outside government, a lot of things could be done.

“The richest people in the world don’t even serve in government”, he said , citing examples of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote and Microsoft founder, Bill Gates.

His words: “Neither Aliko Dangote nor Bill Gates has ever been in government, so you don’t need to be in government to be rich. It is for us to be committed and continue to be focused.”

Speaking earlier, the First Lady had revealed for the first time, her ordeals in the hands of the doctors, saying the situation was so bad she had 12 operations in one month.

She said her survival was miraculous and an indication that God had a mission for her in the world.

“I really thank God for keeping me alive. People prophesied that one of us would not go back home alive. But God has made it possible that the two of us are going home healthy. In the last two years, I went through one surgery after another that came to about 12.

“Some people said I was dead but God resurrected me. We thank God that my husband and I are going back home alive.

Thank God today we are leaving very much alive , hale and hearty.”

She said she never ever dreamt of being wife of even a deputy governor “because my husband was not a politician. But God made it possible and God lifted us up from deputy governor and here we are.

“Therefore, we should be grateful to God for what he has done to my family and I.

“We praise God. To our followers, today it might not be too good but I want them to be grateful to God because you have followed us from when we were Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President and finally, President.
There is no permanent thing so I want you to take it in good faith that it is the will of God and you should be praising God.”

Highlights of the occasion were presentations of gifts to the First Family by the management of the Chapel and parting prayers to the family.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo a Venerable in Anglican Church offered special prayers for the President, while the former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana offered prayers for the First Lady.

9 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    Power is transient that is why whom God favored with it must be extremely careful not to misuse it only the good you do while in will be the only thing that will proclaim on roof tops. The bad deeds hunt you till death.A food for thought for the wise

  • Author’s gravatar

    ““Neither Aliko Dangote nor Bill Gates has ever been in government, so you don’t need to be in government to be rich….” – GEJ

    This is a telling statement. Those in Government who have stolen our commonwealth are NOT rich. God willing we would do the needful to retrieve our commonwealth from private hands.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Mr president is too good to be a kind of Nigeria politician, he is not arrogant unlike his predecessor. His humble, peace loving man. We will miss him. After coming four years we will know if we have done mistake in voting you out or met a better leader.

  • Author’s gravatar

    i don’t like people that KICK PEOPLES ASS and come up with apologies that are for the moment.THE PRESIDENT GEJ should look back he needs to apologize to the young gratuates that he kept hungry and made them take to crime due to hardship….the poor in general. I didnt expect much from him as a president that’s why am not disturbed. The GENERAL that is incoming should be more careful 2 he may not do better . i have not seen any Nigerian political president that is better than the predecessor. NIGERIA only need prayer and GODS intervention, not these human politicians that are just selfish. If man forgives GOD may not. Judgement day awaits you guys. people have died because of your wicked governance….am a very concerned Nigerian.

  • Author’s gravatar

    GOODLUCK JONATHAN THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. HE HAS ONLY TEMPORARILY SAVED HIS HEAD. GOODLUCK JONATHAN HAS NOT SEEN ANYTHING YET. NOW HE WILL KNOW WHAT NIGERIANS ARE AND THE LACUNA IS THAT HE BROUGHT THIS TO HIMSELF BY SURROUNDING HIMSELF WITH SHAMELESS PRAISE SINGERS AND VERY SELFISH CHARLATANS. GOODLUCK JONATHAN DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM PERSONS OF INTEGRITY AND THOSE WHO WILL TELL HIM THE TRUTH, NO MATTER IF IT HURTS. I WARNED HIM BUT HE DID NOT LISTEN AND MOST PEOPLE CALLED ME VERY UNPRINTABLE NAMES. WHEN HE SITS BACK AT OTUOKE VERY LONELY AND VERY DEJECTED, GOODLUCK JONATHAN WILL BE SCREAMING ‘SO NA SO LIFE AND NIGERIANS BE?’ GOODLUCK JONATHAN WILL HAVE AND SEE THE WORST, WHEN HE WILL BE ASKED TO ACCOUNT FOR HIS VERY GROSS MISRULE, MALADMINISTRATION I AND THE VERY MASSIVE CORRUPTION OF HIS GOD FORSAKEN ADMINISTRATION. GOODLUCK JONATHAN WE THE PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE VERY LAST LAUGH AND IT IS A VERY SWEET AND A VERY LOUD LAUGH. GOODLUCK JONATHAN I CAN NOT STOP LAUGHING AND VERY GOOD FOR YOU..

  • Author’s gravatar

    Stupid dame thanked their “followers” not well wishers or friends. And that one is a lesson for those who followed them. I say good riddance to a sour moment in Nigerian history

    • Author’s gravatar

      Uncultured she goat. Only your wretched mother and other members of your dreg of the society family should be called stupid. How did you escape your mentors – the boko beasts. You were supposed to be in sambisa and other places animals like you are captured and kept.

  • Author’s gravatar

    To err is human and forgive divine. It takes a human man to err. When Bill Clinton’s affairs with Monica Lewinsky was revealed, the very first thing he did was to plead to his family, American people and the whole world to forgive him. We are human beings and we are bound to make mistakes. He does not owe anyone any apologies at the end of the day but he has erred, this is as a result of his humility. I only sympathise with people who call him names as they expose their ignorance. Did Buhari apologise to the nation after all the atrocities he committed was aired? No, rather he turned around to fight AIT, telling them not to cover any programme of his. Time will tell. Nigerians no matter what Jonathan has done will remember him.

  • Author’s gravatar

    “It was intertwined so you cannot actually draw the line. Because when the President was challenged with a major health issue, I was running the country for some time even before the Doctrine of Necessity made me Acting President.
    BRO! YOU COULD HAVE EXITED HONORABLY BY NOT SEEKING ANOTHER TERM IN OFFICE…….POWER BRING GREED!!!