by Deji Abiodun
President Goodluck Jonathan, Sunday, told ministers and aides serving under him to brace up for hard times. The President said his decision to concede victory and allow peace reign in Nigeria after the presidential election in April was not welcome by some people, who even pretend to be loyal to him, therefore, they must ready for persecution.
Jonathan stated this during a thanksgiving and farewell service held in his honour at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Gwarinpa, Life Camp Abuja.
He maintained that God had been kind to him right from his youth age till the present day. He said…. “When I look at the whole picture of my life, and I said if soldiers and police officers, who had not received point five percent of the benefits I had received can lay their lives to safe this country. I should do any thing in the interest of Nigeria including paying the supreme price.
“Some hard decisions have their own cost, no doubt about that, that I have run the country in this way, passing through electoral system that has brought stability to this country. It is very costly decision that I must be ready to pay for it.
“Then, I know that worse treatment will come, if you take certain decision, even the people, who are very close to you will abandon you at some points. I used to tell people that more of my so called friends will disappear.
“So, is the same thing with decision you take, it may be good to the generality, but it will affect people differently.
“And for the ministers and aides that serve with me, I sympathize with them, because they will be persecuted and they must be ready for that persecution.
“I always remember some thing from late Tai Solarin, he said; ‘I wish you what I wish myself every year, may you have hard times this year, may your ways be rough’. I wish my ministers what I wish myself, they will have the hard times, may our ways will be rough.
“But we are happy that the country appreciate this, the ordinary people appreciate this decision and that is most important thing, it is not what the elites or the privileged few talk about – your action and inaction.”
While thanking Nigerians, Jonathan said; “my interest and prayer point for this country is stability and buoyant economy, that is when people will benefit, irrespective of who is the leader.”
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