Bolanle Akanji
Moderator
Source: Premium Times
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday
frowned at those predicting the disintegration of
Nigeria by 2015, saying such people or
organisations would be disappointed.
Mr. Jonathan said this when Vice President
Namadi Sambo and other Muslim faithful, paid
him Sallah homage at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
According to him, some of the problems the
country is experiencing are temporary and
largely being fuelled by some selfish elites.
"Let me use this opportunity again to also
reassure you, Moslem brothers, and indeed, the
whole country that myself, the vice president
and our team will do our best to reposition the
country.
"Christians and Moslems are brothers and sisters
and we must live together. Those who are
predicting that this country will separate base on
our front lines as at the time of amalgamation by
2015, they will know that those predictions may
not be true."
He said that Nigeria would continue to remain
one indivisible country, noting that Nigeria's
uniqueness was borne out of its position as "a
deeply religious people of Christians and
Muslims".
"For us, we cannot imagine a Nigeria without
Muslims and Christians. You can call it another
name, but not Nigeria.
"So it is a blessing that this is one country that
you have significant population of Muslims and
Christians and this religious diversity will enhance
our development because we can get across the
whole world wherever we go we are accepted.
"That helps us in so many ways. We are not even
exploiting our diversity because of the myopic
views of the elites about our situations," he said.
The president, who also joined the Muslim
community in observing the fasting for 29 days,
congratulated all Muslims for the successful
fasting.
"My brothers and sisters assalam alaiku. Let me
first and foremost use this unique opportunity to
congratulate all Muslim brothers and sisters from
this great country, and indeed, all over the world
for going through this tempting period, in this
month of Ramadan in the Holy month that the
Qur'an was revealed to humanity.
"Sometimes when you are not involved in fasting
you will think it is an easy thing to go through.
My trousers are just pulling out from my waist.
"So you should know that it is not easy to forego
food for a reasonable time within 24 hours of the
day.
"For you to have gone through this is worth
congratulations, so I congratulate you."
Jonathan called for more prayers not just for
peace in the country, but in the world, saying
that "there can be no development without
peace.
"Today is a unique day, and I urge our Muslim
brothers and sisters that they should continue to
pray for peace not just in Nigeria but all over the
world.
"If you watch television these days, more than
60 per cent of the time is spent on showing
crises all over the world.
"And for the world to move ahead and for Nigeria
to move ahead, for us to develop first and
foremost, there must be peace and security.
"Nobody will come and invest in an environment
where you are not sure of your workers and
investment.
"As a nation, for our children to get where we
want them to be, we must create a very peaceful
environment for them.
"So, they can develop mentally and be focused
and use their brains in a manner that will bring
economic changes to us.
"In Nigeria, we are very religious people and we
believe in one Almighty God and we will continue
to pray, God will see us through," he said.
"Jonathan reiterated the commitment of his
administration's determination to reposition the
country for better.
"Earlier, in his remarks, Sambo thanked Jonathan
for providing the required leadership in the
country.
He said Nigerians had started witnessing the
fruitful results of the ongoing transformation
agenda of the government.
"We are here again this morning after the Eid
prayer to pay homage to your Excellency and to
thank you for all you have been giving to Nigeria.
"We appreciate the fatherly nature you have
continued to hold us, the brotherly nature that
you have been a teacher and a leader to all of us
and we are learning about.
"We continue to pray that the transformation
agenda which already is showing effect in this
country particularly when you look at the area of
power supply, the area of transportation.
"Today we have railway that is moving in this
country after over 40 years." The News Agency
of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sambo and other
government functionaries conducted their Eid-
el-Fitri prayer on Airport Road, where they prayed
for peace, progress and rapid development of the
country.
The prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Abuja,
Ustaz Musa Mohammed.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday
frowned at those predicting the disintegration of
Nigeria by 2015, saying such people or
organisations would be disappointed.
Mr. Jonathan said this when Vice President
Namadi Sambo and other Muslim faithful, paid
him Sallah homage at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
According to him, some of the problems the
country is experiencing are temporary and
largely being fuelled by some selfish elites.
"Let me use this opportunity again to also
reassure you, Moslem brothers, and indeed, the
whole country that myself, the vice president
and our team will do our best to reposition the
country.
"Christians and Moslems are brothers and sisters
and we must live together. Those who are
predicting that this country will separate base on
our front lines as at the time of amalgamation by
2015, they will know that those predictions may
not be true."
He said that Nigeria would continue to remain
one indivisible country, noting that Nigeria's
uniqueness was borne out of its position as "a
deeply religious people of Christians and
Muslims".
"For us, we cannot imagine a Nigeria without
Muslims and Christians. You can call it another
name, but not Nigeria.
"So it is a blessing that this is one country that
you have significant population of Muslims and
Christians and this religious diversity will enhance
our development because we can get across the
whole world wherever we go we are accepted.
"That helps us in so many ways. We are not even
exploiting our diversity because of the myopic
views of the elites about our situations," he said.
The president, who also joined the Muslim
community in observing the fasting for 29 days,
congratulated all Muslims for the successful
fasting.
"My brothers and sisters assalam alaiku. Let me
first and foremost use this unique opportunity to
congratulate all Muslim brothers and sisters from
this great country, and indeed, all over the world
for going through this tempting period, in this
month of Ramadan in the Holy month that the
Qur'an was revealed to humanity.
"Sometimes when you are not involved in fasting
you will think it is an easy thing to go through.
My trousers are just pulling out from my waist.
"So you should know that it is not easy to forego
food for a reasonable time within 24 hours of the
day.
"For you to have gone through this is worth
congratulations, so I congratulate you."
Jonathan called for more prayers not just for
peace in the country, but in the world, saying
that "there can be no development without
peace.
"Today is a unique day, and I urge our Muslim
brothers and sisters that they should continue to
pray for peace not just in Nigeria but all over the
world.
"If you watch television these days, more than
60 per cent of the time is spent on showing
crises all over the world.
"And for the world to move ahead and for Nigeria
to move ahead, for us to develop first and
foremost, there must be peace and security.
"Nobody will come and invest in an environment
where you are not sure of your workers and
investment.
"As a nation, for our children to get where we
want them to be, we must create a very peaceful
environment for them.
"So, they can develop mentally and be focused
and use their brains in a manner that will bring
economic changes to us.
"In Nigeria, we are very religious people and we
believe in one Almighty God and we will continue
to pray, God will see us through," he said.
"Jonathan reiterated the commitment of his
administration's determination to reposition the
country for better.
"Earlier, in his remarks, Sambo thanked Jonathan
for providing the required leadership in the
country.
He said Nigerians had started witnessing the
fruitful results of the ongoing transformation
agenda of the government.
"We are here again this morning after the Eid
prayer to pay homage to your Excellency and to
thank you for all you have been giving to Nigeria.
"We appreciate the fatherly nature you have
continued to hold us, the brotherly nature that
you have been a teacher and a leader to all of us
and we are learning about.
"We continue to pray that the transformation
agenda which already is showing effect in this
country particularly when you look at the area of
power supply, the area of transportation.
"Today we have railway that is moving in this
country after over 40 years." The News Agency
of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sambo and other
government functionaries conducted their Eid-
el-Fitri prayer on Airport Road, where they prayed
for peace, progress and rapid development of the
country.
The prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Abuja,
Ustaz Musa Mohammed.