Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914 as an act of God.
Jonathan, who joined the faithful at the Apostolic Faith Church, Jabi
in Abuja, for the last Sunday service of the year, however,
identified lack of unity and love as the greatest problem facing
Nigeria.
He likened the nation's challenges to those of the Israelites
when they were about to move out of Egypt to the Promised Land.
The President said, "As a nation, we have our challenges. Anytime I
look at the history of Nigeria and the challenges we face, I remember
a part of the old testament in the Bible that talks about the
Israelites when they decided to move out of Egypt to the Promised
Land. We have something quite similar.
"As you are getting closer to the promised land, you meet more
obstacles and thank God for the sermon we have heard here
today(Sunday). Even the songs showed that the greatest problem we
have are lack of unity and love.
"Nigeria was amalgamated by our colonial masters in 1914. By January
1 next year, Nigeria will be 100 years . I totally agree with the
minister that it was not by chance that we are one as a nation, it
was ordained by God.
"If God didn't will it that way and at that point, the North and
South would not have come together. The details of the North and South
coming together make Nigeria a very great country.
"I used to say that Nigeria is great not because of its oil. We
have countries that produce more oil than Nigeria but nobody talks
about them.
"We have countries that have multi-billion dollars in their reserves
and nobody talks about them but here we are, just talking about $40bn
in our reserves , yet the biggest and smallest countries talk
about Nigeria. Why? It is Because of the diversity from the North to
the South, the human and natural resources, the potential and the
population that we have.
" So, Nigeria is a country that has a special blessing from God. It is
therefore left to us to appreciate God and continue to pray for his
intervention for this country to continue to be great."
Jonathan again promised to bequeath a different Nigeria to the next generation.
He said his administration was committed to working hard to overcome
barriers that had to do with religious or ethnic differences.
The President said it was also when such barriers were crossed that
Nigerian children would enjoy a better future.
He said, "I promise our children that we are totally committed to
making sure that they meet a different Nigeria. We will collectively
work hard to overcome our barriers.
"Immediately we cross the barriers and we begin to believe that we
are all Nigerians and we are committed to the development of this
country, our children will surely meet a better Nigeria. We will try
our best but this is not the time to reel out what we are not doing,
otherwise people will think I am here to campaign.
"But I assure this congregation, and indeed all Nigerians, that by
the grace of God and your support, I am where I am today from
nowhere. Any Nigerian child can also be where I am.
"I come from the smallest state in this country and even in my state
(Bayelsa), my community is one of the smallest. Within my community
in the state, mine is one of the smallest , but I am here today as
President by the grace of God.
"That is the type of Nigeria we want to create; a Nigeria where you
can get what you want if you work hard, not a Nigeria where you
know somebody that knows somebody that will take you to somebody.
"We will work with you to help you to get to wherever you want to go."
The President also said he was now wary of what he says in public
because of the fear of being misinterpreted .
He said, "Because for those of us in politics, these days are not the
best days to make speeches because any statement we make, people look
at how to paint it. The next day when you read the newspapers, you
start doubting if that is what you said.
"So any statement we make is always used against us but I am quite
pleased to be here with you today(Sunday) to worship with you.
In his sermon titled "Living worthy of great mercies, great
faithfulness of God," Rev. Bayo Adeniran said Nigeria would be great
again if its citizens learnt to forsake their evil ways and returned
to God just like the people of Nineveh in the Bible did
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