Joblessness Brought Most of Us To Politics - Jonathan Goodluck

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that over 50 per cent of the present crops of Nigerian politicians were not supposed to be in politics. He added that politics had become some kind of trade. Jonathan, who spoke at the Aso Villa Chapel, State House, noted that people found themselves in politics because they had no other thing to do. “Politics is just like some kind of trade. More than 50 per cent of us who are into politics are not supposed to be politicians. For example, in the profession of nursing and teaching, people with wicked hearts and unforgiving spirits are not the kind of people who should be nurses or teachers, but we find them there.

“So most of us who are in politics are not supposed to be there but because we have no other thing to do,” the President said. Reacting to the statement by the Chaplain, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba, that politicians do not forgive, Jonathan noted that they could not afford not to forgive. According to the President, the Bible even said that politicians were the people who forgive.

The President said: “These days we learn not to talk, or we talk very little. The chaplain accused us politicians that we do not forgive, or that some politicians don’t forgive. “Apparently, the Bible said this, politicians, I would not say much are those who forgive because in politics whether local politics or national, the Bible word is that you don’t have permanent friends or permanent enemies but permanent interest.

“If somebody is your enemy today and there is a change of interest and he becomes your friend first of all you have to forgive otherwise you cannot have a friend that you cannot work with.
“So, if you see a politician than cannot forgive, he is an impostor.” Dame Patience Jonathan read the first lesson from Psalms 122:1-9; the second lesson taken from Ephesians 1:15-23 was read by Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe. In his sermon, the Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, urged the President to remain focused in the administration of the country.

While advising the President not to give up, Okoh explained that the issue of Nigeria was like an individual on pilgrimage to a particular destination. He said that since Jonathan was the head of the pilgrimage of Nigeria, he should ensure that he led the pilgrimage to a successful end. “Life is a pilgrimage. Every individual is on a pilgrimage. Even Nigeria is on pilgrimage to an appointed destination in Africa and the world. God cannot make a mistake of creating a large number of people and place them in a place called Nigeria without a purpose. There is a purpose for Nigeria,” Okoh said.

He noted that qualities that would make the nation to succeed in its pilgrimage would include patience and perseverance. “Perseverance is another quality. Mr. President, when it becomes tough, keep going. You should persevere, please don’t give up. You must get to the top. You must ensure that you lead the people to the destination God has planned for them,” Okoh said. At the service, there was also a thanksgiving by the Nigerian Pilgrims Commission for the success of the 2013 Christian pilgrimage to Israel.

The mother of the President, Madam Eunice Jonathan; Ebonyi State Governor, Martins Elechi; Kogi State Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi; cabinet ministers and other senior government officials attended the service.