Jonathan to politicians: No need to maim, kill if your aim is to fix Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan has again cautioned politi­cians to watch their utterances if indeed their main goal is to develop the country.

He stressed that if every as­pirant has the mind to develop the people, then there will be no need to kill or maim people and destroy property, reiterat­ing that nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nige­rian.
This is even as he has said he gets encouraged by the var­ious challenges the Isrealites in the Bible went through and overcame, assuring that Nige­ria will overcome its current challenges.
Jonathan made the com­ments at Christ Apostolic Church, Area 1, Durumi, Abuja, where he joined wor­shippers in Sunday service alongside his mother, Madam Eunice, Chief of Staff, Brig. Gen. Jones Arogbofa, Chief Physician, Dr. Fortune Fibere­sima, Special Adviser on Me­dia and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, among others.
The president, who said next year will be turbulent be­cause of the elections, how­ever, expressed confidence that God will see the nation through.
He said: “Next year is a tempting year for us. Elections year in third world countries is always a turbulent year with all kinds of predictions. I, however, believe that the God who brought us to this level will see us through.
“All that I will request of you is to continue to pray for us politicians, myself and oth­er politicians from all political parties, for God to guide us in our utterances and what we do so that we will not sacrifice the lives of Nigerians because of our ambitions. “Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. Pray to God to give us that wisdom and mind to make sure we conduct our­selves in a way that will not set the country ablaze because of our own personal ambition.
“There are so many good Nigerians that can hold the offices we are occupying or aspiring to occupy, it is by privilege of God that we are here in positions to ask for the mandates of Nigerians. None of us should begin to think that he is the best person to be anywhere from state houses of assembly to the presidency. There are a thousand and one Nigerians that are super-qual­ified more than those people who are even aspiring to oc­cupy offices.
“Pray for us that God should give us the wisdom to conduct ourselves in a manner that at the end of the day, this country will triumph. The de­velopment of Nigeria is what all of us want. If every aspi­rant has the mind to develop the people, then you do not need to kill or maim people to get there.
“You do not need to kill the people you want to develop in order to get to the office you want except if you are aspiring for that office for a different reason. If the idea is to help the people, grow the economy and make the people happy, you won’t want to kill, you won’t want to maim or burn down houses, vehicles and property. Human beings may see things differently but God can guide us.”
Jonathan, who admitted that if not for the fervent prayers of Nigerians the situation in the country would have been worse off, assured that his administration, which he said has delivered on critical sec­tors like agriculture, roads, rail and power, will not relent in working for Nigerians to improve their daily lives.