President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday disclosed that he joined
the Muslim faithful in observing the Ramadan fast, which ended on Wednesday.
Jonathan, who spoke while receiving Vice-President Namadi Sambo,
who led the Muslim community to pay Sallah homage to the President, also
assured that Nigeria would not break up but would remain united and stronger to
overcome current challenges.
The President, who noted that the fasting period was not an easy
one, stressed that his trousers were now falling off his waist.
He said: “Let me congratulate our Muslim brothers and sisters
from Nigeria and indeed all over the world for going through this trying period
in this month that the Holy Qur’an was revealed to humans.
“Sometimes when you are not involved in fasting you will think
it is an easy thing. 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 spiritual exercise, it is
worth congratulations. So, I congratulate you. “Let me use this opportunity
once again to reassure Nigerians, including Muslim brothers and sisters, that
the VP and myself and our entire team will do our best to reposition the
country.”
Jonathan said that the prediction that the country would break
up in 2015 would not come to pass, even as he said that the country’s diversity
was a great strength yet to be tapped.
“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 about situations. Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters and we
must live together, those who are predicting that this country will separate,
based on our frontlines as at the time of amalgamation, by 2015 they will know
that these predictions will not be true.
“Today is a unique day, and I urge our Moslem 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 as we continue to pray to that God, God will see us through.
Yes, there are some few challenges now, but surely Allah will see us through.”
Earlier, Sambo had thanked the President for his fatherly
nature, stressing that he had been a father and a good leader.
He said that the Jonathan- led administration would continue
with its transformation agenda to improve the lives of Nigerians.
Wao! is this how desperate GEJ is to remain in power? Please can somebody tell him that fasting alongside Muslims cannot win him their votes! He is not a Muslim period. If he wants to convert to Islam let him simply do so and while he is at it, he should also denounce his citizenship of Bayelsa State and adopt that of Zamfara State, I can assure him that will surely guarantee him a second term in office.
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