30th September, 2014
President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday in Abuja restated the commitment of his administration to doing what is right to improve the living standard of the people.
Jonathan made the pledge while receiving the Primatial Award of Excellence in Christian Stewardship from the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) at the Presidential Villa.
He stated that the desired transformation of the country could be realised within a short period of time, if government continued to take critical steps in the right direction.
The president reiterated his position that the current challenges facing the country were temporary, adding that with the support and prayers of Nigerians, they would be over in no time.
“For me and the Vice President as well as the Federal Government, by the grace of God and the willingness of Nigerians, we will do our best to improve the quality of life of our people.
“We have our Transformation Agenda. It is not something we can do overnight even if you have all the money in the world.
“If you want to build a six-storey building, you must give yourself a period that must be a time for you to complete that project.
“We have drawn our map and we have progressed. I believe we are progressing in the right direction. For you to really build a society, you need to do things that are critical and continue to do them well. And those things will now change our world.
“If we take issues of econony, transport infrastructure, those things that will improve on the economy. And if the government continues to do those things very well, it would not take a lifetime for this country to change.
“We are totally committed to doing our best to improve on the quality of life of our people. All what we require from you as spiritual fathers is to pray for us for God to give us the wisdom and mind to do what is right because it takes God to lead,” the president said.
Jonathan commended Christians and other religious bodies for their constant prayers for the unity, peace and progress of the country.
He particularly thanked the Anglican Church for bringing him up in the fear of God, noting that he was where he was today because of the church.
“I grew up as a member of the Anglican Church. I have been a part of the church from the beginning. I attended Anglican Primary School as a pupil.
“So, I have to be very grateful to the Anglican Church that brought me up. I am what I am today because of the Anglican Church”.
Reflecting on his political career, the president said that nobody knew how he rose to the top, adding that he would tell the true story after leaving office.
“My political journey is what nobody can tell. Without God, I wouldn’t have been here because most people know about it, but maybe when I leave office, that is when I will tell the true story of my journey.
“But I believe very clearly that it is God that made it possible. To even be a deputy governor in the first place, not to talk about being a president. I promise to do my best”.
Primate, Church of Nigeria, the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, said that the award was in recognition of the president’s commitment to even development of the country.
Okoh noted that since inception, the Jonathan administration had ensured that the country’s resources were judiciously and equitably distributed to all parts of the country.
“What do we mean by the Primatial Award of Excellence in Christian Stewardship. We need to explain it so that people will not misunderstand us.
“Everything we have and all that we are, belong to God and come from him. Every leader, president, governor or head of any institution is only a steward under God to dispense God’s resources to those he or she leads.
“These include the family and the church. By this award, we affirm that you, as the leader and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, have shared, allocated, distributed the resources of Nigeria fairly, equitably and judiciously to the East, West, North and South of Nigeria, to all.
“These include the traditional religionists, Muslims and Christians alike, to men and women, to the youths and children, including the Almajiri.
“This is the essence of this award. Hearty congratulations! May God honour you,” the primate said.