President
Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, stoked his campaign against perceived
enemies of the country, saying that Nigeria “must be liberated from
evil people”.
He also insisted that his administration was committed to combating
the threat posed by the Boko Haram sect. The President noted
that the Boko Haram menace was a temporary problem that will be
defeated.
Speaking at the first Sunday church service of the year at the Church
of Christ In Nations (COCIN) Abuja, President Jonathan said no
person or group will be allowed to hold the nation to ransom.
According to him, the country must be liberated from “evil persons” in
order to bequeath to generations unborn, a country that they would be
proud of.
Jonathan arriving COCIN church in Abuja, yesterday.
“Nobody or group can hold this country to ransom. We will
collectively liberate this country from any evil person, so that we can
leave behind a Nigeria that our children and grandchildren will be
proud of”, he said.
Speaking on the Boko Haram insurgency, President Jonathan noted
that “Boko Haram is temporary, Boko Haram will surely go. A number
of countries are facing similar challenges and some have been able
to overcome it and surely we will overcome Boko Haram. Life in the
North must change; development must go to all parts of this
country”.
On the political situation in the
country, the president said there was nothing unusual in the
heightened political situation.
“Let me reassure you again that
myself and those who have been elected in this period, that the
political environment is always noisy all over the world. There is
nowhere you won’t hear so much noise. Even the United States of
America, not long ago, the country was almost shut down. For so
many months people were worried that the country that has practiced
democracy for so many years could get to that situation. But that is
politics for you.
“But let me reassure you that we will continue to work harder to
improve
the quality of lives of Nigerians. We are particularly committed to
knowing where our challenges are, especially in some parts of the
North. We are quite pleased with the measures from the outgoing
President (of COCIN) and the measures of the incoming President
concerning Boko Haram. We sympathize with those who have been
affected by the executions.”
Delivering Pastoral greetings to the congregation, the new President
of COCIN, Rev. Dachollom Datiri noted that the church has suffered
greatly from Boko Haram attacks in its branches in the North East.
He, however, commended the President for declaring State of
Emergency in the three northern states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa,
which he said has checked activities of the insurgents.
Datiri also commended the President for being able to ensure
constant supply of petroleum products in the country in the past two
years and the recently called off strike by the Academic Staff Union
of Universities (ASUU) even as he hoped that 2014 will be strike-free.
“Your transformation agenda is loveable and commendable. You are
always in church and God will never forget you. When a leader puts
the things of God first, all other things shall be added unto him,” he
said
Noting that the storms toward the 2015 election are man-made, he
prayed that they will soon be over and that no evil plan will succeed
in Nigeria.
“COCIN is ever thankful to God for giving you to Nigeria, COCIN
members despite political affiliations will support you” he said.
In his sermon titled ‘Usefulness’, he said that no individual can claim
to know the will of God without first being useful, fruitful or
productive.
Taking the congregation through 2nd Timothy 2: 14-26; Ephesians 2:
10; 2nd Corinthians 9:8 and 2nd Timothy 3: 17, he said that there
are some milestones to be scaled before a believer can be useful to
God. [Vanguard]
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