President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday took a swipe at those he described as troublemakers, saying: “God will soon expose the foreheads of Nigeria’s Goliaths”. Sounding ecclesiastical in a rendition that was packed with religious flavour, Jonathan accused some Nigerians of forming stumbling blocks to the efforts of his administration.
Speaking at a church service heralding the nation’s 51st independence anniversary, he said that the journey of his commitment to moving Nigerian forward will not be easy.
The president said he was not a commander, an army general, a lion or a biblical warrior to reverse the fortune of the country, adding that his initial reaction was to keep mum.
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He wondered why, despite all the achievements being recorded by his administration, “some Nigerians choose to vilify us”.
Despite his weaknesses, he said, God chose him to turn the fortunes of the country around.
He said: “If you listen to some of the things people say or write in the papers… some people would want the president to be a lion, some people would want the president to be a troop commander who would crush everybody on sight.? Unfortunately, I am not a troop commander. I am not an army general.? Some would want the president to be like David or other warriors in the Bible. Unfortunately, I am not one of those. The only prayer I need from you is for God to use me to change this country.
“I don’t need to be like Nebuchadnezzar, David or other great men to change this country, but with your prayer I can change this nation. We can make the difference. Someone had written in the papers: Is Nigeria on autopilot?? I tell them that Nigeria is not on autopilot; God is in charge and God will take us to the destination he has destined for us.?
“It is not going to be easy because, just like Rev. Yusuf Turaki said, there are Goliaths everywhere – very, very terrible Goliaths. The ones that can even kill their fathers, mothers and even their children in order to stop government are willing to do it. So we have these terrible Goliaths that are trying to frustrate us but, surely with God, we will conquer them. I remember one of the sermons Pastor Ayo once gave here. He said every Goliath has an exposed forehead; all the Goliaths that are stumbling blocks to the development and growth of this country, God will expose their heads for the stone of David.”
Jonathan lamented that, despite commendations from world leaders including President Barack Obama of the United States, and Jacob Zuma of South Africa for the efforts of his administration at the just concluded UN General Assembly, some Nigerians have refused to see any good in what he is doing. He maintained that he would not relent.
“Obama, when he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly and on several occasions, commended Nigeria.? But back home here, we are being abused.? When we had the Security Council meeting, when they spoke, they commended Nigeria.? When others spoke, they commended Nigeria. What I can assure you is that God is at work and we shall get to our destination,” Jonathan said. “Brothers and sisters, we are celebrating Nigeria at 51 after independence, but as a nation we are 97 years old because Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914. In 2014 we will celebrate the centenary of our existence; we will do a big ceremony. Today, we are celebrating 51 years of independence.”?
While delivering his anniversary sermon, former head of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), Rev.? Turaki Yusuf, blamed the problem of Nigeria on “destructive ideological religion, insincerity, ethnocentricism and primordialism”.
He said, “Religion has become an ideology and they kill in the name of ideological religion. We worship ethnic groups, regionalism and tribalism at the expense of our national development.”
The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Oritsajefor, prayed that God would expose the foreheads of the Goliaths in the country.? “There are several Goliaths; they would want to frustrate us, but surely we shall triumph. All the Goliaths that are stumbling blocks to the progress of this nation, God will expose their foreheads for the stone of David,” he prayed.
Alongside some other church leaders present on the occasion, he prayed for the growth and progress of the country. They jointly prayed for peace in all parts of the country to mark the beginning of the weeklong events for the celebration of Nigeria's 51st independence anniversary.