President Goodluck Jonathan says that the nation’s challenges, no matter how daunting they seem, they are ephemeral and will soon be overcome.
Jonathan said this in a remark at the centenary interdenominational thanksgiving service at the Ecumenical Centre, Abuja on Sunday.
He said: “We have our challenges, but definitely we have more opportunities in this country than the challenges.
“Our challenges are very ephemeral, other countries have passed through even more difficulties, but they survived them and celebrate.
“Go to the history of other big and developed countries, you will thank God.
“Though our own seems very bad but God is still with us.
“Surely, Nigeria will get there.
“I have a great hope for this country in spite of the temporary challenges that we are facing.
“We will work hard to make sure that these challenges must be dealt with and reduced to the barest minimum.”
According to Jonathan, with love and determination among the citizens, Nigeria will attain its full potential and take its pride of place in the world.
He added: “I see a new Nigeria filled with love.
“I see a new Nigeria with great determination.
“I see a new Nigeria with passion.
“This is my article of faith and hope for a brighter future and our commitment to realising a united Nigeria and creating a Nigeria that our children will be proud of is what I request from all of us.”
Jonathan, therefore, appealed to the people to shun ethnicity, religious bigotry and every other evil and focus on the good thing to make the country great.
He said: “I appeal to all of us to show love more than ever before to one another regardless of tribe, religion or race.
“Let us show love even when it hurts most, for our lives will be more fulfilling giving to others.
“As Apostle Paul enjoins us in Philippians Chapter 2 verse 5, and he said: let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, the mind of love, mind of tolerance, mind of peace and the mind of to build.
“Together we shall lead a greater nation, together we shall leave a legacy for our children, together we will surely make this country great.”
Jonathan recalled that at the beginning when his administration came up with the idea of centenary celebrations, there were dissenting voices to it.
He said the celebration had helped to shed light on the nation’s past, assess and review the present and to plan for the future.
He specifically thanked all the seven living former heads of state and presidents for their supports toward the celebration and their personal presence at the centenary award night.
Before giving his speech, the President had specially recognised a former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who was also in the service.
He noted that the centenary was made possible by Gowon who as the then head of state did not allow the country to disintegrate during and after the civil war.
Upon invitation by the President to say some few words, Gowon thanked God for the opportunity given to him to lead the country at a very tough time.
He noted that the end of the civil war with the declaration of “no victor, no vanquish” and the agreement to live together as one entity after the war, was second to none in the globe.
Gowon said he became more committed to the unity of the nation during the war when Nigerians formed an acronym with his name: “Go On With One Nigeria (GOWON).”
Gowon urged the younger generation to perpetually work toward a continued unity of the nation.
The retired Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Rev. Sunday Ola Makinde, in a sermon, said though the 1914 amalgamation was done by the colonial masters for economic and administrative convenience, it was God ordained and not a mistake.
Makinde said the amalgamation brought together multi-ethnic, multi-language and multi-religious nations to form the largest black country in the globe.
He said it was God ordained for Nigeria to remain one in spite of various challenges, crisis and wars that had befell it.
Specifically, he said Nigeria had survived the crisis in the Western region, the 1966 coup, which led to the massacre of Ibos in the Northern region, the attempted break away of the Eastern region and the subsequent civil war, which lasted for three years.
He said the country also survived various coups and counter-coups, the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the General Sani Abacha’s coup de tat, the murder of Ken Saro Wiwa, which led to the upsurge of Niger Delta militancy, among others.
Makinde said that though the nation had survived many challenges, it had also revealed that the 1914 amalgamation and the 1960 independence did not give the country a desired unity.
He, therefore, commended the President for the courage to summon a National Conference that would give the opportunity for Nigerians to fashion out how they would live together.
The cleric said that though the conference was not to divide the country, it would give the opportunity to review “where we are coming from in the last 100 years, where we are and where we are going to.
“If India and the United Kingdom can be together today, I see no reason why Nigeria should not be one.
“However, we need to review our common goals.
“Nigerians are not in accord or mutual agreement today.”
Makinde, therefore, urged Jonathan and all relevant government arms to respect the outcome of the conference.
Makinde also urged the President to focus on addressing the challenges of corruption, poor infrastructure, suspicion, kidnapping, raping, unemployment, terrorism and in particular the Boko Haram insurgency.
He said in addressing the Boko Haram insurgency, the military should be well and adequately equipped and government should find out the sources of funding of the evil perpetrators.
On the 2015 general election, Makinde urged the politicians not to heat up the nation, but believe that it was God that anoints a leader.
He said the politicians should rise up to guide the nation and not to break it.
Earlier, the National President, Christians Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said the service was to thank God for keeping the country in the past 100 years since amalgamation of January 1, 1914.
Oritsejafor, represented by CAN National Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, said not all nations were privileged to have such longevity.
He said: “Notwithstanding our struggles and challenges, our centenary of nation is an epoch deserving celebrating by the Nigerian people.
“It offers us a unique opportunity to focus on God who has kept us as indivisible entity to focus on our country, its history, people, achievements and aspirations for the next century.”
NAN reports that the Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church, Abuja, Bishop David Abioye, took the prayers of adoration and thanksgiving at the service.
There were prayers of intercessions by different men of God and was rounded up with prophetic declarations by the President of the living Faith Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo.
Oyedepo charged Nigerians to speak well of the country and pray for its peaceful coexistence.
There was special rendition of thanksgiving songs by the mass choir of Abuja CAN, the band unit of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Present at the service were Senate President, Senator David Mark; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; and former Head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan.
The others were the First Lady, Dame Patience: the president’s mother, Mrs. Ayi; and Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State.
Others present included deputy governors, ministers, presidential aides, service chiefs, clergy and members of diplomatic corps.
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