President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife after the church service
With barely 12 days to step down as Nigeria’s president, President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday pleaded for forgiveness from those he might have offended while carrying out his duties as the country's number one citizen.
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He equally described as complicated, his transition from being a vice-president to being the president.
This is just as his wife, Patience, said having done creditably well, they would be returning home with their heads high.
She equally noted that God had lifted her high because she never dreamt of becoming a first lady as her husband at the initial stage was not a politician.
The first lady, who is having her second public appearance since her husband lost the presidential election, also said that she was miraculously healed of an ailment after the poll.
Jonathan and his wife spoke during a thanksgiving service marking their last worship service at the Aso Villa Chapel.
He described the eight years he had been at the Villa as a series of blockades because his transition from vice-president to president was gradual and complicated.
Read Jonathan's Statement In Part.......................................
"Let me express our appreciation to all those who have stood with us . We came in as vice-president and the wife, today we are leaving as the former president and former first lady. Whatever we were able to achieve was through you. Let me specifically thank the Chaplain, the clergymen, the pastors and their wives.
"For the past eight years, we have every reason to be thankful to God. Every individual has his/her own calling. I also believe that people who take over political leadership have their own callings to do specific things.
"No one, head of a government, be it at the national level or the sub-regional levels can do everything. But when you leave, you will want to do something to show that yes, I was here. I remember when I was deputy governor of Bayelsa State, when I took over as governor, something that came to my mind. I wanted to build bridges, since Bayelsa was more riverine than Rivers State and I decided that I was going to build two major bridges yearly.
“Everybody has something to leave behind. The chaplain has said that nothing is perfect, if you wait for perfection, you cannot achieve anything."
"No system is perfect, adding that every human system must have an element of imperfection.
"It was intertwined so you cannot actually draw the line. Because when the president was challenged with major health issues, I was running the country for sometime, even before the doctrine of necessity made me an acting president. Then I took over at first and conducting the 2011 election, I won and I had to run my full four years as an elected president.
"So for the eight years that one has been there, definitely one is not perfect. We have done certain things that probably we shouldn't have done that way, but we didn't do those things deliberately (to hurt others).
"So for those whom we have offended it was not deliberate, it was circumstances of the office. So we also plead that those people should forgive, we think we have done our best," he said.
"You can do your best and your friends may misunderstand you. Today we are talking about leaving. It is only God that knows why things go the way they do.
"Ordinarily, May 24 would have been the last service here. But that May 24, we will all go to the National Christian Centre for the inauguration service. So for me and my wife, this is our last day of worship here. The congregation will continue because until new government takes over.
"Though we are leaving as president and first lady, but we have not left you, because we are still in this country, we will continue to interact one way or the other, probably along the line we may even come closer. I believe some of you may even come closer, and even do more meaningful things together when we leave office.
"The office is quite challenging, some of you may desire to see us, I believe as we move forward, things will get better. I don't really believe that it is only in government that you can do things, even outside government you can also do a lot of things.
"The richest people in the world don't even serve in government. Dangote has never been in government. So you don't need to be in government to be rich. Bill Gates has not been in government. So outside government a lot of things happen, it is for us to be committed and continue to be focused. Me and my wife really love all of you."
Credits: Thisdaylive.com
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